About Me

I was born in St. Helena, California. Four months later, my parents moved back to Hawaii. I would live on Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii Island for the next 12 years before my family moved again to Portland, Oregon. I earned my medical degree at Oregon Health & Science University. For my internal medicine internship and residency, I trained at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and served as chief resident. I then went on to do a fellowship in nephrology at the University of California, San Francisco.

My husband and I moved back to Portland, and I worked for a number of years as a partner in a large nephrology group. We relocated to Maui so we could raise our three children in a nurturing island community and be close to grandparents and cousins.

About my practice

I’ve wanted to be a physician from the time I was very young. As I got older, I realized that I loved the combination of science, teaching, and relationship-building that are keys to being an exceptional physician. I really can’t imagine doing anything else.

During my fourth year of medical school I did an elective rotation in nephrology. Treating critically ill patients while developing meaningful relationships with them was very satisfying to me. I was also fascinated by the subject matter of nephrology, including understanding kidney function and the effects of different diseases.

One the reasons I became a physician is that this profession involves perpetual learning. To keep up-to-date, I read articles on subjects in my field, attend medical conferences, and discuss research findings and cases with colleagues.

Because I strongly believe in disease prevention and high-quality care, I was happy to find the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, which promotes patient- and family-centered values that match my own. I’m also really glad to be serving Kaiser Permanente patients on Maui.

Kidney disease can have a profound impact on people’s lives, requiring that they make some significant diet and lifestyle changes. I strive to listen carefully to my patients and engage them in decisions regarding their care in order to create comprehensive and effective treatment plans.

How I thrive

To stay physically active, I go for walks or runs, usually in the morning. I also love to read good books. My time outside of work is filled with family activities. My husband and I love to watch our children play sports (lots of soccer), hang around outside, and enjoy the beach together.