Associate Medical Director, Pediatric Palliative Medicine

I am a pediatric palliative care physician at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. Pediatric Palliative Care involves specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. Palliative care focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of an illness with the goal of improving quality of life for both the child and the family.

I work with patients throughout the hospital, many of whom have serious and/or chronic, life-limiting illnesses and who could benefit from the extra support and family-centered care that our team provides. I often work with patients and families during some of the most stressful times in their lives. Fortunately, the structure of our team allows us to spend as much time as necessary to get to know these families. This allows us to address their needs and concerns that may otherwise go unnoticed.

As a specialty that is primarily focused on improving quality of life for patients, I frequently see patients for acute and chronic pain management. In these instances, I prefer non-pharmacologic interventions whenever possible as pain is best managed by addressing not only physical pain, but also its psychological and social aspects as well. My approach to pain management is a multi-modal, interdisciplinary model that I have found delivers the best outcomes.

I will oftentimes recommend acupuncture for my patients.  Many studies have demonstrated the success of acupuncture in treating several conditions including chronic pain with minimal, if any, side effects. Acupuncture involves inserting tiny, hair-thin needles into the skin at strategic points to improve energy flow throughout the body. I completed an acupuncture training course in 2024 and now offer the treatment at my outpatient office in Miramar.

Languages

• Spanish
• Gujarati

• Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
• Memorial Regional Hospital