About Me

I grew up in NY State, and have lived in ten different states over the years. I consider the Pacific NW home having lived in Seattle and Bellingham for many years and now in Portland. I moved here with my husband and pets. We have a wonderful daughter that attends college in NY but visits often. We love the outdoors, backpacking, skiing and biking. On overcast NW days I can be found in the kitchen making sourdough bread. I also dance, play the violin and love going to ballet, music and theatre performances with friends and family. I have also had a career in teaching high school science. I loved bringing real world experience to life for my students. Palliative Care is the perfect field for me because I can combine two disciplines: medicine and teaching. I greatly value having enough time with patients and getting to know what is most important to them.

About my practice

I practiced Cardiology for over 10 years, specializing in the diagnosis of cardiac disease using ultrasound. I found that enlisting patients in their own care improved their quality of life and kept them out of the hospital. I also specialize in Palliative Medicine. I like the team approach of Palliative Care, and the emphasis on the member rather than the disease or organ system. What really matters about any illness is how it affects the patient and their loved ones. The process of establishing rapport with patients, understanding their treatment options and then working with them to determine the best course helps patients get the care they want. Emphasis on quality of life has always been important to me and it has been gratifying to see how successful it is in helping patients meet their goals.

How I thrive

I love being in the kitchen spending time with my daughter. We bake, can fruits and vegetables and experiment with vegetarian dishes. To relax I play my violin in my community group. I also take ballet, Zumba and yoga classes. I find that pets are a source of companionship and I feel better being around mine.