About Me

I am originally from Dallas, Texas, by way of San Diego, Calif. Although I was raised and educated in Texas, I spent many years in San Diego while serving in the U.S. Navy. Sic 'em Bears and Go Chargers! Initially enlisted as a hospital corpsman, I was eventually commissioned as a naval officer in the Medical Corps. As a West Coast sailor, I have served in San Diego, Calif.; Yokosuka, Japan and Camp Pendleton, Calif. A proud veteran, I served in Al Asad, Iraq among the finest sailors and marines as the group surgeon of Marine Air Control Group - 38 from Camp Pendleton, Calif. It was during this assignment that I decided to change course from pediatrics to family medicine, which allowed me to practice a much broader scope of medicine. My kids and I are huge fans of Disney so my idea of vacation usually involves a trip to either Disneyland or Disney World! I am also an animal lover. I have a Husky named Zeus and a Bombay named Jordan. Watching these two try to communicate with one another provides us with lots of laughs! My ideal weekend involves either loading up my family in the SUV for a quick getaway or riding with my husband in our Polaris Slingshot. Yes, I ride a motorcycle, and I always wear my helmet!

About my practice

As a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), I subscribe to the philosophy that the body prefers to stay in motion and that given the chance, it will heal itself. Similarly, the hallmark of family medicine is the prevention of disease. As a physician who is board certified in family medicine, I practice with this principle as my primary focus and goal. My relationship with our members is that of a partnership and together we make shared medical decisions with an emphasis on disease prevention. As someone who has struggled with maintaining a healthy weight all of my life, I am committed to helping my patients to meet their goals as well. In fact, my patients know that they count on me to always strive to lead an active life as this allows me to be a better physician for them. As a lead physician in our Kaiser Permanente Ambulatory Medicine Department, our team of physicians, nurses and ancillary staff work together to provide high-quality health care for our members. We are a pretty active group and you will often find us walking out on the Greenway, so if you see us, be sure to say hello!

How I thrive

As a physician wanting to preserve my health as well as wanting to be a good role model for our members, I was recently a semi-finalist of the New Start Weight Smart Challenge sponsored by Northside Hospital and 11 Alive News. It was an awesome opportunity that combined good nutrition with regular exercise, but with a group of individuals with shared stories of personal loss. We learned that we were holding on to these losses, which did not allow us to become our best selves. I now thrive by maintaining this balance of healthy nutrition, regular walking/running and keeping family and friends informed of my progress for both accountability and motivation. I am also an avid runner having completed a total of 11 half-marathons and one full marathon. Running allows me to decompress, but I also enjoy the satisfaction of completing races that challenge me both physically and mentally. I have learned a great deal about sports medicine over the years and I am always happy to share what I have learned. Would it surprise you to know that most back, hip, knee and foot issues stem from wearing improper shoes? Come see me and let me show you how easy it can be to start your new and active life!