I joined Beacon Medical Group at a time when the responsibilities of being a new mom and running my own private practice in Chicago caused me to drift from my true north: compassionate care. Knowing that a change was necessary, I closed that practice in 2004 and quickly aligned with Beacon's values of Trust, Compassion, Integrity and Respect. Through the years, Beacon has afforded me the opportunity to practice medicine in a manner that felt right to me and was good for my patients.

Now nearly 20 years later with so many changes in healthcare, I am once again feeling as if I am forced to stray from my calling. By having to focus on the metrics that the insurance companies set for me, I have less time and energy to focus on the things that truly matters most to my patients.  

When I was young, the decision to study medicine was greatly influenced by my parent's humanistic approach to life: "love others and honor the divine. Strive to know yourself and others, treating both with kindness and respect."

I chose the medical profession because it fostered similar values that my parents taught and that I espoused.  Additionally  it held the promise that within a patient-physician relationship, a person can hope to be truly seen and heard.

As a woman of color, having experienced the physical, emotional, social and spiritual impact of being the "other" I was acutely aware of the need  to be seen and heard.  So when I became a physician my priority was to safeguard that space for both my patients and for myself. For within that space, stories have the power to connect lives and foster empathy.

I am honored to be privy to so many stories throughout my career. By listening deeply, I have learned to look beyond symptoms and treatment options to consider the whole person and their unique needs, beliefs and values. 

My patient's stories have enriched my career, taught me invaluable life lessons and gave me a deeper appreciation for the human condition.  I now realize that through the years, their stories have added and even changed my own story and have in many ways clarified my "why". I love practicing medicine because I love people and medicine to me is simply the means by which I can share love and express compassion.