About Me

Welcome to my Web page. I hope the information provided here is a helpful introduction to my background and my approach to medicine and surgery. I currently serve as co-director of both Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California Head and Neck Cancer Tumor Board and the Regional Anterior Skull Base Tumor Board. I also serve as director of Kaiser Permanente’s Regional Research and Outcomes Studies for Head and Neck Surgery.

Biography

I graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and completed my residency in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. I worked in Vellore, India, as the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery humanitarian effort fellow, and completed a National Institutes of Health cancer fellowship. I also studied craniofacial surgery/skull base surgery at the University of Bern in Switzerland. I was an assistant professor and chief of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at Detroit Receiving Hospital, Wayne State University. I was also a faculty member in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. Since 2006, I’ve been a full-time staff member of Kaiser Permanente.

About my practice

I believe the best results are obtained through working with a team, which can include radiation and medical oncologists, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, neurosurgeons, dentists, oral surgeons, speech therapists, and nurses. I also believe that excellent communication between you and your doctor is vital to great health care. I primarily take care of our members who have head and neck cancers and tumors or anterior skull base tumors that require corrective surgery. I also treat patients who have complex trauma or more routine problems.

How I thrive

I stay balanced by spending my free time with my wife and children. I also enjoy jogging, swimming, and fly-fishing. Fellowship with friends and family is also important to me, whether through church, BBQs, birthdays, or golf. I also enjoy volunteering around the world to help those in need. I have been a regular traveler for over 25 years, visiting places like Mexico, Haiti, India, Guatemala, Peru, and Colombia to provide free surgeries and other medical services to children and adults in need.