About Me

I grew up in Tennessee and Alabama. During college I spent summers in Hawaii and fell in love with the culture, climate, and lifestyle. I received my medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and did my ob-gyn residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. I’ve been working my way back to Hawaii since then and am so glad t­­o finally have settled here. I met my husband while doing research in Hawaii, and he’s been my greatest support.

About my practice

While visiting home during Christmas break one year, I shadowed my Sunday school teacher, an obstetrician-gynecologist. Watching her use her intellectual gifts in the service of others, I knew that I wanted to follow in her footsteps as a medical doctor. I chose ob-gyn as my specialty because of my strong interest in women's health. It’s rewarding to care for a woman over many years and to be a significant part of her journey through life. This field offers both surgical and clinical approaches to care, which give me more tools to help my patients and allow me to apply my medical knowledge to real-life situations.

I presented research at a conference of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) on the use of ultrasounds to confirm the gestational age of pregnancies in labor inductions. In addition, I’ve coauthored two research articles, including one on HPV (human papilloma virus) detection in men, published in the Journal of Clinical Virology.

I keep up-to-date by attending grand rounds and reading publications from ACOG—my professional organization.

Kaiser Permanente has long been known in this community as a place where patients receive thorough, high-quality medical care in a friendly environment. When I looked into this for myself, I found that, indeed, Hawaii Permanente Medical Group (HPMG) physicians were not only experts in their fields, but genuinely interested in their patients. It’s an honor to be a part of this team.

I practice medicine based on research findings, and I believe in doing the right thing for the patient at the right time for the right reason. I partner with my patients to ensure that everyone involved is knowledgeable about and satisfied with any proposed treatment plan. I also like to get to know my patients on a personal level and make sure they know they’re being heard and understood.

How I thrive

I stay mentally, spiritually, and emotionally healthy by reading, playing the piano and guitar, contributing my time and skills to my community, exploring Hawaii with my husband, spending time with my cat, and learning from others. I get lots of exercise through fun activities such as kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, running, hiking, and group sports. In my spare time I also like to cook.