My inspiration for becoming a family doctor was my Grandpa Paul, who was a small-town family doctor in rural North Dakota where I grew up. I strive to have the same positive and trusting relationship with every patient for whom I provide care and uphold his dedication to his community at large. When I first became a physician, my grandfather shared his attitude about patients – that a physician should feel grateful for a patient trusting them with their care – and having that approach has enriched my now fourteen-year career as a family physician. My undergraduate education at Harvard and medical school at Stanford were rigorously academic, and I remain evidence-based on my practices – both in prescribing treatments and testing as well as in knowing when treatments and testing are not going to help a person. My residency training was in a community-based hospital in the Hudson Valley, NY while my husband was teaching at West Point, and that complemented my academic background with real-world applications; I learned that people don’t perfectly fit the textbook and you have to craft individual recommendations based on the best available evidence to get the best outcome. My humanistic values lead me to listen carefully to my patients and explain things in a way they can understand.
I have a special interest in sports medicine because of my past as a competitive figure skater and D1 cross country and track runner, as well as being a USA Triathlon All-American in medical school. I did additional elective time in sports medicine and perform several injection-based treatments as well as exam-based evaluation for sports injuries. My hobbies still center around running, swimming and biking – we moved to Northern Colorado because of our love for the outdoors. My approach is as natural and lifestyle-based as possible – though I view the best “nature” to be food, physical activity, healthy relationships, purpose in life and time spent outdoors.
I truly love caring for people of all ages and variety in what I see, particularly multiple generations from one family. Two of my children were premature so I have particular passion for newborn care, and on the other end of the spectrum, I have extensive experience with geriatric medicine and care deeply about easing end-of-life transitions. My father suffered from a rare neurodegenerative movement disorder, and I have particular compassion for people experiencing similar conditions.
I am honored to get to be a family physician and love what I do – I am always learning – mainly from my patients!
Locations
970.624.5170
970.669.7521Qualifications and experience
- Specialties
- Family Medicine
- Gender
- Female
- Languages spoken
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English
- Education
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Medical School
Stanford University (2011)
Undergraduate
Harvard University (2006)
- Board Certification
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Certification Agency Specialty Year American Board of Medical Specialties Family Medicine 2014 American Board of Family Medicine Family Medicine 2014 - Clinical interest for patients
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- Women’s Health
- Sports Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Newborn care particularly premature infants
- Geriatrics
- Breastfeeding
- Research interest for patients
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- Sports Medicine
- Tissue Engineering
- Insurance
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