Tom has always had an interest in issues of social justice and of equality for all people.  From a young age, he appreciated that the world was so much bigger and more diverse than where he grew up.  He developed a keen interest in learning about other peoples, languages, and cultures.  He realized that there was so much to learn from other peoples’ perspectives.  Tom always wondered why the bounty of America could not be shared with people who were not fortunate enough to be born in this country.

Issues of health care disparity were of particular interest to Tom.  When doing his undergraduate work at Princeton University, he studied various models of health care delivery systems practiced around the world.  He attempted to understand the vagaries of health care insurance and the need to cover people with pre-existing conditions.  He realized that many people, who, through no fault of their own, developed a chronic illness which was unfortunately often excluded from insurance coverage.

Tom went on to medical school, graduating in 1978, and developed an interest in Internal Medicine.  After completing his fellowship in Rheumatology at Stanford University in 1983, Tom joined the staff at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara as Chairman of the Rheumatology Department, a position he held until his retirement in 2016.  Throughout his 33 years on staff, he maintained his academic affiliation with Stanford University, where he still teaches on a weekly basis.

During his years of practice, Tom also participated on several committees dealing with Quality Assurance, Patient Utilization, Member Services, and Resident and Staff Education.  He realized early in his career that continuing education was so very important to expand one’s horizons and to keep abreast of important issues.

It is with this perspective that Tom was introduced to Dana Le’s wonderful organization, Seeds of Love Worldwide.  Tom was so impressed that this organization is dedicated to providing a valuable education to young third world students who would otherwise be incapable of affording one.  Her mission is truly admirable and Tom feels blessed to have been given an opportunity to assist her in whatever ways he can.