Biography

While I knew I wanted to be a physician since age two, I did not realize that I would go into obstetrics & gynecology until my junior year of medical school. I loved the study of medicine and as I passed through each of the medical school clinical rotations, I knew that specialty was what I wanted to be. When I came to Ob-Gyn I found I was able to utilize the internal medicine skills that I had come to truly enjoy; I was able perform surgeries and maintain relationships after the procedure was done; but the decision was sealed with the first delivery that allowed me to participate in the miracle of life. During my obstetric career the awe of the miracle came with each delivery.

During my education I discovered that I was not only a good student, but also a very good teacher. My struggle to decide whether to remain in academic medicine or go into private practice was helped by my Military Service. Wilford Hall USAF teaching hospital is located in San Antonio. The chief of obstetrics and gynecology there was aware of my teaching ability and of my struggle. He offered me the opportunity to satisfy my military obligation as a member of the teaching staff. While I loved the teaching, I knew that my true joy came from the relationships that exist with direct patient care. After discharge from military duty I brought my family to Plano in 1977.

David Dalton, a medical school classmate as well as residency partner, and I opened our practice in Plano and became the fifth and sixth obstetricians in the area. My practice has always been based on the desire to present a safe, comfortable and respectful atmosphere for women to receive complete, competent, compassionate and efficient health care. I delivered over one thousand babies during my medical school and residency training and another twenty-five hundred during my early years in private practice. I became Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Medical Center of Plano in 1981. I was Vice Chief of the Medical Staff in 1983 and Chief of the Medical Staff in 1984.

It was during my time as Chief of Staff that I became involved with managed health care. While the Chief of Staff is usually a quality of care position, when managed health care companies came to Plano, there was no one else to speak with them except the hospital administrator and the Chief of the Medical Staff to represent the physicians. It was through discussions with the managed care companies that I realized proposals from the companies did not seem satisfactory. In addition, it was obvious that physicians would require a great deal of education to understand what managed care was; the difference between HMO and PPO; and an understanding of the concept of taking risk. I organized the development of the Plano Physicians Group comprised of physicians from the Medical Staff of Medical Center of Plano who wanted to deal with bulk health care consumers. This group which began with 287 physicians now comprises 650 physicians who practice primarily in Collin County, Texas.

I stopped delivering babies in 1989 to confine my practice to gynecology and to devote more time to the problems that the coming of managed care brought.

Through this all my family has prospered in Plano. I coached soccer, Tee Ball, and baseball. Our sons went through the Plano Independent School system both graduating from Plano Senior High School. One son graduated from the University of Texas where he majored in mathematics. The other son graduated from Texas A & M University with a degree in Agribusiness.

Another childhood dream was to have a horse and in 1984 I bought a small ranch in Farmersville, Texas and raised quarter horses. My youngest son began to show horses in the 4H program and then progressed on to the American Junior Quarter Horse Association. I took up showing as well and in 1989 won ninth place at the American Quarter Horse Association Amateur World Championship Show in Oklahoma City.

I continue to ride horses but no longer compete in the show ring. I am a real nature hound and love to fish, play golf and ride my bicycle.

I have great joy in practicing medicine. I have been very fortunate to have patients who have been in my practice for over thirty years. Many I have known from teenage life through marriage and childbearing; or childbearing and menopause. For over twenty years I have been involved with women’s issues groups focusing on premenstrual, menopausal and relationship issues. My surgical experience is particularly strong in the areas of pelvic floor abnormalities, urinary incontinence, minimally invasive surgery and most recently daVinci Robotic Surgery.