Faculty

Where are you originally from?

I am originally from Southwest Washington near Portland, Oregon. The town is called Hockinson.

Undergraduate College:

Western Washington University, located in Bellingham, WA, a must visit little town up north. My Major was in Biochemistry; I started a benchtop researcher and thankfully was able to find clinical medicine as my calling.

Where did you attend Medical School?

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM Go Lobos

Where did you go to Residency?

Seattle Indian Health Board with Swedish Cherry Hill

Why did you choose PTHA?

I am a member of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla, with ancestry in Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) as well Couer D'Alene My plan is to continue providing care to native and indigenous peoples, Puyallup was such a welcoming environment it was an easy decision! PTHA offered the ability to continue to learn from Native people through my medical journey while working in an urban reservation as well as ability to work with residents.

What are your interests?

- Indigenous health including learning various traditional medicine and plant medicines - Woman's health - Addiction Medicine As seen in the picture I love hiking, camping, and most of all bird watching and foraging for plant medicines and berries during these activities

What are some fun facts about you?

- I enjoy a good board game and working on puzzles (my record is finishing a 3000 piece puzzle after I finished Step 1) I played the French Horn for 8 years and was part of my high school marching band, we went everywhere in the PNW competing as well as Hawaii. My hope to pick back up playing French Horn. - I have two pets a cat and dog who are my furry companions along with my partner William - Finally I have played soccer most my life, my MLS team is Portland Timbers, and I have always been a fan of USA Women's team

Where are you originally from?

Seattle, WA

Undergraduate College:

Seattle University

Where did you attend Medical School?

University of Washington School of Medicine

Where did you go to Residency?

Kaiser Permanente of Washington Family Medicine Residency

Why did you choose PTHA?

I chose to pursue family medicine because I wanted to be participate in healing and wellness for the whole person and communities. For me, this looks like caring for community members at all stages of their healthcare (in the clinic, in the hospital and delivering babies) and being able to incorporate my own practice of acupuncture. I was drawn to PTHA because I felt I could do exactly that, and have loved getting to know our community members better. It is an honor to be a small part of people's journey in wellness and healing.

What are your interests?

Medical: Women's health, pediatrics and adolescents, geriatric care, Hep C and HIV, procedures, acupuncture

What are some fun facts about you?

My husband and I enjoy planning and hosting talent shows to showcase the diverse and many talents of the youth in our community. In Covid we have been surprised at how fun these can be virtually!

Where are you originally from?

Reno, Nevada

Undergraduate College:

University of Pittsburgh

Where did you attend Medical School?

University of Pittsburgh

Where did you go to Residency?

Seattle Indian Health Board Family Medicine Residency in Seattle, WA

Why did you choose PTHA?

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to get to know folks in native communities in the Seattle area while doing my residency with the Seattle Indian Health Board. I really loved my time at SIHB, and was looking to do something similar after graduation. PTHA was a great fit. I also really love living in the PNW, and was happy for an opportunity to stay here.

What are your interests?

In medicine, I enjoy a little bit of everything. I am especially interested in obstetrics, mental health, and addiction recovery. I love that my job gives me to work with people in all stages of life, and I enjoy finding ways to help folks identify and meet their health goals. Outside of work, I love hiking, biking, and generally being outside. I love learning about local plants and animals, and have recently been learning a lot about edible plants and mushrooms. I also really enjoy making things and spend a lot of time knitting and sewing. Music is my other hobby. My husband and I met singing in a cappella groups and now we sing together in the Tacoma symphonic choir.

What are some fun facts about you?

I have been to almost all 50 states. I am only missing Oklahoma and North Dakota.

Where are you originally from?

I am originally from the Fort Peck Assiniboine/Sioux Indian Reservation in NE Montana. I still have land there and a family farm. I have lots of relatives on the reservation and make at least one trip a year to help manage the land that I lease out. I moved to Seattle in 1965 to attend the University of Washington and have been in Seattle ever since.

Undergraduate College:

My undergraduate school is University of Washington and I went to Central Washington University for my Masters Degree in Biochemistry.

Where did you attend Medical School?

University of Washington

Where did you go to Residency?

Providence Family Medicine Residency Olympia, WA

Why did you choose PTHA?

I choose PTHA so that I could work in Indian country seeing patients and then develop a curriculum on Indian health for the PTHA residency program.

What are your interests?

My interests professionally are development of an Indian health curriculum for medical students and medical residents. I also am an avid member of the Association of American Indian Physicians working to improve Indian health politically and through the association. I have worked on developing an Indian physician faculty at UWSOM working regionally in the WWAMI program and then Indian health nationally through AAIP. I have also done research on Indian health and Indian academic medicine to augment the curriculum development too.
My personal interests are photography which is very serious with my own darkroom in my home and now a digital darkroom in my home. This is also supplemented by wood working and have a wood working shop at home. My last hobby is boating and I have boated all over Puget sound and Vancouver Island in Canada. I also have a wife and four children so family activities have supplemented all of the above as well as attending 1000’s of soccer games, musical events for all of my children and tried to teach them photography and boating.

What are some fun facts about you?

I am a Traditional Indian and have a sweat lodge in my yard and weave Indian ceremony from my Sioux tribe into family events and my personal spiritual care. I participate in many local Indian ceremonies and occasional ones offered by my home reservation in Fort Peck Montana. Since 1978, I have worked as faculty at UWSOM Department of Family Medicine starting and running the Native American Center of Excellence for 32 years and started the Indian Health Pathway in the medical school which is still in operation. I developed a curriculum on Indian health for medical students and saw patients clinically at Group Health Coop while also being faculty at UWSOM for the 32 years.

Where are you originally from?

Born in Philadelphia and then moved to Washington State

Undergraduate College:

University of Washington

Where did you attend Medical School?

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Where did you go to Residency?

Puyallup Tribal Health Authority Family Medicine Residency in Tacoma, WA

Why did you choose PTHA?

It was a calling to come to the tribe for me. I can’t imagine working anywhere else. The people and culture are enriching in a way that can’t be found anywhere outside of Native Health. They invite you into their family and it is a special place to be.

What are your interests?

I love 4 things outside of medicine. My wife, comic books, video games, and the NBA.

What are some fun facts about you?

I am a John Snow look alike at comic con. I perform marriage ceremonies. I have a 1970 Rover Sedan.

Where are you originally from?

Tacoma, Washington

Undergraduate College:

Washington State University

Where did you attend Medical School?

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Where did you go to Residency?

Puyallup Tribal Health Authority Family Medicine Residency in Tacoma, WA

Why did you choose PTHA?

It feels like family, I want to continue serving the underserved in the community I grew up in, and I love how Osteopathic medicine has been accepted into the Native community.

What are your interests?

OB, OMT, Procedures

What are some fun facts about you?

I am always looking to do running races (once got 1st place in an Oktoberfest Beer Run), and play basketball (play in Hoopfest every year). I also play the piano and saxophone.