You have to listen - really listen to what your patients say if you want to get to what they truly need. Often, that is the only way to find what you can best do to help them conquer their health issues.

I was raised in a farming community in rural, upstate New York. We had to drive forty-five minutes to get to a doctor’s office, and so we had to be injured or pretty sick to pursue medical care.

My Grandmother developed Alzheimer’s disease and was a frail Diabetic with heart disease. We cared for her at home throughout the end of her life. We had a physician for her who made home visits. Even at that time, it was very rare for doctors to do that.

I decided that I wanted to make that kind of difference in people’s lives. I was accepted at UC Davis and did my BS in Biochemistry/Biophysics. I trained at an outstanding school of medicine and volunteered to work at the San Francisco homeless clinics.

During my residency, I trained in rural medicine delivery, finished a year as Chief Resident, and then began practice in a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. I delivered over a thousand babies, did surgical obstetrics, cared for many patients through their golden years, and loved the family physician’s unique viewpoint of knowing the dynamic of a family in their environment and caring for each member.

I find developing those relationships with patients to be the most rewarding aspect of medicine. I look forward to serving my new community and sharing health and fitness with my new patients.