Facility San Jose Medical Center Department of Occupational Health Address 275 Hospital Parkway 5th Floor San Jose CA 95119 Map & Directions Telephone Appt/Advice: (408) 972-6800 View your preventive services

Department Hours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Closed	8:30 am 5:00 pm	8:30 am 5:00 pm	8:30 am 5:00 pm	8:30 am 5:00 pm	8:30 am 5:00 pm	Closed
Closed during lunch, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

I became a Physical Therapist as a normal progression from athletics. I had been a manager for football and baseball teams in high school, played soccer in college and minored in college in Athletic Training and Coaching. I initially was focused in Sports Medicine. I had opportunities to work with High School, College and Professional athletes. I became interested in the way the body is connected in movement, and progressed into Biomechanics. I worked with runners doing gait restoration and orthotics. Eventually, Occupational Medicine became a focus, as many of the patients I saw were injured at work. As more injuries became related to issues of body position and mechanics, my interest grew into Ergonomics and Body Mechanics education.

Background

I initially received degrees in Marine Biology and Environmental Science from UCSB in ’78 & ’80. After 3 years as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at UCSB, I returned to education in 1986 to California State University, Northridge for PT School, and I completed my Athletic Training work with certification in 1990. I have taken a variety of post-graduate classes in general orthopedic PT techniques, with emphasis in principals of functional biomechanics and exercise training, as well as McKenzie, Australian Mobilization and Ergonomics work shops.

Recommendations

Live your life as if you have only ONE! This is neither an endorsement to avoid or involve yourself in doing any particular activity or scene. It merely is a reminder that while you go through life you can both enjoy and experience without doing harm to yourself and others. Exercise and stay strong. Eat to nourish and not stuff. Work and play to support and grow. Help when you can. Be truthful to yourself. Learn about others. Be understanding, not understood.

My Philosophy of Care

No matter what your occupation, you owe it to yourself, if not your family and friends, to take care of yourself. One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves in a long, healthy life. But even with the best intentions we often make choices that end up causing us discomfort, or even severe health conditions. The tragedy is that a little education could be the major difference between a healthy life, and one that results in compromised health. Attention to your own wellness should be a focus of every one’s health care. We all make choices about activities, exercise, diet, sleep, smoking and work that are part of our lives, but little do we realize the importance of each of these parts. No matter what your interests, the first person that is affected by bad poor habits is you. In turn, YOU are the first person that benefits from your own good health.

My decision to go into Healthcare was more about what I wanted to do with my life than actually change other’s lives initially. With each year I work in Physical Therapy, I realize not just the opportunity I have, but actually the important role I have to help others maximize their potential to live full, healthy lives. Therefore it is really my philosophy to educate others in being healthier. My pursuit is to tell others, not drag them to it, about what someone might do to change in their lives to feel better, to improve and to make a difference.

My personal goals were to make a difference with each person I interacted with regarding health matters. Even though some people have very significant health distractions, they can benefit from one of many alternative ideas regarding ‘choices’. When you make your choices, consider where you might be in 10 or 20 years, because likely it won’t just affect you alone. Remember, your choices is your LIFESTYLE !!

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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