Specialty Neurology Facility Sacramento Medical Center Department of Neurology Address 2025 Morse Ave. Sacramento CA 95825 Map & Directions Telephone Appt/Advice: (916) 973-5175 E-mail your doctor

My Office Hours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
		7:30 am 12:30 pm		7:30 am 12:30 pm

My Specialty and Why I Chose It

As a neurologist, I evaluate and treat patients for diseases of the brain, the spinal cord, the nerves and the muscles. I cannot think of a more fascinating field of medicine, both for the variety of conditions and the challenges of figuring out just what is going on and why. In the 30 years since I started my neurology training we have been blessed with such progress – the CT scan, the MRI scan, new and very helpful treatments for Parkinson’s Disease, for acute stroke and stroke prevention, wonder drugs for treating migraine, surgery for epilepsy, and more.

My Practice Philosophy

I believe in compassion, communication and caution.

While neurology is a specialty that can now treat diseases and conditions that used to be untreatable, there are some whose cure still eludes medical science. If faced with one of those conditions where we cannot cure, I believe we can always provide compassionate care.

I am honest with my patients. Patients and families need to know what is going on, what to expect, and how they can plan for the future. And I will help with that planning the best I can. If I think a test or treatment will be helpful, I will tell you so. By the same token, if I think the Internet or the latest ad on TV is selling you a bill of goods, I will tell you that as well, and I will not prescribe what I don’t believe will be good for you.

I want to stay in touch, and the best way to do that is by emailing me by clicking on the "E-mail your doctor" link above. After you have had a test or a scan that I have ordered, e-mail me, and I will find out the result and get back to you as quickly as I can.

My Career at Kaiser Permanente

I came to Kaiser straight out of residency at Stanford. From the beginning I believed, and continue to believe, that the Kaiser philosophy and model of health care delivery is the best that has been created in this country. So I was thrilled to get a position at the San Francisco Kaiser. While I was there, I spent as much time as possible teaching the field of neurology to medical residents and to neurology residents at UCSF.

While in San Francisco I was on the front lines as the AIDS epidemic struck, and I saw and cared for hundreds of AIDS patients before we even knew what caused it or had any tools to treat it. It was like leaning Neurology all over again, because these men and women had conditions that had never before been seen. We could not cure, so we had to become better and better at caring – providing symptom relief, psychological comfort, and terminal care.

We in neurology are frequently called to see patients in a coma after a tragic event, and we are always asked what will happen and what should be done. This recurring question, and my experience with AIDS, led me to a new and continuing interest in the field of Bioethics, which I continue to learn about and to share with my fellow physicians and other care providers.

In October 1989 the earthquake struck, so I decided to seek safer ground (I told you I am cautious). Fortunately, Sacramento made room for me in its Neurology Department, and I have been practicing here since 1990. In addition to my neurology practice and chairing our Bioethics Committee, I have taken on a number of administrative duties as chief of the Medical Legal Department and chief of Risk Management. These duties take me away from my office all but Tuesday and Thursday mornings. (This is another reason why communication with me is best and quickest by email.)

Why I Like Practicing Medicine at Kaiser Permanente

I believe in Kaiser’s philosophy of providing excellent care for all members on an equal basis.

I believe in Kaiser’s mission to try to keep health care affordable, difficult though that has become.

I believe in partnering with patients, without a third party interfering in our joint effort to diagnose and treat appropriately. Within the constraints of what is covered by the insurance plan, Kaiser has never said no to what I felt was best for my patients.

I believe in high quality care. I am surrounded by a group of outstanding physicians, nurses, and other support staff. I am supported by an increasingly sophisticated information technology system. My continuous self-education is supported by the organization.

I am proud to be a Kaiser physician.

Professional Interests and Affiliations

Within the field of Neurology, I have had a particular interest in stroke prevention and stroke treatment. I helped to write the first Kaiser practice guidelines for stroke treatment.

Bioethics is another field of special interest. I have taught Bioethics both within and outside of Kaiser. Combined with my interest in stroke, I wrote an article on the ethics of stroke research, published in the journal Stroke.

I have been an active member of the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society and chair its Medical Review and Advisory Committee.

I have an intense interest in health care policy, especially the issue of spiraling health care costs and how we can possibly get them under control while continuing to provide the care that our patients expect and deserve.

My Personal History

My wife of 17 years is the joy of my life. We have two dogs that we unabashedly treat as children. My wife and I play mediocre tennis and even worse bridge, but we play with enthusiasm.

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My Credentials

Medical school	Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
Internship	Mount Zion Medical Center of The University of California, San Francisco, CA
Residency	Stanford University Hospital, Stanford, CA
Board certification	Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

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