Philosophy

I love my job and I love my patients. Each patient becomes a part of my extended family and I become a part of theirs. I am not afraid to become involved emotionally and to share all the moments of life: good, bad and challenging. Being a doctor is a privilege from God, and being your doctor is a privilege that you give me. I do what I do from my heart and soul. All of the years that I have spent as an administrator and academic have never been as fulfilling for me as being a practicing primary care doctor. I respect the beliefs and needs of others. I believe in prayer, and will pray with and for you if you wish it.

Health care is about more than living longer. It is about preventing disease, maintaining a state of well being and optimizing health. I believe that we should feel our best, look our best and enjoy every minute that we have on earth.  My job is to facilitate and empower you. I choose to employ the least harmful treatment modality first and I mix both conventional medicine and Complementary Alternative Therapies (CAM) to offer you true choices in your care.

I believe in The Pillars of Optimal Health:

And do my best at every meeting to ensure these pillars are upheld and your needs are met.

Very often, I am confused for a Naturopathic Doctor. I am NOT.  I am a medical doctor (MD) who practices what has been called "integrative medicine." In practice, I employ whatever treatment I believe will be most effective, have the least amount of side effects and be least expensive for my patient. DO NO HARM IS ALWAYS FOREMOST IN MY MIND!!!  I typically use conventional medicine, herbs, nutritional substances, dietary strategies, exercise, mind/body interventions, acupuncture, music, prayer, physical medicine, vibrational medicine and homeopathy in my daily practice.

My radio show, "Primary Care", on KTAR FM 92.3—Saturdays at 2PM AZT- is dedicated to informing you about all aspects of health and health care. I focus on health related politics and economics, as well as medical care and health concerns. Unlike others in the media, I am a practicing primary care physician (everyday AND on weekends!), and my show is NOT sponsored by any medical organization or manufacturer, so I am free to say what I believe and get the truth out there.

I do not believe—as many conventional doctors still do—that more pills, testing and medical appointments automatically mean better health.  I do not believe that more specialists make for better medicine.  In fact, I believe quite the opposite! I have been in the medical field for over 30 years- from the advent of neighborhood community health centers, to international health and family planning, to establishing what I am proud to say was a world class center for integrative medicine for Catholic Healthcare West in Arizona.  I then went into academics at State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, and served as Corporate Medical Director of Integrative Health Services for Humana Inc.  I am a very good doctor and observer/diagnostician, but so many doctors today are lost.  Many are disenfranchised, unprepared for the grueling but fulfilling life that you inherit in this profession, and others are only in it for a buck—which is going to become increasingly elusive for them to come by.

So, what DO I believe in? I believe in you and God.  I believe in the power of people to take charge of their lives and their health.  If people are given honest information and are motivated to change—just a bit—they can improve their own health.  I believe in hope.  I believe in honesty and REAL transparency.  I tell patients when my treatments are proven or unproven. I am not afraid to let people know me as I know them in practice.  I have the BEST job because I am given the PRIVILEGE to be a part of my patients’ lives, and I return by sharing mine with them.  Risky?  Yes!  Rewarding? More than you can know. I am a health inspector.  My experience helps me analyze the here and now because I have 30 years to call upon.  I am skeptical of "new" health systems and empty promises, but I know in my heart that together we can create miracles.