Facility Walnut Creek Medical Center Diablo Service Area Endocrine Center of Excellence Address 200 Muir Road Ensenada Building 2nd Floor - Station C Martinez CA 94553 Telephone Office: (925) 295-6400 Fax: (925) 372-1872 Advice (24 hours)/Messages: (925) 372-1999 E-mail your doctor View your preventive services

Department Hours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Closed	8:30 am 5:30 pm	8:30 am 5:30 pm	8:30 am 5:30 pm	8:30 am 5:30 pm	8:30 am 5:30 pm	Closed
Closed during lunch, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

Welcome to My Home Page!

I view this page as a nice way to introduce myself.

This page is also your gateway to . . .

• Helpful Web Links
• Health Education Classes
• Our New Personalized Programs include an individual Total Health Assessment, personalized Weight Management & Physical Activity program, personalized Nutrition program, personalized Smoking Cessation program, and Stress Management program.

In addition, you can connect with our Online Appointment and Online Prescription Services.

If you are not yet registered, I encourage you to do so and try out these services.

One of our most helpful online services is our Personal Physician Selection Service. Get up-to-date information on which providers have open panels by location and review biographic information and individual home pages online! If you do not have a primary care provider, or if you are interested in switching primary care providers, please check out this link.

About Me / How I Decided on a Career in Medicine

I grew up south of Santa Cruz, California, and am the oldest of three sons. I received my undergraduate degree in microbiology & immunology from the University of California, Berkeley. I had originally planned on a career in academics and enjoyed learning about the 'cutting edge' of scientific discovery. I still enjoy teaching, but I wanted to be able to use my knowledge to more directly and immediately help people. I was drawn towards medicine, and after graduating I went to medical school at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles (USC).

Click here to see my My Credentials

Medical school	University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Internship	UC Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Residency	UC Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Fellowship	Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Board certification	Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, American Board of Internal Medicine

Why Hormones?

I specialized in internal medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, then went on to sub-specialize in Endocrinology, which deals with problems involving hormones and metabolism. I became interested in hormones during my undergraduate studies and found that I was very good at "putting all the pieces together" to help figure out how a person's hormone system could cause health problems.

During my fellowship back at USC, I studied human thyroid hormone metabolism. I also served as a Clinical Instructor of Medicine during my final year at USC, supervising and training endocrinology fellows. Ever since my training with the USC Thyroid group, I've had a special interest in the treatment of thyroid disease and specifically the optimal treatment of thyroid cancer.

I Made it Back Home to Northern California!
Why Kaiser Permanente is the Right Place for Me

After finishing my training in Southern California, I wanted to move back up to the San Francisco Bay Area to be closer to my family. I also wanted to be able to practice medicine in a system that stressed prevention and would allow me to make treatment decisions without "gate keepers". After considering all of the alternatives, I chose The Permanente Medical Group. I have been practicing at Kaiser Permanente since 1993. I value my colleagues and feel that our system gives me the tools and freedom to provide my patients with excellent, integrated health care. I am proud of our accomplishments and that we have been recognized as providing care that is the Best in California.

In addition to my Endocrinology practice at the Martinez Medical Offices, I currently serve as Chief of the Diablo Service Area Endocrinology Division and as Chair of the Northern California Endocrinology Chief's group. In 2006 I joined the regional PHASE (Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes Everyday) team as the Northern California Clinical Lead for Diabetes. Over the past few years we've been working hard to reduce heart attacks and strokes for our members and we've done well. I'm honored to be part of an amazing team and I'm a very proud recipent of the Syndey R. Garfield Exceptional Contribution Award in 2009.

In the past, I have served as Medical Staff Secretary and Associate Chief of Medicine at the Martinez Medical Offices. Kaiser Permanente has had a long history teaching new physicians, and as an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, I have been able to continue to work with residents training at Highland General Hospital, Oakland.

I am also a member of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association, the California Medical Association, The American Thyroid Association, the American Diabetes Association, The Endocrine Society and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Getting Personal

My wife, Bonnie, and I met at in a student co-op at Berkeley and we married after my first year in medical school. We celebrated our 20th anniversary a few years ago with a second honeymoon in Maui. Bonnie and I are the proud parents of two wonderful children and our cat, Rue, is definitely a member of the family too!

My personal interests include digital photography, bicycling, gardening, backyard astronomy, and cooking. I'm a certified sexuality educator and have been actively involved in sexuality education for youth and adults since 1998. I am also a fan of low impact gym work-outs and walking for fun and stress reduction. I recommend our 10,000 step program for anyone looking for a fun and easy way to increase their physical activity.

Check Out My Links!

If you are looking for a place to get more information about a health issue, I encourage you to try our Health Encyclopedia first. For information about specific endocrine conditions, please try out the links on the left hand navigation bar.

In addition to my links, The Endocrine Society, The American Thyroid Association and the American Diabetes Association all have good patient education resources.

• To check your personal risk for developing diabetes, click here!
• To check out your risk of developing heart disease, click here!
• To calculate your healthiest weight, click here!
• If you are ready to quit smoking, and could use some tips to help you succeed, click here!

To Get the Most Out of Our Consultation or Follow-up Appointment

• Please try to arrive about 15 minutes before your appointment. This will allow time for registration and for my staff to get your vital signs such as blood pressure and weight.
• Please bring copies of any important outside records that might be helpful.
• Please bring a list of your current medications and their doses or the actual pill bottles themselves.
• If you have diabetes, please bring a current log of your recent home blood glucose tests.

Let Me Introduce the Other Members of the Endocrinology Division

I work with four wonderful endocrinologists in the Diablo Service Area Endocrine Division. In order to provide you with better endocrinology service, we have developed a unique system to provide cross coverage.

When I am away from the office, one of my endocrinology colleagues covers for me. He or she reviews my incoming messages, laboratory results, radiology reports, and refill requests using our new computer systems. If an urgent issue comes up, he or she will handle the situation - frequently over the phone. If you require an urgent appointment, he or she can help arrange one for you at the closest Kaiser Permanente facility or at his or her office.

Use the links below to get to the home pages of my colleagues.

John Citron - Walnut Creek	Pamela Kershner - Walnut Creek	Craig Sadur - Pleasanton	Hla Win - Antioch Medical Center

Thank you for taking time to check out my home page. I hope you found it helpful.

Disclaimer
If you think you have a MEDICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or go to the nearest hospital. DO NOT attempt to access emergency care through this web site. An emergency medical condition is a medical or psychiatric condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in any of the following: serious jeopardy to your health, serious impairment to your bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part. An emergency medical condition is also "active labor," which means a labor when there is inadequate time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery or if a transfer poses a threat to the health of the member or unborn child.

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