I was born and raised in South Dakota and moved to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder. Then I attended Duke University physician assistant program for my medical training. I returned to Denver for the mountains and climate and probably will never leave. I’m married to my husband, Chris, who is an architectural designer. We have two children. My daughter is artistic and creative, likes volleyball and snowboarding. My son is very active in Boy Scouts and loves playing video games. We live in South Denver and have a dog named Hazelnut. She is an Anatolian-shepherd mix rescue dog. My husband designed and built me a log cabin in Grand Lake and we spend a lot of time up in the mountains skiing and snowshoeing and entertaining friends. We also like to travel, especially to the beach. Hawaii is my favorite place.
I now have been a physician assistant since 1990. I started in cardiothoracic surgery at Duke and then worked in orthopedics in Denver for a short time. I also worked at an allergy and asthma practice in the Metro area. My favorite place is family practice and I especially like children and teenagers. I believe in listening to patients concerns and working on plans for healing and wellness together. I like seeing children grow up and knowing how the family operates. I joined Kaiser Permanente Colorado in May, 2011. I took a graduate course on public health at the University and Kaiser Permanente Colorado's name continually came up in quality and wellness measurements. I decided to come to Kaiser Permanente where public health and wellness are valued.
I like balance in my life. I have to balance work with family and fitness, which is very difficult for a mom these days. My morning walk with Hazelnut helps a lot to manage stress. I eat a very good diet and relax a little each evening before bed. I have been married to Chris since 1993 and I feel he is a true partner and is very supportive, especially now that I am working more. The past 10 years I worked part time, so I could spend more time with my kids. I was a division one coach, Girl Scout leader and attended lots of kids sporting events. I took care of aging parents and participated in sprint triathlons. Now that my kids are older and my parents are gone, my focus has returned to practicing medicine. I really enjoy entertaining, spending time with friends and cooking. I love taking long walks.
