Welcome to my Web page. I am happy to have this chance to introduce myself to you and tell you about my practice. I feel very strongly that Kaiser Permanente gives me the best opportunity to provide members with the kind of care that I am proud of. My colleagues are my partners, and we all work together, in harmony, in order to provide the best possible care to members. I have practiced in the military, as well as in public and many private hospitals in the Los Angeles area, and I have been the happiest here at Kaiser Permanente.
I moved to Southern California in 1975, attending high school in Irvine, then college at UC Irvine, where I earned a bachelor of science degree in information and computer science. I then joined the United States Air Force, attending medical school at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland. My residency in Ob/Gyn was at Keesler United States Air Forece Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi, followed by fellowship training in gynecologic oncology at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. I hold two board certifications, one in general Ob/Gyn, and one in gynecologic oncology, which is a specialty focused on the treatment of women with cancer of the reproductive organs. After completing my six-year obligation to the United States Air Forece in 1999, I was in practice in the South Bay area for three years, also working part time at Kaiser Permanente, before finally coming over to Kaiser Permanente full time in 2002.
In addition to taking care of members with cancer, because of the nature of my surgical training, I am also often involved "behind the scenes" in other difficult non-cancer cases, such as difficult hysterectomies and Cesarean deliveries. For my cancer patients, I have a team of providers that help me, including two registered nurse case managers who maintain continuous contact with my patients before and after their surgeries and coordinate any necessary chemotherapy treatments. My philosophy for taking care of cancer patients is to be aggressive with my treatments when a cancer is curable and to focus more on the quality of remaining life when cure is not possible.
Being a cancer surgeon can be very stressful; so I stay well by eating well and exercising regularly at my gym (I prefer the stationary bike while listening to my iPod). I also enjoy traveling very much, especially quick weekend trips.
