Facility Martinez Medical Offices Department of Rheumatology Address 200 Muir Road Ensenada Building 2nd Floor Martinez CA 94553 Park Shadelands Sequoia Building 320 Lennon Lane Walnut Creek CA 94583 Map & Directions Telephone Appt/Advice/Cancellation: (925) 295-6400 E-mail your doctor 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

Note - I work at two different locations. Both facilities are closed for lunch 12:30 to 1:30PM.

Tuesday- 8:30AM to 12:30PM Park Shadelands; 2 PM to 5:30 PM Martinez

Thursday - 8:30AM to 5:30 PM Park Shadelands

Friday - 8:30AM to 12:30PM and 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM Martinez

Welcome to My Home Page!

About Me

I was born in Madera, California. My father was of British and Dutch background and my mother of Danish ancestry, the latter assuming major importance in our family because of the many relatives in the Fresno area as well as in Denmark. When I was six months old my family moved to Sanger, California (near Fresno), where I lived until I was 14 years old. I went to Bullard High School in Fresno. Among my many activities at the time was competitive swimming, which included a month long exhibition tour of Japan (sponsored by a major Japanese newspaper) by four 14 year old U.S. swimmers (two girls and two boys including me) and a chaperone from Michigan (who arrived in Japan a day after we did!). During summer vacations I got to pick grapes for raisins for my uncle’s farm outside of Fresno. In addition I lived and died listening to Willie Mays and the Giants on the radio.

I attended college at Stanford University, Stanford, California, on a scholarship and continued to swim while I was there. Our team actually won the NCAA championship one of those years. My academic major was biology and my favorite subject was molecular biology. Besides academics and swimming, my other Stanford highlight was my six months of study at Stanford-in-Germany, which at the time was located in the small town of Beutelsbach, near Stuttgart in southern Germany. While there instead of science courses I studied Russian history, German (of course), and German opera. I wish I could still remember my German, but I have never lost the love of travel, visiting new cultures, and gaining a new perspective of the United States from the outside.

Why I Chose Medicine / Rheumatology

After Stanford I went on to the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine where in the third year, I took an elective in rheumatology with a new budding rheumatologist who so inspired me that I finally knew that this would become my major area of interest. I subsequently went on to do my medical residency training program at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland where the medical education director, Dr. Martin Shearn, was a nationally renowned rheumatologist. I completed my formal training with a rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.

Why I Chose Kaiser Permanente

Following my fellowship, I went into private practice in Berkeley until I joined Kaiser Permanente in 1991, where I have had the privilege of practicing ever since. I made the decision to join Kaiser Permanente because of various professional considerations. I have been very pleased with the congeniality and professionalism of my colleagues. I believe the Kaiser Permanente system allows us to strive for high academic standards while at the same time providing a broad range of medical care in a cost-efficient manner. In other words, we are essentially able to order any test or treatment needed while being guided by national or specialty-directed guidelines and evidence-based medicine. With ours being a large multi-specialty group, I have at my disposal instant advice and consultation from members within my specialty as well as other specialties.

Currently, I do rheumatology consultations and follow up appointments at both the Martinez and Antioch-Delta Fair facilities. You might be wondering what rheumatology is and what a rheumatologist does. Rheumatologists diagnose and treat over 100 recognizable rheumatic diseases that either primarily or secondarily involve the muscles and joints. These diseases are inherited, degenerative, infectious, or even auto-immune in nature. They include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyalgia rheumatica, and vasculitis. I am also involved in teaching rheumatology to medical residents from Highland Hospital in Oakland under the auspices of Kaiser Permanente and the University of California, San Francisco. When you see me in the clinic, you may on occasion also get to meet one of these fine young doctors. From 1984 through 1990 I even taught a semester course in internal medicine (three lectures a week plus a midterm and final) at the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry.

I am a member of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association, the California Medical Association, and the American College of Rheumatology.

Life Outside of Kaiser Permanente

My wife Rosalyn and I met while I was in medical school at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was simultaneously getting her master’s degree in art history. We got married immediately upon my graduation and moved to Berkeley where we have lived ever since. She did her doctorate in art history at Stanford University, has taught in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has published in this field. In fact she co-authored with Stanford Professor Albert Elsen, who passed away during the project, a catalogue of the Stanford Rodin collection. You can have a quick visit to the Stanford Rodin Sculpture Garden by clicking the following link: and selecting the Rodin Sculpture Garden link

I have two children, both of whom attended kindergarten through eighth grade at a French immersion school in Berkeley. Both Kevin and Jesslyn are in college. Most of my time is spent with my family, with various hobbies such as reading and gardening, and sports activities.

Rheumatology Coverage

When I am not available, such as when I am at a medical meeting or on vacation, Dr. Robert Wiskocil and Dr Atul Agrawal are available to review lab tests, x-rays, answer questions, or refill medications. This usually can be handled with a message or a phone call, but an urgent appointment can be arranged. If needed, you can visit their home pages by clicking on the following links: Dr. Wiskocil | Dr. Atul Agrawal.

My Credentials

Medical school	UC Los Angeles, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Internship	Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, CA
Residency	Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, CA
Fellowship	UC San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
Board certification	Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine
Board certification	Rheumatology, American Board of Internal Medicine

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