My goal as a doctor is to provide personal, individualized care that promotes overall wellness, not simply to treat illness when it occurs; to be proactive toward health, not reactive. To use all of the medical knowledge and resources available to prevent potential problems and allow patients to create and live a healthy lifestyle that is resistant to disease. I develop personal relationships with my patients and become their friend as well as their doctor. From this relationship, I learn and understand what is important to them, what their goals are and what challenges they face. I see patients as real people, actually listen to them and treat them with respect, dignity and compassion. I consider the person as a whole, each with distinctive physical, emotional, social, spiritual and cultural characteristics. My approach is to establish a true partnership working together to design a wellness plan unique to each individual. Patients take an active role in determining the direction of their health care and I provide the information, skill, education and guidance to help them understand their current health condition and to establish and achieve their wellness goals. And I will always be a patient advocate. I will do anything I can to navigate the complexities of our health care system to ensure that it does not become an obstacle to health, but rather maximize the benefits it has to offer.