I earned a B.S. in Cellular Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and M.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. I completed my internship and residency at the University of Washington in the Primary Care Track and was in the Clinician Educator Pathway. I was the ambulatory chief resident at the University of Washington Medical Center prior to joining faculty at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS).
From 2018-2020 I served as the Medical Director for the Women Veterans Program (WVP) at VA Puget Sound. In this role I served as the subject matter expert for the care of Women Veterans and oversaw the quality of care for women seen throughout the Puget Sound region at VA. This included oversight of operations at our facilities' two Women's Clinics as well as the care of patients by Women's Health Patient Aligned Care Teams at outlying community clinics. I work closely with the WVP Manager to oversee and administer our programs. We partner with VA subspecialty care services and community programs to support quality, privacy, and safety of care for Women Veterans.
In 2019 I joined the Primary Care Analytics Team at VA Puget Sound. This group focuses on improving the quality and delivery of primary care locally and nationally, and is funded by the national VHA Office of Primary Care. I am the site lead for evaluating the implementation of Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) at VA Puget Sound. In 2020 I became the inaugural Director of the Primary Care Innovation Lab (PCIL). PCIL designs, tests, and evaluates quality improvement and operational projects proposed by frontline staff and leaders within primary care at VAPSHCS, with the goal to apply rigorous design and disseminate best practices widely.
I teach in varied practice settings, with the majority of time spent in outpatient clinics. I mentor and teach Internal Medicine residents, and spend some time working with 3rd year medical students. I enjoy working with learners one on one and in small group settings. The highlight of my week is working with residents in primary care clinic and helping them to develop an approach to common ambulatory complaints and chronic disease management.
I relocated to the Seattle area from the Midwest and have lived here with my family since 2013. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my husband and 3- and 1-year old sons. We like going on neighborhood walks and visiting local parks and playgrounds. When I am not wrangling the kids you may find me listening to podcasts, learning something new on youtube or reading an e-book. I am often reading (ie. listening to) books on leadership, personal finance, and productivity, with the occasional novel thrown in. I enjoy a good action adventure or suspenseful movie, as well as documentaries. Exercise keeps me sane and I enjoy spin, barre, and hiking. Someday I'd like to get back to playing tennis and softball. I love to explore new food spots in Seattle, and travel to visit friends and family across the country and abroad.
