About Me

I was born in Illinois but moved to Virginia when I was two years old. When I was in fifth grade, I traveled to Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island with the People to People Student Ambassador program. I was drawn to the beautiful landscapes and rich cultures of Hawaii, and it was my childhood dream to live here. After attending Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, and Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, I came back to Hawaii to train in the University of Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program. My husband and I are now thrilled to call Hawaii our home.

About my practice

Medicine has fascinated me ever since I shadowed a veterinarian during career week when I was in elementary school. I was intrigued by the science and inspired by the idea of devoting my life to healing. As a high school student I had the opportunity to observe open-heart surgery, and this awakened in me a desire to use medicine to help people. I enjoy the intellectual challenge of internal medicine, which requires me to diagnose diverse and complex medical conditions. The connection with patients in this practice is also very satisfying.My professional affiliations include membership in the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and the Society of Hospital Medicine. I am committed to lifelong learning. To stay current on the latest medical research, I use various resources, including the Journal of the American Medical Association, Medscape, and UpToDate.At the Marcus Conference in Sweet Briar, Virginia, I gave a poster presentation on the zebrafish androgen receptor. I have published articles on this and related topics in the journals Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology as well as Developmental Biology.At Kaiser Permanente I have found an excellent integrated system and genuine camaraderie among health care professionals. Most importantly, this organization shares my philosophy that the patient should always be at the center of care.It’s my belief that to fully care for patients, attention must be placed on both their physical and emotional health. I also strive to help people become actively involved in their own health care through open and honest communication. I enjoy building relationships with my patients and believe that it’s important to treat everybody with respect and compassion.

How I thrive

Outside of work I enjoy hiking, running, hot yoga, cooking, and musical theater. As an animal lover, I also spend much of my spare time with my two adorable cats, and I look forward to adding dogs to my household in the future.