I was born and raised in southern Illinois; yes, there is a whole state below Chicago. My mother was an operating room nurse and I used to love the stories she had about interesting cases and knew I also wanted to pursue a career in health care. My first job was as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens at the age of 16. I believe this gave me a strong foundation in medication prescribing and potential side effects. Although I was accepted into pharmacy school, I decided not to go because I wanted to achieve my childhood goal of playing soccer in college. I attended Elmhurst College and played Division 3 soccer while working as a pharmacy technician. While doing my pre-requisites, a pharmacist highly encouraged me to pursue a different career path as I was “too much of a people person to stand behind a pharmacy counter”. With that advice, I changed to pre-med. However, I soon realized I desired the ability to work in multiple areas of medicine rather than limit myself to one field. It was at that point that I learned about Physician Assistants. The idea of having the flexibility to change specialties at any time really appealed to me. I also desired the ability to be trained in all fields of medicine and work under a variety of collaborating physicians. I graduated Elmhurst College with a major in Biology and minor in Chemistry. I continued to work as a pharmacy technician as well as a phlebotomist for 2 years to gain confidence in developing interpersonal skills with patients in a hospital setting. I am firmly convinced that a successful career in health care takes more than a prestigious degree program or hands-on training. I graduated from South University in Tampa in 2013 with a Masters of Medical Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies. This is where I met my husband, who is also a practicing Physician Assistant.
After graduation, I worked in an Internal Medicine Practice in Clearwater for 2 years before we decided to move to Fort Lauderdale for my husband’s job. In South Florida, I began working in a practice that was geared towards the addiction community. I worked with people struggling with addiction and felt immense satisfaction helping my patients get sober and remain clean. As a consequence of working in this type of setting, I also became very proficient in Psychiatric Medicine as it is common for people with underlying mental illness to also have addictive behaviors. I worked closely with many treatment centers and I now feel very comfortable in my ability to help those who struggle with mental health issues and addiction. Eventually, I left that practice to go back to my original passion for Internal Medicine. In a primary care setting, I am at the front line of a diverse variety of conditions. I have a passion for office-based procedures. I am also a firm believer in preventive medicine.
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Moraes in March 2019, and after learning his unique practice, I knew this was a perfect fit. I have seen clinically the benefits of being able to offer our patients the diverse approach of traditional and non-traditional care rather than a cookie cutter approach. I am energetic and passionate about the needs of my patients. I have a positive attitude and I am always available for those who entrust me with their care. I have built a wealth of experience in women’s health, hormone replacement therapy, weight management, liver health (including treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C), preventive medicine, and urgent care. My patients like that I offer routine Pap smears in our office. I not only offer integrative medicine to my patients, I also incorporate it in my life and that of my family. My parents who currently live in St. Louis, are patients in this practice because I truly believe that what we do here is important and rarely found in a typical insurance based medical practice. I give my patients the time they need to communicate their concerns and understand their treatment options. The blood testing we offer in our practice is extremely detailed and unlike any most patients have had prior to coming into this practice. I am constantly striving to learn as much as I can in order to better the lives of those I care for. Health care should be individualized, and I want each of my patients to know that they are unique and their treatment will be exclusive. You may have heard the terms peptide therapy, hormone pellets, natural thyroid, intermittent fasting, functional medicine, MTHFR, APO E, pharmacogenetics, hCG diet, and DNA testing for weight managment. If you are curious to know if any of these things are right for you, I am happy to help you navigate the complexities of 21st century medicine. I have a passion for what I do and I love sharing my knowledge and experience with others.
I live in Lighthouse Point with my husband and sheepadoodle. I enjoy kayaking, golfing, running, trying new restaurants, and traveling.
All Providers
