I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but left for California 6 weeks later when my father finished his tour in the Navy. I am the oldest daughter of 7 children and was raised in Northern California. My young adult years were spent in Boston and Seattle; however, I've been back in California for many years.

I decided I wanted to be a nurse when I was 12 years old and had an appendectomy. After graduating from nursing school, I spent my first year working in hospitals. I was drawn to Women's Health from the start and studied to be a Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner soon after becoming an RN. I never looked back! I have thoroughly enjoyed Women's Health for over 30 years. There's always something new to learn, great people to work with and wonderful clients of all backgrounds who have honored me with stories of their lives. I see health as a dynamic process and encourage prevention as a way of life.

When I'm not working, I enjoy hiking, reading, gardening and spending time with my family. I like to travel and plan to do more when my 2 children finish college.

I have been an RN since 1985 and have worked in women's health since then. My first hospital job was in the post partum department in a busy San Diego hospital. I then moved into the nursery and then finally to labor and delivery, where I found my "home". Upon moving to northern California, I continued to enjoy my labor and delivery career at John Muir Medical Center from 1990-2005. I also completed my master's degree in nursing during that time to become a nurse practitioner. I have been with OB-GYN Specialists since 2001. The best things about my job are helping women to be as healthy as they can be, and collaborating with the group of physicians and nurse practitioner that I work with to provide the best care possible.

In my off time, I enjoy hiking, running, reading and travel with my husband and two adult children.

Credentials:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing from San Diego State University, California.
• Master's of Science in Nursing from University of California, San Francisco, California
• Certificate as Women's Health Nurse Practitioner from Drexel University and Planned Parenthood Federation of America Family Planning Council, Pennsylvania.
• National Certifications as Women's Health Nurse Practitioner through National Certification Corporation and Adult Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.