I joined the Harborview ER after residency partly as my own professional boot camp.  I wanted to learn to think on my feet, manage acute medical problems in patients of all ages from all walks of life, and try to meet the expectations of a director who demanded the highest standards and, to put it gently, did not suffer fools. What I later realized was that the greatest lesson I learned from the ER was not clinical, but that medical care is about the patient, not the provider, and our mandate is to understand each individual’s unique journey, treat them with compassion and respect, and serve as a fierce advocate on their road to wellness. I continue to try to hold these principles close.

Early in my career I gradually transitioned from the emergency department to primary care.  Our International Medicine Clinic at Harborview served adults from across the globe who were newly calling America home, many of whom needed someone to help guide them through the byzantine corridors of the US healthcare system just as much as they needed someone to help manage their blood pressure and diabetes.  I have always seen myself as an educator first and a clinician second, and for me the core of primary care is sharing knowledge to empower people to make informed decisions about their own health.  This was that, with the added challenge of doing so while also bridging gaps of language and culture. My experience at the International Medicine Clinic reinforced how life experiences manifest in a multitude of ways in our health and our bodies.  Interestingly, many of these skills became useful during my more recent work as the medical director of a large skilled nursing facility, a place where some of my patients experienced cognitive changes that caused them to retreat into private inner worlds.

At present, I strongly believe there needs to be a bulwark against the rapid corporatization and depersonalization of health care. I am thrilled to be joining my former colleagues again as I come on board with Wise Patient, which courageously honors the essence of the provider-patient relationship.  I hope to be able to bring my unique background and experience to bear at Wise Patient as I serve as an ally with my patients to help them thrive.