I grew up in Pearl City and am part-Hawaiian. My parents taught me faith, humility, and perseverance. Their sacrifices made it possible for me to go to the Kamehameha Schools, Stanford University, the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, and New York University Internal Medicine Primary Care Residency. As the first in my family to go to graduate school, I am grateful for my education, and in return I want to give back by serving others.
At the beginning of my medical training I was interested in primary care and public health. During my clinical rotations my interests broadened to include health promotion, disease prevention, and continuity of care. This led to my decision to pursue a specialty in internal medicine, which involves a diverse patient population and allows me to focus on the biological, psychological, and sociocultural components of health and illness. My medical training provided me basic knowledge, clinical skills, and experience with a wide range of diseases, all of which help me deliver better care to the people of Hawaii.
I have given numerous presentations and have published articles on topics such as obesity-related health behaviors, psychological and behavioral factors in people with diabetes and hypertension, culturally appropriate methods of tobacco intervention, la’au lapa’au (traditional Hawaiian medicine and spirituality) and lomilomi (massage), and the interface of la’au lapa’au and Western medicine in Hawaii. I presented my research at the Society of General Internal Medicine in Toronto and Miami Beach, the New England Society of General Internal Medicine in Boston, the American Public Health Association in Philadelphia, the American Diabetes Association in New Orleans, the New York University Department of Medicine Research Symposium, the John A. Burns Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence, and Stanford University Human Biology Honors Symposium. My articles have been published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and the Hawaii Medical Journal.
To keep up with current medical research, I read the New England Journal of Medicine, American College of Physicians JournalWise, the American Medical Association Morning Rounds, the Annals of Internal Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the British Medical Journal, and The Lancet. I also consult online resources such as Journal Club, UpToDate, and Medscape, and I attend conferences as both presenter and participant.
I believe in the coordinated care that the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group provides to patients. Every person involved, from provider to staff member to patient, is part of a team with a common goal to enhance the member’s health and well-being. I aspire to provide high-quality, comprehensive, culturally sensitive care that focuses on the whole person rather than just a collection of symptoms. I enjoy guiding my patients as well as learning from them. They teach me on a daily basis the importance of hope, family, and being able to find joy and humor in life.
My faith and my family keep me grounded. I love going to church, being engaged in my community, and acting and singing, which I have enjoyed since childhood. I stay physically active by playing with my dog, going to the beach, boxing, and dancing.
