About Me

Hello! I am Dr. Mary Herman, of the Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Departments of Family Practice and Long-Term Care. I have been pleased to work with Kaiser Permanente, in both hospital and clinic, since beginning my practice in 1989. In 2005, I made the decision to close my clinic practice in order to work full-time in Kaiser Permanente's Long-Term Care Department. While I miss my clinic patients, the change has allowed me to pursue new interests in a different and exciting setting.

Biography

I grew up steeped in the belief that life should include intellectual challenge, hard work, and service. I am a Midwestern transplant, who came here from a wonderful small liberal arts college to go to medical school at UCLA. I have three children and a great husband. They remind me that it's important to have fun, too!

About my practice

As a Long Term Care MD, I work with my nurse practitioner at one of Kaiser Permanente's contract skilled-nursing facilities. Patients are transferred to us from the acute hospital after treatment for conditions such as strokes, severe medical illnesses, and joint replacements. With our excellent rehab dept, we help get people back on their feet. We have the satisfaction of seeing many of our patients return home. If this is not possible, we assist patients in finding the best new living situation for them. I love the teamwork of this kind of practice. I love having a little more time to delve into patients' histories and help them and their families cope with their illnesses. I love relieving patients' pain as much as I can. I love translating medical situations into understandable terms. I believe that listening and good communication are crucial to healing.

How I thrive

Life balance is a challenging thing! Church helps. Family helps. The caring and support of my colleagues helps. Yoga helps. Keeping a journal helps. Cooking helps. Poetry and music help. Friends help. Sometimes I feel like just yelling "Help!," as any working parent probably does. But I have a deep conviction that I am blessed, and I want to give that back, which is what it's all about.