About Dr. Chicks

Philosophy

The philosophy behind how I practice medicine is based on understanding (really understanding) that each patient is an individual. Each patient requires and should expect their care to be provided in a way they can relate to and understand. My goal is to have patients know and understand more about their condition and treatment decisions at the end of a visit, with the hope that every patient will walk away with some "food for thought" regarding their visit. 

I believe the environment in which your care is provided should be friendly, pleasant, and calming.  That’s why the office is intended to look more like a home rather than a clinic. One special feature at our clinic is Harvey, a comfort dog. Harvey was selected because he has an exceptionally calm and soothing personality.  Since he has hair, not fur, patients with allergies can safely pet, huge and interact with Harvey. Harvey is an important member of the team at For Your Health. He loves everybody and everyone loves him! If you prefer not to interact with Harvey, that's okay; he's never pushy.

One of my favorite sayings is “If you have a job you love, you never work a day in your life.” I believe my love of my job is reflected in the relationships I have with my patients and my staff, Leah and Abbey. Together, we run a successful practice that's committed to quality care and excellence.

Affiliations

I have been on staff at Columbia St Mary’s Hospital -Ozaukee since 2000. I have also been affiliated since 2010 as a Treatment Advocate (TA) with Indivior. As a TA I am available as a resource to physicians who wish to become trained in addiction treatment with MAT. 

Education

INTERNSHIP AND RESIDENCY
University of Wisconsin - Medical School
Madison, WI
Milwaukee Clinical Campus (Sinai Samaritan Medical Center) - Milwaukee, WI

At UW Medical School, I trained with widely respected internists, internal medicine sub-specialists, and other specialists. I worked with a diverse mix of patients and treated an astounding variety of medical problems.

MEDICAL SCHOOL
University of Wisconsin – Medical School
Madison, WI

I am grateful to the UW for providing a top-notch educational experience. At the UW, I worked with and learned from physicians who are leaders in their fields. My peers and closest friends came from very diverse backgrounds: one had been a professional ballerina, another a migrant worker, and another an engineer in the aerospace industry.  Learning about my friends life experiences helped enrich me both personally and professionally, and I carry their lessons into my practice today.

UNDERGRADUATE
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI

UWM enabled me to develop an excellent foundation for thinking broadly and approaching problems from more than one viewpoint. I earned a Bachelors of Art in Anthropology and Biology.

Professional Experience

INTERNAL MEDICINE

After completing internship and residency in 2000 I joined a large multi-specialty group practice. I enjoyed my patients, staff, and partners. However, I came to realize “corporate” medicine did not fit my professional style. After leaving corporate medicine I entered hospital medicine. Day-to-day activities were less constrained but relationships with patients were very brief--only for the few days they were hospitalized. This was also not well suited to my professional style. The best of both worlds led me to what I do today: individual, solo practice medicine.

ADDICTION MEDICINE

My introduction into this field began in 2006 when a colleague asked me to serve as a staff physician a couple days a week at a detoxification facility for all substances of abuse. Opiate addiction had not yet been identified as an epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).   During the 8 years I worked at the detox clinic, I was exposed to individuals with addictive disorders, which covered the spectrum of substances of abuse. This large population of people needed treatment not provided by many physicians. I became trained in addiction medicine and incorporated it into my internal medicine practice.

It is also my privilege to have been medical director of 2 different Opiate Treatment Programs (OTPs), known as “methadone clinics”, for 2 years. For those years I was directly responsible for the medical care of about 1750 patients from all walks of life; I am very proud of the improvements in patient care I initiated.