I was born and raised in Kahalu’u on the island of Oahu. My parents worked hard to provide my siblings and me with opportunities that they never had. They nobly instilled in us the values of hard work, honest living, humility and pono (righteousness). I am grateful for their guidance and strive to model these same values for my own children.
My decision to become a doctor was fueled by an insatiable curiosity of the biological sciences and a strong desire to help our local communities. I was in awe of the pivotal role doctors play in so many facets of life, be it the birth of a child, life-enabling surgery or the death of a loved one. This incredible responsibility influenced me to serve the people of Hawaii in a similar capacity. During medical school, I came to love both internal medicine and pediatrics so much that rather than choose one field over the other, I decided to train in both specialties as a “Med/Peds” physician. Back then there were only a few combined Med/Peds-trained doctors in Hawaii. These few were highly regarded and inspired me to follow in their pioneering footsteps. As a past chief of Nanaikeola clinic and a current physician leader of continuous improvement, I am honored to be part of the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group. Our team of physicians and staff practice evidence-based medicine and are always patient-centered in everything we do. We strive to create systems of care that not only provide greater value to our members, but are also sustainable to our staff. Sustainability is important, but equally significant is quality. My patients are often surprised when I tell them that as a medical doctor, my job is not to make their lives longer, but better. My philosophy of care is to help my patients maintain or improve their quality of life. I believe in providing honest advice and options to allow them to decide what is right for them. I enjoy interacting with my patients and feel that I am easy to talk to. I like to laugh and bring smiles to the faces of those around me.
I keep physically healthy by kayaking, fishing, diving and hunting. My son plays a variety of sports and I love practicing with him. When I am not in the clinic, I enjoy spending time with my wife, son and daughter, and we try to travel whenever we can to see new and exciting places.
PCMH
