Regina Sullivan, MD, MBA, CPE, FACOG

	Joined Dec, 2008 Department: Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) [Map] Title: Physician Degree: MD, MBA, CPE Interests: Travel, Reading, Music including Classical, Gourmet Food, Martial Arts, Dance, Movies and Theater Physician Homepage
Bio My interest in medicine began at an early age. My aunt was a midwife/herbalist who often would use traditional herbs and natural medicines and even massage to care for her patients. My uncle was a Cambridge-trained physician, who used modern medicine to treat his patients. Both methods were so different, and yet the outcomes similar. I was amazed at the diversity of pattern but unity of function. Around age 7, I decided to become a doctor. My family moved to Switzerland where I attended the American International School in Zurich. My high school years were quite special. Skiing in the Alps, jogging near Lake Zurich, and shopping in Banhofstrasse were just some of the great memories I have of growing up. Attending the American International School of Zurich was like being in a mini-United Nations. Graduation was bittersweet. I came to the USA and attended the College of Wooster, in Wooster, Ohio (a quaint, picturesque farming community) where I graduated with a degree in chemistry. After graduation, I traded the bucolic Ohio countryside of Wooster for the more fast paced, urban landscape of New Jersey and began that amazing journey through medical school. The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) enabled me to train with some of the finest professors of medicine, including my Chair, Dr. Gerson Weiss, who later became Chair of the American Board of OB-GYN.
My Medical Specialty
More details about my specialty: The amazing precision and split-second decision-making of the surgeon appealed to me immediately. Perhaps all those Swiss watches and on-time trains in Zurich rubbed off on my psycheâ€™. Obstetrics resonated because you provide care for patients during the most important and incredible times of their lives â€“their pregnancy. And the subsequent delivery â€“ wow! Even now, after delivering babies in practice for 10 years, every birth is as awesome an experience as the first. So for me, having the tools of the gynecologic surgeon, the office hours of the trusted family physician who cares for their patient throughout their lifetime and delivering their babies too is just about the best medical career ever â€“ really the best of all worlds. My residency years were spent in Brooklyn, NY at Brookdale University Hospital. It seemed I worked â€˜round the clock, but the diverse population provided a rich and rewarding learning experience. I was lucky to have some very special and gifted mentors in residency. Like a sponge, I soaked up as much knowledge as possible from everywhere, including my patients. My specialty interests and affiliations within my field: I truly enjoy discussing healthy lifestyle choices with my patients. We are often so immersed in our own hectic day to day lives, we lose sight of the truly important opportunities we have for living full and rewarding lives. By making balanced and healthful life choices, we keep our mind and body strong to face lifeâ€™s challenges. As women, we often juggle so many tasks we need a solid foundation for ourselves and our families. Diet, exercise, stress-reduction are three tools everyone needs to incorporate and make a priority for living. Great health resources that I refer to: The ACOG Website is great resource tool for patients in addition to all we have on our Kaiser website. An interesting story from my training: One of my earliest ob-gyn residency experiences was assisting in the delivery of triplets. Wow - was that a learning experience!	Photos from My Training Years or of Practicing Medicine in My Field: The ocean's a perfect stress reducer
Interests
Reading is probably my major pastime. I gobble up books. My husband recently bought me an electronic book as a present because he was tired of waiting for me to choose something new at the bookstore. Iâ€™m currently reading Secrets of the People Whisperer by Perry Wood. Iâ€™ve been practicing mixed martial arts for a few years now. I made it through one kickboxing competition, and am currently testing for my Black belt. My kids take Karate as well. Brendan earned his black belt at 8 years old. Tara is doing well too, but less interested in martial arts than Brendan. Mentoring is very important to me. I try to find opportunities to speak and counsel my young patients about the importance of education and setting important life-goals that take solid effort to strive for success. The popular media sends so many negative messages to our youth today, and I think itâ€™s very important we (especially as physicians) do our part to talk to our young people and encourage them to higher standards in education and careers. Great movie: I love a variety of movies - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon	Hobby Photos & Links: Beautiful Cherry Blossoms, sure sign of spring Physician Homepage
Family & Friends
People in my life: I live in Sonoma County with my husband of 22 years and my two wonderful children, Brendan, age 12 and Tara, age 8. In addition to Karate, cycling, basketball, classical piano and great food are some of the diverse interests we share.	Hugs Tara making a fashion statement Brendan wearing his Black Belt
	Pet Photos: My Pet Panda (still lives in China - ha!)
Travel
An adventure I've had: I love to travel. The more distant and exotic the location, the better I like it. In 2005, I visited China and Tibet as part of a physician delegation. In Tibet, I was given honorary Staff Privileges at The Peoples Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibet has to be second only to Sonoma County as a most amazing place on earth.	Travel Photos: An awesome view of Tibet A Photo of One of My Favorite Places: A recent visit to Niagara Falls