Biographical Information
During my early training in Chicago, at The University of Chicago, and most recently at The University of Kentucky and Augusta University, I have been exposed to many challenges which face the American healthcare system nationwide – providing the most advanced and appropriate medical treatments while caring for the uninsured, the underinsured and balancing many other social determinants that negatively impact health care access and health equity. I benefited from vigorous training integrating the interdisciplinary experiences of a large university hospital, a busy community hospital, and several satellite community outreach centers and free clinics. This training, along with my childhood in an underserved community as a woman of color and my adult life as a mother to 4 boys with special needs, solidified my commitment to Family Medicine and its grassroots mission of promoting community wellness and access to healthcare for all.
My practice of medicine involves first hearing what my patients have to share with me, meeting them where they are, and facilitating the awareness, decisions, and care necessary to achieve the best possible health outcomes, physically and emotionally. I continue to practice and teach in an urban setting that serves patients with exceptional needs and complex issues. They range in age from newborn to the elderly; and come to see me for acute illnesses, mental health issues, and chronic health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, as well as routine disease prevention and health maintenance visits. I have learned firsthand how people traumatized by poverty, inequity, and oppression experience this trauma in every aspect of their lives, directly correlating to emotional and physical health and wellness. I enjoy caring for all members of the family – especially the newest ones, and helping them to thrive as they grow together.
Areas of Interest
While my most active interests lie in caring for vulnerable and at-risk populations, I have worked on many patient, resident, and student education projects to foster community interest in preventive medicine and health promotion. I have been privileged to hold directorships for refugee care and community medicine education, DEI leadership roles at the department, university, and community levels, and advocacy roles at the local, county, and state levels. I have also enjoyed faculty leadership roles in graduate and undergraduate medical education and was most recently honored to receive the Medical College of Georgia’s 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award in Graduate Medical Education and the 2022 Excellence in Teaching Award in Undergraduate Medical Education. I also believe in the fundamental role of Arts and Humanities in medical education, particularly as it relates to physician identity formation. These activities and interests keep me inspired, hopeful, and dedicated to the work we face for those we are privileged to serve.
