"This year, after nearly a decade of service as an assistant professor medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, I made a thoughtful decision to begin a new medical practice. In the words of Dr. Flacker, my faculty mentor, "Eventually, all really great chefs want to open their own restaurant." Perhaps the same is true for physicians. As I celebrate my 40th birthday in 2015, I find myself yearning, like many of us, for a slower pace of life - more time to spend with my patients in thoughtful conversation and care, and less in commuting and paper work. This is the inspiration for a clinic centered not on administration or insurance demands, but on doctor-patient relationships - an ideal medical practice. Learning from families, colleagues and communities has been the foundation of my education and training. Originally from Upstate New York, I came to Georgia to complete a family medicine residency at Atlanta Medical Center, the old "Georgia Baptist" in 2006. For pediatrics rotations, I worked at Children's Hospital of Atlanta, Scottish Rite, a local center of excellence in the care of children. As a part of my obstetrics training and later my own pregnancies, I was mentored by Dr. Lorne Campbell M.D. in the use of hypnosis in childbirth which led to an interest in neuroscience and the impact of the brain on health and wellness. After residency, I completed a fellowship in geriatric medicine at Emory University in 2007. I then worked as an assistant professor of medicine for Emory's Division of Internal and Geriatric Medicine for 9 years. My work included taking care of some of the sickest and frailest community members in the clinic, hospital, long term acute care and nursing homes settings. I moved to the City of Decatur in 2013 to raise children and enjoy the walkability, great schools and great people that define Decatur. My premedical education includes a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in Human Development and Family Studies, with concentrations in gerontology and Native American studies. At Cornell I was mentored by Dr. Andrea Parrot Ph.D. as a teaching assistant for her undergraduate course in Human Sexuality. Following Cornell, I attended medical school at State University of New York at Buffalo College of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. During medical school I completed four months of elective rotations in India at Christian Medical College in Vellore and Umri Christian Hospital in Maharastra near Nagpur. In addition to my traditional medical training, I completed certification in medical acupuncture from Helms Institute of UCLA in 2008, and will complete course work in functional medicine in September 2015. I also regularly participate in educational courses in integrative medicine. When I am not practicing medicine, I enjoy gardening, cooking, parenting, quilting, and dreaming up renovations to my 1920 bungalow."
