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About Me

I grew up outside of New York City and went to college at Brown University in Rhode Island. I received my MD from Yale Medical School in 1980 and was ready to head west. I completed residencies in both Anesthesiology and Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. I am Board-certified in both specialties.

I joined Kaiser Permanente in 1986 and have served as Chief of Anesthesiology at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa since the hospital opened in April 1990. Although I am active in administration and department leadership, my first love is the dynamic clinical practice of anesthesiology. I see the anesthesiologist and the team of anesthesia professionals that he/she leads as the patient's "guardian angels" throughout the surgical period. No matter what type or extent of surgery may be required, and no matter what challenges may present themselves at any time of the day or night, we are there to ensure that every patient is kept safe and comfortable at all times. This is equally true for the woman suffering the pain of labor, and I maintain a special interest and busy practice in obstetrical anesthesia.

Based on my additional training in the field of internal medicine, I also have a special area of interest in the care of the complex, high-risk medical patient who must have surgery. I consider it a great privilege to care for patients in their time of need, using the specialized knowledge and technical skills of anesthesiology to maintain stability of all vital functions while preventing pain and anxiety. I enjoy working with truly outstanding physician and nurse anesthetist colleagues in the Department of Anesthesiology and also consider myself very fortunate to work with the excellent group of surgeons at our Santa Rosa medical center. All in all, I find great satisfaction in carrying out my duties as an anesthesiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa.

Since every patient is unique and has individualized needs, I place great emphasis on the anesthesiology preoperative evaluation in order to fully understand every patient's medical history and physiologic condition as well as their individual concerns, preferences, and level of understanding of the surgical and anesthetic process. I believe that in addition to meticulous care during surgery in the operating room, vigilant attendance by an anesthesiologist in the early postoperative recovery phase helps patients recover as smoothly and quickly as possible from both anesthesia and surgery. For major surgery, the anesthesiologist's role is carried well into the postoperative period, where we often consult and manage specialized forms of pain relief to keep patients comfortable and facilitate a smooth and rapid recovery.

To complement my medical practice in Santa Rosa, I participate in international volunteer medical activities and I am founder and President of Medical Exchange International, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting international health care collaboration for the benefit of developing nations. This work has taken me to many countries including Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Zambia, Tanzania, and Vietnam. If interested, you can click on the MEDICAL EXCHANGE INTERNATIONAL link to read a little more about this part of my life. As an offshoot of my frequent travel to the developing world, I have also cultivated a special interest in travel medicine, including tropical diseases and high-altitude illness.

As Chief of the Department of Anesthesiology, my goal is to assure that the department utilizes its resources to provide the highest quality of anesthesia care and superior service to all patients at all times. I can be reached at 393-4303. If I am in the operating room, you can leave a message and I will get back to you promptly. Please do note that for any urgent clinical questions or consultations related to anesthesia care, you should always call 393-4000 and ask for the anesthesiologist on call; this will enable immediate clinical consultation by myself or a colleague, 24/7.

I and my department members look forward to providing you and your loved ones with all the powerful services of contemporary anesthesiology should you ever be in need -- rest assured that you will have a "guardian angel" by your side.

My Credentials

Medical school	Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
Internship	UC San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
Residency	UC San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
Board certification	Anesthesiology, American Board of Anesthesiology
Board certification	Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine

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