biography

I have been very fortunate to have been able to attend some of the best schools in the world and to learn from some of the greatest teachers and doctors alive. I am also very aware that my success is in large part due to the support and encouragement of my family. I am very thankful to everyone who has been a part of my life and helped me grow personally and professionally. My curriculum vitae link opens my résumé which describes in more detail my professional and educational background. I feel that it is only fair that my patients who trust me to help make the best health choices possible have a chance to understand who their doctor is and where their doctor has been.

I believe very strongly in following the current published guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association to provide my patients with the most scientifically sound and advanced cardiac care. The guidelines rely heavily on medical evidence from clinical trials and provide the foundation for the most educated recommendations I can offer. However, as I mention to many of my patients, I do not rely only on the guidelines as everyone is different. Every medicine has potential side effects. And not every invasive procedure will help a patient achieve the quality of life that he or she dreams. I will always try to keep the science in perspective, and will often discuss what I would recommend if that particular patient were my family member.

I am an overachiever. I do my homework. I prepare. And I always do my best. That goes for everything I do including being a doctor. Before every clinic, I review all my patients' records and update the chart notes on their latest heart test results and diagnoses available to me in the electronic medical records. I have thought about my patients and make sure I am caught up on the latest guideline recommendations, diagnostic testing that might be considered, and treatments that I should recommend. In 2025, I willingly gave up my interventional cardiology practice and stopped doing angioplasty and stents because there were enough new techniques and treatments since my fellowship training in 2006 that made me accept that my patients would likely get the best care from my younger colleagues rather than from me. My patients deserve only the best cardiac care from me and my colleagues.

I am enjoying my practice in Tacoma, Washington very much. The best part about being a doctor is the opportunity to be welcomed into the lives of my patients, to work together to try to help each patient live longer and feel better. The Pulse Heart Institute where I work has very dedicated physicians and staff. We all work together day and night to share our expertise, knowledge, and caring with all our patients in Pierce County.