I was raised in Michigan just south of Flint in the town of Fenton. After I graduated high school, I attended the University of Michigan and studied psychology. I worked in counseling and social work for 10 years. During that time, I became more interested in the function of the body and studied physiology. I then studied medicine at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. I was enrolled in the Upper Peninsula program which prepared doctors for rural healthcare. After completion, I attended Genesys Regional Health center outside of Flint for my family practice residency. I started a private practice office in Cowan, Tennessee where I have been for the last 10 years before coming to Kaiser Permanente in Colorado. During this time, my wife and I have raised two boys who are on their own in Tennessee and we are now raising our seven year old daughter here in Colorado.
My approach to medicine is that the patient usually knows what is wrong with them and my job is to listen and help them manage the problem. I believe the mind does influence the body and vice versa. I think it is important to look at the many sides of a person when working with them (social life, spiritual life, occupational life, intellectual pursuits, emotional needs, family supports, and recreational pursuits). I believe that if a patient-doctor relationship is strong, there is a partnership that forms. That partnership requires first regular physical examinations with routine testing to fulfill the physician's plan of care and secondly, the patient's attention to changes in their body and circumstances that they can relay to the doctor. I believe in treating my patients as much as possible and refer them to specialists when necessary.
I believe balance is important to my well-being. I rely on family and friends for emotional health and social needs. I enjoy Michigan and Denver football and Michigan State basketball games as a social outlets. I find work to be intellectually stimulating and I am always learning from each person I meet. I enjoy fishing, sailing, and exploring new places for recreation since I can free my mind of stresses. Mostly, I depend on my beliefs in God to keep me focused. My grandfather was a Baptist minister and instilled reliance on God. My Father was a minister and is a psychologist who taught me the need for balance in my life. My time as a counselor taught me patience and my training in rural health prepared me to understand the needs of the mountain people of Tennessee. We are all on life's journey.
