About

I like to see the whole family, to treat the whole person. Because of the nature of my practice I have the privilege of following patients from the womb on.

I was born in Chicago, Illinois. I mostly grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. My hobbies are scrapbooking, knitting, embroidery, biking and hiking. My brother lives in Florida with his wife and children and my father lives in Cleveland.

I have lived in Yakima since 1989 and have been associated with Family Medicine of Yakima since 1990. I grew up outside of Pittsburgh as the middle of three boys. A love of the outdoors and open spaces led my wife and me to move to Yakima. We have two daughters who bring us an endless amount of joy. I enjoy hiking, cross country skiing, biking, camping and especially sea kayaking. I also relish the time to read and travel, and have an avid interest in history and outdoor adventures.

As a physician I enjoy providing care and attention to individuals of many different ages and backgrounds. I find that getting to know a person as an individual and as a member of a family is especially satisfying. I believe in being attentive to a person's needs while also emphasizing preventative and evidence based care. I am fortunate to work within a group which shares this philosophy as well as an appreciation of how the differences between people lead to growth.

My career has recently offered some changes leading me to work two days a week as Medical Director of Memorial Physlcians, Memorial Hospital's outpatient clinics.

I grew up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where my dad was the head of the newly forming Medical Physics facility at the brand new King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center. Back then Riyadh was still quite underdeveloped-routine medical care and advanced health services were nonexistent for most of the population. Almost overnight (nine years, actually) I witnessed a tiny city with several mud buildings, diseased children and one stop light turn into a big city with modern streets and grocery stores. One of the first CT scanners ever made was installed in my dad's facility. I always wanted to practice medicine, and in my senior year of college I learned the Physician Assistant profession is based on a model of rural medicine and taking care of underserved populations. That was an instant no brainer for me! Yakima is not exactly rural but it is small and access to care is indeed an issue.

After moving back from Saudi Arabia my family moved to Washington State. I graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham. I then attended Arizona School of Health Sciences, in Phoenix, where I earned a Master's degree in Physician Assistant Studies.

My husband and I live in Ellensburg. We have two precious and spoiled little girls- a miniature Yorkie and a teacup Chihuahua. When I'm not at work, I enjoy arts and crafts, baking and raising money for the American Cancer Society.

Almost every day when I am practicing medicine I am reaffirmed that I made the right career choice. Because I don't follow patients in the hospital or take call I feel like I can spend more time with each patient. In keeping with the principles of rural medicine I make sure to address the whole patient. This includes their home life, work life, and their available resources. I always make sure that the medications and treatment plans that I give to a patient will actually work for them considering their circumstances.

I like patients of all ages but I decorate my rooms for the children-I like them better! I like to goof off with them and I am typically the loudest one making animal noises and being silly! Who said I have to grow up?

I have lived many places. I was born in Colorado, then moved to Western Washington, and then on to Montana where I earned two BS degrees at Montana State University. From there, I traveled to the Midwest, finding my home of seven years in the Kansas City area.

I enjoy caring for patients of all ages, as well as in multiple venues, including the clinic, hospital, in-patient psychiatry unit, and in nursing homes. As a D.O., I have a special interest in the interconnection between the musculoskeletal system and its effects on health and illness. I spend a considerable amount of time performing osteopathic manipulation for acute and chronic conditions. I also enjoy teaching medical students. I frequently have students in the clinic and hospital setting with me and am adjunct faculty for multiple medical schools.

I have a German short-haired pointer and two wonderful cats. In my spare time, I enjoy watching and attending Kansas City Chiefs football games, sporting events of all types, and traveling.

I grew up in Southern California, spent a year in South Africa while in college, then traveled to New Hampshire/Vermont for medical school. I take great pride in caring for a wide range of people from newborns to geriatrics y hablo español. At Family Medicine, we value creativity, individuality and humor. Our support staff is outstanding, including medical assistants, lab and x-ray technicians and the front office staff. These men and women are the best in their fields.

My husband and I have two wonderful elementary school aged boys who keep us on our toes, as well as an assortment of dogs, cats, guinea pigs and ducks. I play the violin (badly), and enjoy hiking, reading and stamp collecting.

I wanted to be a physician from a young age. This desire never left me and I actually became a surgeon after my medical school training. In 1993, I was given the opportunity to participate in cutting edge molecular genetic technology and medical research in Australia. Thinking this was the key for resolving medical mysteries in the future, I quickly mastered DNA, RNA and Protein manipulation in the laboratory. It was at this time that I received my PhD degree and published several research articles in leading journals.

Two events in my life led me to pursue a career as a family medicine physician. First, my wife suffered an acute asthma attack in 2002, nearly taking her life. Second, my beloved father died of lung cancer in the department in which I was trained as a thoracic surgeon in 2003. In the early spring of 2004, after months of long discussions with my family, I decided to embark on the journey to become a physician in the United States. This was a large leap in faith for me.

It is a great privilege to walk alongside others on their journey through life, to accompany them as they face challenges, to lead at times, to follow and at others, to carry them in times of desperation. Family medicine is the most challenging specialty, where doctors have to deal with all kinds of diseases and all age groups of patients. More importantly, family medicine has become the gatekeeper for modern healthcare.

I am currently accepting Medicare and Medicaid patients.