About Me

As long as I can remember I have always wanted to be a doctor and help other people. I was drawn into choosing Head and Neck Surgery because of the complex anatomy, variety of problems, the ability to work with patients of all ages, and the ability to diagnose complex problems and then do procedures to help patients get better. I also had two important experiences: my grandfather died of cancer when I was young and I vowed to do what I could to help combat cancer. I also saw commercials on TV about kids in other countries that were born with cleft lip and palate and I had a desire to help them. So I did fellowship training in Head and Neck cancer surgery and also facial plastic surgery.

My areas of expertise include thyroid and parathyroid surgery, skin cancer surgery, all types of head and neck cancer, septorhinoplasty surgery, and facial cosmetics and reconstruction.

Roles and Responsibilities

I previously worked at Kaiser Permanente in Denver, Colorado for 10 years and am thrilled to now work for The Permanente Medical Group in Santa Rosa. For me, the most important thing is that patients get excellent and cutting edge care, that is affordable, and what they need (without extra tests or procedures). Permanente Medicine is the perfect fit for me because they share these same values.

Professional Affiliations

Member/Board Certified , American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery

• Member/Board Certified, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Member, American Head and Neck Society
• Fellow, American College of Surgeons
• Member, American Thyroid Association

Family and Friends

I am happily married and have 4 beautiful children – 2 boys and 2 girls. My youngest daughter we adopted from West Africa and this has been a beautiful experience for my family. My family are my best friends and being a dad is my favorite thing.

Hobbies and interests

I love to travel and have visited over 40 countries. I love learning about people and cultures. I love to perform medical missions in other countries and helped found a non-profit that provides free cleft lip/palate surgery to children in need. I also love to hike, ride bikes, read, scuba dive, and play tennis.

Recent Adventures

One recent, amazing adventure was a cleft lip/palate mission to the Philippines. The people there are amazing and we were able to operate on almost 100 children. The coolest part was that my children were able to collect medical supplies and toys through their school. We then surprised them and they flew out the last 2 days of the mission and personally distributed all of the supplies to kids.

My Training, Certifications and Licensing

Medical Education

University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA

Residency

Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO