About Me

I appreciate the long-term relationships I’ve developed with my patients and will be retiring in July 2021.

When I was a few months old, my family moved from the mainland to Windward Oahu, where I grew up. We lived in a rural area, and my siblings and I spent our childhood playing in the ocean and exploring the forests and mountains. My husband is a writer and a retired University of Hawaii professor. In 2017, we lost our eldest son, a young physician, to cancer. My younger son is an engineer, pursuing his PhD.

About my practice

Originally I had planned to be a botanical researcher, but I found the plant laboratory to be a lonely place. I decided to become a doctor so I could combine my love of science with my desire to work with people. Medicine is a great fit for my values and personality. I enjoy internal medicine, because I get great satisfaction from forming and nurturing long-term relationships with my patients.

I'm honored to be a fellow or the American College of Physicians. I've done research, publishing studies on the integration of pharmacists into the clinic for blood pressure management and the use of ginkgo for altitude sickness atop Mauna Kea.

Teaching is an extremely important part of my life. I'm happy to teach my patients about their illnesses and treatment options, and I've had a long career teaching at the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine. Teaching medical students and resident physicians helps me keep up-to-date in my field.

I joined Hawaii Permanente Medical Group in 2015 when Kaiser Permanente Hawaii was starting an internal medicine residency program, to join the faculty and help teach resident doctors about primary care practice. I'm so impressed with the Kaiser Permanente model for outpatient medicine practice, and I'm very happy to be practicing here. I believe in creating a partnership with my patients and with our entire care team.

Everyone deserves excellence medical care. I love getting to know my patients as people with many facets to their lives. I try hard to give them my attention and time, to understand how illness impacts their lives. I find great satisfaction when a patient reports improvement in their health and well-being.

How I thrive

Outside of work I enjoy hiking with my family, going out on Kaneohe Bay in our little motorboat, working in the garden, hanging out with my cat, cooking for friends and family, reading great literature, and traveling to beautiful places. Taking my golden retriever for walks on the beach or in the mountains keeps me physically active.