BS, University of California, Davis
MD, Medical College of PA/Hahnemann University School of Medicine
Peds Residency, Children's Hospital Oakland

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and moved to sunny California at less than 2 years of age. Thus, Northern California is my home. I love living here and have spent most of my life here.

I left my hometown of San Francisco to attend University of California, Davis, and majored in biology. Initially, I wanted to be a civil rights attorney and follow in my paternal grandfather’s footsteps. While working as an intern at the San Francisco NAACP, I realized that while I enjoyed helping others, I couldn’t eradicate racism all alone. I went back to college after finishing that internship, looking to help others, and decided to try my hand at animals.

I milked cows, I watched horses get “put to sleep”, and I fed eagles and other raptors. But I found that, as much as I loved helping the animals, none of them talked to me. So then I began working at a free clinic in Sacramento, helping indigent families who had no other choice in their healthcare. I loved it! So by the beginning of my junior year in college, I was set. A biology major in the works, a love of helping others, and a strong desire to see patients be well – voilà! I was off to medical school shortly thereafter.

I traveled to Philadelphia to medical school at Hahnemann (now Drexel)! I enjoyed being away from home but also missed it a lot. In medical school I loved my pediatrics rotation, seeing the resilience of children and their attitude towards life. They are so full of energy. I enjoyed educating parents, and most of all, I felt I was making a difference in someone’s life.

After medical school I came back home for my pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital Oakland. I loved Children’s, and as a result of my training I’m very comfortable taking care of children at all levels, from routine physicals to more complicated needs, such as sickle cell disease or cancer. I had my first daughter during residency and understand how hard it is to work 80 hours a week and breastfeed a baby in the middle of the night! For all mothers, I am with you as you balance work and children – whether you are a full-time, stay-at-home mom or a working outside-the-home mom. It is no easy task!

After residency I worked in a private pediatric practice in the East Bay for 2 years, and then started my own private practice in 2007. In addition, I continue to work part-time as a pediatric hospitalist, taking care of children who are hospitalized. I really enjoy taking care of children – both in the hospital and in the office setting.

My husband and I have been blessed with three beautiful children – two daughters and a son. Our youngest child was recently diagnosed with a very rare medical condition, so now I am both a “patient” and a doctor. I can see both sides of the coin and understand the side of medicine where one is on the receiving end. As a result, I am grateful to be joining Bayside Pediatrics, so that I too can be a part of a bigger group of doctors, with all the advantages of a high-quality group practice and still providing personalized, patient-centered care in a small office setting. I look forward to caring for you and your family and look forward to meeting you. I consider it a true honor if you choose me to be your child’s doctor.