Why I chose to pursue a career in healthcare:
I have always been interested both biology and natural things, and I also grew up in a religious culture (Quaker) that emphasized the importance of service to others. I initially wanted to go to college to study plant biology and help feed the world (i.e., be a part of the "Green Revolution") - but I quickly found that plants do not have much personality (maybe they have some - but not enough for me...). I found the study of cellular biology/animal systems/human psychology to be much more interesting. Medicine seemed like the way to go.
In the 3rd year of medical school I was asked to "pick a specialty". I knew that I wanted to be involved with maternity care, but I also wanted to continue to take care of the babies whose birth I had been a part of, of children of all ages, of boys and men, and of people throughout the wide spectrum of age.......The only specialty that provided the whole package to me was Family Medicine.
What I want my patients to know about me:
I grew up in the western suburbs of Philadelphia but I went to college in Indiana (1973-1977) and have lived/practiced in North Carolina (1981-1984), Northeastern Connecticut (1984-1997), in Philadelphia (at PENN 1977-1981 and1997-2012) and in central Pennsylvania (at Penn State/Hershey 2012-2018). I joined Wellspan on New Year's Eve 2018.
I am a Family Physician and enjoy taking care of all types of folks. The academic focus of my career as been family-centered maternity care including a long-standing search for better methods of term pregnancy management. I have published series of major journal articles and have given medical lectures in dozens of USA venues and in six different countries. I am interested in the study of the management of term pregnancy (37 weeks gestation and beyond) - with particular attention to mother and baby outcomes (rates of cesarean delivery, neonatal intensive care unit admission, stillbirth, cost of care). My interest in this research is ongoing.
What I do when I'm not seeing patients:
When not working I can sometimes be found gardening, playing/watching soccer (futbol - "the beautiful game"), playing my viola, or visiting my family's cabin in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (no electricity, plumbing or land-lines). I also like to visit my children, grandchildren and a variety of other family members. I try to keep up with several woodpiles, I like to think about fishing (don't get out much anymore), and enjoy watching my children play on various college sports teams (live streaming of college sporting events is now commonly available).
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