I received my undergraduate degree from The College of St. I later earned my Masters of Science in biomedical research followed by my medical degree at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri. As a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), I love incorporating osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) or osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT) with a special focus on fascia (a band or sheet of connective tissue fibers, primarily collagen, which forms beneath the skin to attach, stabilize, enclose and separate muscles and other internal organs), energy/rhythms, and ligaments/tendons. Treatments are sometimes gentle and relaxing or rigorous. Overall, I care about function and believe in the body’s natural ability to heal itself. I am from a tiny town where you know nearly everyone. To this day, as a family physician, I take great pleasure in seeing all generations of families, as well as tribes of friends. This is a beautiful and multifaceted way to know and care for someone. Throughout my medical training, I gravitated towards the functional medicine approach to constantly ask “why”. My parents, who were science teachers, were my earliest examples of this. Later, colleagues, friends, and even you, my patients, have nurtured this approach. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, gardening, home restoration, traveling, painting, photography, team sports, reading, and especially organizing. I have happy adult children who make the world better (fact!). So my favorite travels are to see or be with them.
