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Although I was born in California, I refer to myself as a native of Arizona.  I moved to the state with my mother at the age of one; it is the only home that I have known.  I love the diversity that the state has to offer and I don't foresee ever leaving.

I became involved in the medical field quite inadvertently.  When I enlisted in the military, I had to choose an "occupational specialty."  After sorting through the available choices, Combat Medical Specialist was the most appealing.  I have always enjoyed helping people and it had potential benefits in the civilian realm as well.  After being discharged, I continued my medical profession by becoming an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and then progressed to Paramedic.  Interestingly the more I learned, the more I wanted to know.   As I completed my degree in Advanced Emergency Medical Technology (i.e. Paramedicine), I also became an instructor for the American Heart Association teaching other medical professionals Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Neonatal Resuscitation Program.

With the encouragement of my family and friends, I started "pre-med" courses and ultimately matriculated to the University Of Arizona College Of Medicine.  I graduated from medical school and attended the nationally acclaimed residency in Emergency Medicine at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix.  Upon  completing residency in 2004 and becoming  board-certified in Emergency Medicine, I  started at Wickenburg Community Hospital my very first day out of residency.   I continue to devote   approximately 50% of my practice to Wickenburg Community Hospital.

I also practice in the large urban Emergency Departments in central Phoenix and  have been on the medical staff at Banner Good Samaritan, Banner Estrella Medical Center and Phoenix Memorial Hospital Currently, the other half of my practice is at Phoenix Baptist Hospital.  I find that the two different practice environments, urban and suburban/rural, augment each other.

Over the past several years I have experienced many changes at Wickenburg Community Hospital.  We are adding services to better care for the community and we have more visiting specialists than I have ever seen in the past.  Recently WCH acquired certification as a Level IV Trauma Center  and our state of the art diagnostic equipment is as good  or better than the large urban hospitals!  Now we are working on a Tele-Stroke Network program to bring state of the art stroke care to the Emergency Department.  Not all change is easy; however, it is exciting.  I look forward to what the future holds.