“Trust that the wind knows where it is blowing.” – John3:8
I was born in the Bay State where I spent many summers sailing off the coast of Massachusetts and Maine. I learned most of my life lessons from my loving parents and the sea. With an appetite for the great outdoors, I moved here in 1998 with my family and enjoyed partnership in a group practice for 23 years before starting Oregon Surgical Wellness in 2021. My practice goals: minimize stress, promote healing, and create meaningful patient interactions. I believe that transparency of outcomes ensures delivery of reproducible valuable care, and supporting the whole patient before, during and after treatment promotes the highest quality of life for my patients. I am committed to improving the health of my community one unique patient at a time.
I received a Bachelor of Arts in biology at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and completed medical school at Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts. I spent six years at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where I completed my residency training in general surgery, was a laparoscopic research fellow and served as an associate professor of surgery.
With over 30 years of training and operative experience, I have cared for patients in Minnesota, Guatemala, Haiti and Oregon performing an array of general, vascular, thoracic, and pediatric surgical procedures. Additionally, I have served on the call panel for the Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Team at PeaceHealth RiverBend Medical Center. Fueled by my passion for specialization, over the last decade I have honed my skills in the subspecialties of Breast Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery. Certified by The American Board of Surgery, I participate in four national surgical quality registries, including: The Mastery of Breast Cancer Program , The Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program, The Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative, and The American College of Surgeons, Surgeon Specific Registry. Certified by the City of Hope in Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment, I am also a member of the Clinical Cancer Genetics Community of Practice. I have published extensively on advanced laparoscopic surgery, colon, rectal, breast and endocrine surgery.
I care about my community and get involved whenever possible. Some of the many organizations I support, lead or participate directly in include: Oregon Cancer Foundation where I serve as a board member, Positive Community Kitchen serving as a volunteer and stewardship councilwoman, Cascade Medical Team, Children’s Tumor Foundation, Susan G. Komen, The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, The Eugene Symphony, O’Hara Catholic School, Marist High School, WellMomma and others.
I am an associate professor of surgery at Oregon Health and Science University teaching medical students on their clinical rotations and facilitating workshops on Visual Thinking Strategies, I have served as chairwoman of the Northwest Specialty Clinics Board, Secretary of Northwest Health Parters and am past chief of surgery at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Currently, I serve on the marketing committee for ACHQC who strive to improve the surgical outcomes of hernia surgery nationally and globally and am a mentor for young Breast Surgical Oncologists through the American Society for Breast Surgeons Mastery of Breast Surgery Program. When my family needs perspective, optimism and a chance to connect, we volunteer on medical missions. Together we have cared for patients in Guatemala and Haiti.
