Carlos Garcia, MD

Bio

I have been in family practice for almost ten years and recently joined the Kaiser Permanente Family Practice Group in September, 2003. I was raised in Southern California and attended Medical School at UCLA. I moved to Northern California and completed my residency training at Community Hospital Family Practice Program in Santa Rosa.

My practice philosophy includes teaching my patients to be able to make better health decisions and take a more active role in their healthcare. I believe in forming a partnership that will promote a healthier lifestyle, prevent disease and allow my patients to be more responsible for their health. I enjoy taking care of the whole family and have special interests in pediatric, adolescent healthcare and sports medicine. I am fluent in Spanish and able to deal with cultural concerns and beliefs.

In my time off I enjoy spending time with my family which includes two energetic boys and my wonderful wife who is a family physician as well. I like the great outdoors and take pleasure in gardening/landscaping and try to stay active by playing basketball and softball. We enjoy taking daytrips to local state parks and learning more about our wonderful community. My boys keep me busy with swimming lessons, soccer, baseball and skiing. Other passions include teaching resident physicians and mentoring in high school programs. Future endeavors may include improving my golf game and getting into landscape photography.


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He practicado medicina familiar por diez anos y soy un nuevo doctor con Kaiser Permanente. Obtuve mi educacion en la escuela medica de UCLA. Me entrene en la residencia de practica familiar en el hospital de la communidad de Santa Rosa.

Me encanta ver toda la familia y me interesa mucho el cuidado de los ninos y adolecentes. Me gusta educar mis pacientes para que tengan mejor salud. Con mi lenguaje en espanol, espero servir la poblacion latina y todas sus costumbres.

En mi tiempo libre juego con mis dos ninos y paso el tiempo en el jardin. Mi gran esposa tambien es doctora familiar. Nos gusta pasar el tiempo afuera, visitando parques de la comunidad. Me gusta ayudar a los estudiantes en la prepa y ensenar a los doctores en entrenamiento.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

Family practice encompasses all the great things about being a doctor for me: I get to meet the whole family, from baby Johnny to Grandma.

Prevention and education is a big part of what I do.

I am able to formalize long-lasting and trusting relationships with my patients.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

I enjoy taking care of children and adolescents but at the same time take care of the whole family. It is interesting to see how family dynamics play a role in how individual patients relate to health care.

The healthcare delivery system to our Spanish-speaking population is another area that I spend a lot of energy on.
(See below)

Current projects or research:

I am currently working on a task force to improve healthcare access for our Spanish-speaking population. As a Spanish-speaking Latino doctor, I feel this is important and am pleased to be involved. Hopefully, with the help of some great staff we have here, we can make some changes.

Great health resources that I refer to:

I like to stay current on new medications/treatments and techniques. Sometimes it is difficult to decide what resources to use. I use all avenues but mostly have a set number of journals/articles that I keep up with. For urgent questions, the internet is my best friend.

An interesting story from my training:

During my second year of Family Practice training, I had the opportunity to visit Dominican Republic. My wife and I visited many clinics and saw first hand the lack of resources. Patients' families had to buy medicines/supplies and devices before treatments could be administered.

During my third year, we visited Japan and became aware of many cultural differences. For instance, certain diagnoses, such as cancers, were only discussed with family members. It was up to them to relay the information, if they wished, to the patient. It is believed that such news will interfere with their fighting spirit.

Interests

Currently reading:
Founding Fathers, Malcolm X, House Calls

My favorite book or author:
Edgar Allen Poe, Isabel Allende

Great movie:
Mostly kid movies at this time.

Hobby Photos & Links:

Landscaping and thriving

Exploring the great outdoors on a steam train.

Family & Friends

People in my life:

My wife is my best friend and one of the most caring people I know. She is a dedicated mother and a great family physician as well. We made an effort though, not to work in same environment, it is healthier that way.

My children and people I care about:

I have two wonderful boys full of energy. Between T-ball, swimming, soccer and school, we have all we can handle. They are a joy. My favorite time of the year is Christmas and seeing their eyes light up.

Unfortunately, we lost our dog of 9 years in Thanksgiving 2004. She was almost 15 years old and was the sweetest dog ever. Her name was Kinu-Shira, which means white silk in Japanese. She was a fluffy white Samoyed.

Travel

An adventure I've had:

Early in my medical career, I had the opportunity to visit Japan and learn about their medical system. I also learned a lot about their interesting culture and saw many fascinating sites. The history behind the temples in Kyoto is amazing. Someday I hope to take my kids back and share the experience.

Favorite place in the world:

I have not traveled enough around the world to say I have a favorite place. However, I enjoy most visiting historic small towns, especially in Latin America and my country of origin, Mexico. It is amazing sometimes how the traditions and culture have not changed much in hundreds of years.

One of my recent trips:

I recently took a trip to Yosemite with my family. My two young boys were in awe of all the waterfalls and the wilderness. They asked many questions and thanked me for bringing them there. It made me realize how wonderful fatherhood is and how much influence we have on our children.

A Photo of One of My Favorite Places:

Monumento de la sirena (mermaid) in historic Mazatlan, Mexico.

Trip Photos:

The awesome sites of Yosemite.

Yosemite in all its splendor.

Other Links & Photos