I am Board Certified in Internal Medicine and a member of the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) and the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS). Over the span of 15 years I have gained a broad experience in the conventional medical model as a hospitalist, private practice primary care physician and Chief of Primary Care at the Veterans Administration.
In 2010, one of my children was diagnosed with autism and my life changed. Prior to this, I had only glimpsed the limitations within the conventional medical model, but after attempting to receive care from this model for a chronically ill child – my eyes were fully opened. I had dedicated my professional life to a model which was poorly suited to address complex chronic disease and now that same model was turning its back on my son. How many patients had I inadvertently done this to as well? This was completely unacceptable to me, so I began a journey to help my son and in the process make myself the best doctor I could be for all my patients. For my patients, the end product of this journey is Southwest Functional Medicine. On a personal note, my son is doing amazingly well and has progressed far beyond the bleak prognostications of his previous doctors.