About Me

My family moved from the Philippines to Honolulu when I was a young girl, then moved again to Los Angeles for my middle school and high school years. I thought I wanted to be a doctor/scientist and I believed, wrongly, that I wanted to experience different seasons, including snow and cold weather. So, I decided to go to the University of Chicago for my undergraduate years and stayed there almost 12 years. I came to the beautiful Northwest in 1999 when I joined Kaiser Permanente. Among my favorite "extracurricular activities" in Kaiser Permanente has been mentoring Oregon Health and Science University internal medicine residents while I was working in primary care at the Kaiser Permanente Beaverton Medical Office. Another was being the physician member of the Institutional Review Board, which reviews all clinical studies involving Kaiser Permanente members to make sure they are protected.

About my practice

I see patients in the emergency room, and I take care of those whom I admit to the hospital. I take care of patients in the hospital, including those in the intensive care unit, and consult on surgical patients. I work closely with my specialty colleagues and coordinate patient care when there are other physicians involved in the care of the patient. As a hospital based physician, I see people when they are most ill, some when they are dying or will soon be dying after they leave the hospital. It is a privilege to be allowed into people's lives when they are most vulnerable and share in the decisions that affect the quality of their lives and their loved ones' lives.

How I thrive

I rejuvenate and shed stresses of daily life with music, dance, and exercise. Reading in bed with my kids and husband is my perfect way to end each day. My life's mantra -- "I am grateful."