I chose to become a physician to be able improve the health and well-being of children and adolescents, and for me, it is a privilege and an honor to do so. I grew up in Tucson, Arizona, completed my undergraduate and medical degrees in the Phoenix area, and had residency training at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. I moved to Denver with my husband and our two young daughters for my gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship training at Children’s Hospital Colorado, where I performed research in mucosal immunology and inflammatory bowel disease. We fell in love with the Pacific Northwest while visiting friends in Portland, and now, after a few years of some serious snow shoveling, we are thrilled to call this beautiful place our home.
I am one of two physicians who practice pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology at Kaiser Permanente Northwest, where we are committed to providing excellent care for our patients and their families. My approach to patient care centers on communication, education, and collaboration; I believe in effectively communicating and educating patients and families in an effort to foster collaborative medical decision-making that will meet each patient's unique needs and circumstances. I specialize in caring for children and adolescents with gastrointestinal problems and liver disorders, and have training in upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, esophageal dilations, polypectomy, pH impedance probe placement, and video capsule endoscopy. In addition, I am trained in unsedated transnasal endoscopy and am working with Kaiser Permanente to implement this technique with patients in the future. This is just one example of Kaiser Permanente's belief in delivering the best and safest medical care to members, which is what I like most about being a provider within this organization.
In addition to the drive I get from my rewarding career, I am happiest when spending time with my family, including my husband and two daughters. As desert natives, we love to travel and explore new areas and enjoy hiking, biking, camping, and swimming. In my brief spare time, I also enjoy cooking, reading, and very novice gardening with the kids, and have fun seeking out any form of exercise I can work in to the day.
