Meet Your Doctor

My journey began in my hometown of New Orleans, LA. I knew I wanted to be a physician starting at age 9; however, after the rigors of obtaining a degree in Biomedical Engineering at Tulane University, I took a year off before starting medical school and worked as a receptionist in the office of an OB-GYN. Soon after starting work, I contracted chicken pox from a patient in the office, and had my first experience with navigating healthcare while being uninsured. Given I was an adult at the time of my infection, I had a severe case; however, thankfully I did not require hospitalization. My being without insurance at that time could have certainly derailed my plans for medical school had I incurred a large medical debt. I like to think that experience as a patient sowed some of the first seeds that led me here.

I went on to complete medical school at Louisiana State Medical School in New Orleans, earning my Doctor of Medicine. This was followed by a 4-year residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, in the combined specialties of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, also known as Med-Peds. I then took my first job following residency as a hospitalist in the Emory Healthcare system in Atlanta. However, I found myself wondering about the patients after their discharge, so I fairly quickly found a job working with two other Med-Peds-trained physicians taking care of families, from newborns to geriatric patients.

It was in those early practice years that I found my greatest fulfillment was in the relationships developed between myself and my patients. That was also the first time I cared for a patient and learned how to collaborate with him toward his goal of coming off medications. Through recommended dietary and lifestyle changes, combined with his commitment to such, he was able to come off several medications for his chronic conditions and remain off them for the entire remaining 2 years that I cared for him. That care experience left a lasting impression for years to come and planted yet another seed.

However, despite early successes and some fulfillment, fairly early on I felt rushed, like the time I was allotted to care for my patients was not adequate. Thankfully, I continued to watch patients blossom with the right, individualized plan of care, and this kept me invested in the delivery of medicine, albeit disillusioned at times.

The winding of my career path then took me to various cities in the country, caring for patients in the Veterans Administration system for several years. I remained in primary care, although no longer caring for children due to the patient population. While the VA clinics posed different challenges from insurance-based practice, I continued to find that authentic connections with patients helped motivate them on their health journeys.

Finally, after moving back to Houston and working for two large healthcare systems, my primary clinic was shuttered. As a result, I had a decision to make, and after much consideration, I decided Verdant Health Direct Primary Care was my only option to maintain authentic relationships with patients and have the chance to continue helping individuals achieve their best possible health.

While this path was chosen by me from an early age, it was the experiences and patients along the way that led me to this destination. And if you have reached this point in my story, perhaps the experiences you have had as a patient have led you here, to begin a journey to Verdant Health.