About Me

I was born and raised in Michigan. I moved to Hawaii with my husband to do my internal medicine residency, and we have since made Hawaii our home. I earned my bachelor’s degree in biology, my master’s degree in biology with a focus in cancer research, and my medical degree from Wayne State University. I did a surgical internship at St. John Hospital and Medical Center and a residency in internal medicine at the University of Hawaii. I also completed a critical care fellowship at the National Institutes of Health and a fellowship in pulmonary medicine at the Johns Hopkins University. I am a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and I belong to the Society of Critical Care. I am board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, and critical care. I am also a clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Hawaii.

About my practice

It became clear to me during my undergraduate studies and in graduate school that my calling was to work directly with patients rather than to pursue a career in medical research. During my internal medicine residency, critical care stood out for me as the specialty that would be most professionally rewarding for me, and it has proven to be so over the years. I currently serve as co-chairperson of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii’s ethics committee, and I represent the Hawaii region on the Interregional Ethics Committee, which is made up of representatives from all of the Kaiser Permanente regions. I have published research on the properties and activities of tumor cells and on the effects on mortality of blood transfusion in the ICU. I contributed to an article that was published in the Internal Medicine Board Review. To keep up-to-date with developments in my field, I attend professional conferences and subscribe to several critical care journals. I am very pleased to be a part of the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, which comprises a professional, well-trained group of practitioners who enjoy a strong collegial bond. My philosophy of care is to work with the critical care staff using a team approach in providing care that has been shown by current research to be most effective.

How I thrive

My family and I enjoy outdoor activities such as surfing and horseback riding. We also enjoy painting and playing music at home.