About Myself

I am a graduate of the University of Illinois Medical School and am a fully licensed Physician and Surgeon in the States of Oregon and Washington.

I have been a physician for over 30 years. After training in both Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine, I initially worked as an Attending Physician and Clinical Professor in the University of Illinois Emergency Medicine Residence Program. I have also served as Medical Director for Woodland Park Hospital's Emergency Department and Willamette Falls Hospital's Immediate Care and Occupational Medicine Center and in a similar position for the Oregon City Health Clinic. My experience also includes private practice in family medicine, immigration evaluations as a Civil Surgeon for the INS, and emphasis in ambulatory surgeries (such as excisional biopsies, cryosurgeries, and vasectomies) and some cosmetic treatments including Botox^®, Dysport^®, Juvéderm^®, and Restylane^® injections.

My approach to medicine has trended towards a more holistic approach through the passing years. Although I am well trained in the science of medicine, I believe the art of medicine must include consideration of emotional, social, and financial factors, and that the quality of a life is equal in importance to its longetivity. In working with community health centers with migrant and seasonal farmworker grants, I sometimes say I've developed a specialty in "inexpensive but effective medicine."

My philosophy of medicine is admittedly old-fashioned. I feel that the physician-patient relationship should be the center point of health care. Successful outcomes depend on the sincere effort and mutual respect of both the physician and the patient. It follows that each party then has certain rights and responsibilities.

As a patient you should have the following rights and responsibilities:

You have a right to be heard and to have professional and courteous consideration, advice and treatment.
You have a right to have your time respected. Appointments should be reasonably timely, seldom rescheduled, and any waiting time you experience should be minimal and unavoidable.
You have a responsibility to yourself to thoughtfully consider my advice before making decisions about your healthcare.
You have a responsibility to respect the time of other patients and myself. You should strive to arrive at your appointment on time. Appointments should seldom be cancelled, but if it becomes necessary to do so, give advance notice so that I might refill your vacated appointment time.

As a physician, I try to observe the following rights and responsibilities:

I have a responsibility to listen to what you have to say and give you professional and courteous consideration, advice, and treatment.
I have a responsibility to respect your time. I should attempt to supply timely appointments whenever possible (or suggest alternatives if not possible), to reschedule appointments only if very necessary, and to minimize any waiting time you might experience.
I have a right to express my honest medical opinion without compromise, even if it's not entirely comfortable or what you'd like to hear.
I have a right to have my time respected. Please arrive at your appointment on time. Appointments should seldom be cancelled, but it it becomes necessary to do so, please give me advance notice so that I might refill your vacated appointment time.

On a more personal note, I believe that the more time you and your physician spend together, even talking about family or hobbies, the more the value of the interaction is enhanced. Patients have often told me they prefer and appreciate more face-to-face contact. More physician contact gives them a higher comfort level with the interaction and they feel they've established more of a relationship with their physician. They usually feel more valued when the physician spends time with them. I consider the corporate and modular approaches to medicine a step backwards in quality.

I believe your doctor should take the time to know where you live, what you do, who's in your family, what hobbies you have... should know how much you are actually charged for each visit or lab test... should take your blood pressure and maybe even draw your blood... should actually explain the disease processes or referral steps. Each minute together and each piece of information garnered could strengthen the relationship or add a valuable clue to the diagnosis or management of your problem. So better your time be spent with your doctor... your partner in your healthcare decision making... than used up by some bureaucracy.