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Department Hours
| 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 |
About Me
A single chest x-ray served as my formal introduction to radiology. Then a medical student on rotation at the UC Davis Medical Center, the instructor was reviewing the pertinent findings of this particular chest x-ray with the radiology resident. It was a lesson in wonder. I stared at the obvious: a heart, the spine, and many ribs. With further inspection, I saw subtle lines running at odd angles, a sign that the septa or tissues of the lungs were thickened, perhaps with edema. And the heart looked too big, perhaps indicating a failing heart. And there was fluid surrounding the lungs which was seen only as a subtle blunting of the corners of the lungs. The diagnosis was made…acute congestive heart failure.
But there was more to consider. The emergency room physician was asking about our impression; a decision had to be made. Should the patient be admitted to the hospital? I was caught up in the importance of reaching a diagnosis based on this chest x-ray. But it was tempered by the fact that this x-ray represented a living, breathing person whose life might suddenly be affected by the results of this study. It was a serious and important job, interpreting chest x-rays, and suddenly I wanted to be a part of that process!
The rest, as the saying goes, is history. I completed my medical school training and began my radiology residency. My interest in and fascination with radiology only deepened with the increasing breadth of experience obtained during residency. I ultimately chose to do an abdominal imaging fellowship to strengthen my knowledge of Ultrasound, CT, and MRI.
My Credentials
| UC Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, CA |
| UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA |
| UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA |
| Diagnostic Radiology, American Board of Radiology |
Practicing Medicine at Kaiser Permanente
After my training, I chose a career with Kaiser Permanente because it was one of the few places that I thought would allow me to practice to the fullest of my capabilities without spending unnecessary time getting authorization from insurance companies or filling out stacks of forms to be able to perform an MRI on a patient in need. And to my surprise, there were so many other hidden benefits to working here. For instance, many of my colleagues were also recent graduates from UC Davis; we had already established a professional relationship and shared similar medical philosophies. The infrastructure at Kaiser Permanente allowed us to communicate easily over the phone and via computer. This meant greater ease of care for our patients and less chance that our patients or their health concerns would slip through the cracks.
My four years at Kaiser Permanente have been extremely rewarding. While I spend a fair amount of time reading studies pertinent to my fellowship training (MRI, CT, and Ultrasound exams), I also read mammograms and perform fluoroscopic studies. In fact, some of my favorite moments occur when I am in direct contact with my patients rather than reading their studies in another room. These procedures include doing breast ultrasound exams, performing CT guided biopsies, and performing barium studies. It is during these moments that I get to chat with my patients, something I enjoy very much, and something I reminisce from my earlier career as a dental hygienist.
I like to think that I am able to give something back to Kaiser, especially my enthusiasm for my specialty and my deep respect for our patients. In addition, I participate in tumor boards, sit on administrative committees, and am sub-chief for our CT department.
If you can’t tell by now, I am one of Kaiser’s biggest cheerleaders. I believe in our mission of providing the highest quality of healthcare with an emphasis on complete integrated care, prevention, and the team approach. It really does work, and I believe that our patients are getting the best care possible. I hope that you too have a similar positive experience at Kaiser Permanente and will be with me and the rest of us for the years to come.
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