About Pulmonary Associates, PA
Our practice began with a commitment to excellence in the clinical care of patients with respiratory and sleep disorders using modern concepts of treatment.
We are now celebrating over 55 years of striving to reach this goal and servicing Arizona!
What Pulmonary Associates Does
Physicians at Pulmonary Associates diagnose, treat, and manage the full spectrum of pulmonary diseases. In addition to general pulmonary medicine, we also have expertise, special interest, and experience in the following areas: Sleep Disorders, Pulmonary Hypertension, Adult Cystic Fibrosis, Clinical Research, and Special Procedures that encompass a wide range of diagnostic and interventional pulmonary medicine.
Our History of Pioneering Lung Treatments In Arizona
In 1966 when Dr. Howard Kravetz and Dr. Bernard Levine established Pulmonary Associates, modern concepts of treatment for the lung had just begun to be applied in the care of patients with lung diseases. They set a goal of bringing these advances to both hospital and office care in the Phoenix area. In the hospital setting they built the first respiratory intensive care area and pulmonary laboratory service in Arizona. In their office they introduced new treatment approaches for emphysema, asthma and valley fever.
As their practice grew they were joined by other physicians offering new knowledge and skills. The group pioneered fiber optic bronchoscopy, sleep disorders medicine, pulmonary rehabilitation and many other advances in this area.
Our group has always been committed to being in the forefront of our field by being involved in teaching and research in our field. To accomplish this we created the first pulmonary fellowship program in Phoenix. Graduates of this program have gone on to be leaders in Pulmonary Medicine in the state and beyond. We are involved in clinical research on new medications and treatments at a national and international level.
We have 3 offices serving North Phoenix, Deer Valley, and Mesa. Our current staff includes 13 physicians, 3 nurse practitioners, and 1 physician’s assistant.
I was born in Phoenix and even as a little girl I knew I would be a nurse. My mother was a labor and delivery nurse and she loved what she did – her stories of patients and doctors was so exciting to me! The majority of my 27 yr. career has been spent as an ICU nurse and I felt that the technical aspect of that care was what I loved best. When I became a nurse practitioner, I discovered that I loved talking to patients and listening to what they had to tell me- that was a surprising discovery about myself.
I grew up in small town in Kansas surrounded by lots of family. Like most teenagers, when it came time to go to college, I could not wait to get out of town. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, what to major in? My first thought was that I wanted to be a nurse because I did enjoy helping people. One biology class made me rethink that option. After looking at multiple careers, I picked what I enjoyed most at the time and continue to enjoy to this day. That was exercising. I went onto obtain my Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. After college, I returned to my home town temporarily and was left with that question, “Now what?”. A friend of a friend contacted me to fill a position as a receptionist in a 1-physician family practice. Having no other offers, I jumped in head first. This is where I found my love for healthcare, and finally, a career I could be excited about.
I moved to Phoenix from San Francisco in my teens with my family. I won’t ever forget my initial introduction to Phoenix getting off the plane in the middle of July. The blast of heat was something I had never experienced. My husband is from Montana. We met at St. Joseph Hospital where he was going to school. I can’t say I’m fond of the summers here after all these years, but home is where our family lives. We raised our two children here, and now we especially love watching our granddaughter grow.
I always knew that I wanted a career in medicine. Growing up, I always admired my dad. As a physician, he genuinely enjoyed going to work every day and was able to help so many patients and their families. However, I didn’t always know that I wanted to work in the same field. When I started PA school I thought for sure I wanted to work in Pediatrics. But on rotations, I found myself looking forward to pulmonary and sleep cases. When I was lucky enough to do a rotation with Pulmonary Associates, I was certain where I wanted to be.
I believe that knowing the word “bronchiectasis” by the time I was 8 years old had something to do with my career path that led me into practicing Pulmonary Medicine. Growing up with a family member who suffered from chronic lung disease gave me the opportunity to observe the impact that a health care provider can have on not only the patient but the family.
I was born and raised in the Phoenix area, specifically, at Good Samaritan Hospital, and attended Arizona State University. I majored in chemical engineering, but I knew early on that I wanted to be a physician. My first experience in the medical field was as a volunteer EMT for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Posse for several years during college (many years ago, before Sheriff Joe). My hobbies also began early, becoming a “car guy” in high school. I bought my first car before I had a license, by working with my father, who is still a roofing contractor here in the Phoenix area (Anthony Roofing). My first car was a very used, 1970 Chevelle SS, with a four speed and 454 big block (you car guys, or gals, know what that is!). Don’t I wish I still had it!
Like many physicians, I grew up with a medical background, although my father tried to dissuade me from pursuing a career as a physician and as you can see, he did so unsuccessfully. My mother was an RN and my father was a Cardiologist.
When I started my medical training many years ago, I never thought I would end up in the field of pulmonary and critical care medicine. Looking back, however, this journey reflected, in part, who I am. My interest in sports medicine and athletic activities brought me closer to pulmonary and exercise physiology. I wanted to understand the capacity and limitation of the pulmonary system, as well as how various diseases such as asthma, COPD, fibrosis, and bronchiectasis affect it. My background in internal medicine and pediatrics helps me appreciate the pathophysiology and progression of diseases such as cystic fibrosis, and their impact on those who are living with these diseases from childhood to adulthood. But these interest s and curiosities became reality because I was fortunate enough to have great teachers and mentors who taught and encouraged me to pursue this field. I believe that I need to do the same for my patients in helping them understand their illnesses so that they can live with, and sometimes overcome such limitations. While I like to be my patients’ partner in health, I know there will be times that my patients will need a little more “assertive encouragement” to take more responsibility in their health. Perhaps that part came from my background as a first generation immigrant where successes are earned, not given.
I have practiced with Pulmonary Associates for my entire career. I came to AZ (from MI, CT, MA, and OH) to complete my training, not expecting to stay, but the opportunities here were too good to pass up—both Arizona and Pulmonary Associates. Working with such a great diversity of patients and colleagues is amazing. I believe my strengths lie in listening and talking to patients and their families, in the office or hospital, in good times and bad. I believe this distinguishes true physicians. Others seem to appreciate it too: I’ve been a Phoenix Magazine “Top Doc” 14 times.
I was born and raised on a farm in North Dakota where I gained my understanding for hard work, family commitment and survival… especially through those harsh winters.
