About Me

Welcome to my Web page. I am happy to have this chance to introduce myself and tell you about my work as a physician and physician administrator at Kaiser Permanente. As a general surgeon, I have practiced for more than 15 years at our Panorama City Medical Center. In 1999, I transitioned to regional administrative roles for Kaiser Permanente Southern California and now have national responsibilities. I feel fortunate to be able to work at Kaiser Permanente as both a clinician and an administrator, striving to deliver high-quality health care.

Biography

I grew up in Northern California and settled in Los Angeles, where I met my husband during our surgical residencies at UCLA. I was very fortunate to spend a portion of my training working with the terrific physicians at Kaiser Permanente in Panorama City. I was drawn to the opportunity to focus mainly on members’ health needs and less on the administrative aspects of clinical practice. My husband and I have two sons, one interested in medical research and the other pursuing physics. Although they no longer live at home, we enjoy getting together, especially at Lake Tahoe, for skiing, summer sports, and elaborate cooking attempts.

About my practice

For many years I practiced a wide spectrum of general surgery with particular interest in the care of breast cancer. Diagnosing this disease is not easy. Most patients are fortunate enough to have choices in treatment, but making these choices is very challenging for many, and while in midst of making these decisions patients also know that their condition might mean increased risk of breast cancer for their sisters and daughters. I do my best to help patients through this process and am very happy that so many have come back to see me for follow-up care. Although I am not currently accepting new patients who may require major surgery, I continue to see members who need office procedures.

How I thrive

I learned many years ago that I feel much better and am more alert and effective if I exercise early in the morning. I gave up running around the UCLA campus after a few near-miss experiences with tree roots and other obstacles in the dark. I now work out every day on a stair climber at home while listening to the news on the radio. I also love the incredible array of content available for download from the Internet, and I have found that cooking dinner, folding laundry, grocery shopping, and many other chores are much more enjoyable while listening to great comedy and other programs.