I have wanted to be a pediatrician for as long as I can remember. When I was a child growing up in New York, I had a series of health issues and I was fascinated by what my pediatric team did to provide excellent care for me and support my family and my community. Throughout high school and my college years at Cornell, I further developed this interest through community service work and through my studies as a double major in Chemistry, learning the hard sciences, and History, focusing on the the thought processes and relationships that define our society today. When I went to medical school at Duke, I was exposed to many areas of medicine and liked almost all of them, but kept coming back to pediatrics due to a love of working with children and their families and a focus on preventing disease and helping to shape future healthy adults. In my pediatric residency training in Boston at a joint program between Childrens Hospital Boston (Harvard) and Boston Medical Center (Boston University), my interest in general pediatrics was solidified as I got to spend extensive time training both in the hospitals and out at community health centers where I learned firsthand the impact that a general pediatrician could have on patients, their families and the communities in which they live. What struck me the most were the ongoing relationships that are at the heart of general pediatrics. It is these relationships that have kept me going throughout my career.

I've now been practicing in the DFW area for 25 years and it's been an honor to be a part of shaping young lives and guiding parents and families towards raising healthy adults. Over those 25 years, I've seen a shift from general pediatrics being about well visits and care of sick children to encompassing a much more holistic view of pediatric health. From the beginning, I have been interested in aspects of behavioral and mental health care. I have sought out extensive additional training in these areas in order to provide care that touches on all aspects of a child's life. In 2022, The Independent Pediatrician featured this work and described me as "A Warrior for Children's Mental Health Care in Texas and Beyond". I have learned so much from the families I take care of and cherish each individual interaction.

I also realized early on that I could improve the life of my patients and their families not only through direct patient care but also through advocacy work on the state and national levels. As such, I have been an active leader in both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Texas Pediatric Society (the Texas Chapter of the AAP), serving as chair of multiple TPS committees and ultimately as President of TPS during the COVID-19 pandemic. During my presidency, I appeared on local and national television, radio and print media over 200 times, getting to tell the stories of the challenges my patients and their families were facing and advocating for children to not be forgotten as policy decisions were made about schools and immunizations. Currently, I serve on two national AAP committees including one that focuses on the impact of AAP policy on general pediatric practice and the families that pediatricians care for and on the Periodicity Schedule Advisory Group, which works on determining all of the things that happen during pediatric well visits.

It has been my privilege to also serve many community organizations as a volunteer and on various boards of directors, primarily through the Dallas Jewish community. I currently serve on the board of directors of CHAI Dallas - Community Homes for Adults, Inc. - an organization that provides group homes and vocational, educational, social, and spiritual programs for adults with intellectual disabilities.

I have been recognized for my work in the community many times. In 2022, I was the recipient of the Texas Pediatric Society Sidney R. Kaliski Award of Merit, which recognizes a pediatrician who has served as an advocate for children and who has made a substantial contribution to both the health and welfare of the children of Texas and to the Texas Pediatric Society. I have received multiple Special Achievement Awards from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Closer to home, I was recognized with an Outstanding Impact Award from Chabad of Frisco in 2021 for my pediatric work in Frisco and in 2006, I was awarded the I Zesmer Young Leadership Award of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas.

In 2022, I underwent perhaps the greatest challenge of my life when I was diagnosed with and successfully treated for lymphoma. This diagnosis turned my world upside down and I truly learned what it meant to navigate the health care system as a patient, giving me deep insight into what my patients and their families face on a day to day basis. I also learned meditation as a part of self care during this experience and now enjoy teaching aspects of meditation and other wellness techniques to my patients and their families when appropriate to help them navigate an increasingly challenging and stressful world. I've now been cancer free for over 2 years and have a newfound appreciation for life and for truly listening to what patients tell me.

When I'm not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family, including my wife, our two children who are currently in college, and our rescue dog Jenny. My children have taught me so much over the past 2+decades and made me into such a better pediatrician. I love to read, especially science fiction and fantasy, and I am an avid baseball fan (Go Rangers and Go Mets!). I also take care of myself by cycling and running, having completed two marathons and countless half marathons. When I can spare a moment, I'll attempt the NY Times crossword puzzle, Wordle and whatever other puzzles I can get my hands on. If I get the chance, I also love to spend time outdoors with my family, especially hiking in Colorado.