Dr. Urmila Ashok Shende, MD

As your physician, I value my relationship with you. And I know that maintaining a good relationship means being able to communicate with each other. My colleagues and I have developed My Doctor Online so that we can stay in touch more easily. Because the better connected we are, the healthier you are. Background I love taking care of children and teenagers. What I didn't realize when I went into pediatrics was how challenging and yet rewarding it can be. When I began my practice in 1998 in Sonoma County, my reasons for becoming a pediatrician were mostly because kids are just so darn cute, sweet and innocent. Since then, I have gone through many sleepless nights, ear infections, tantrums, picky eating phases, sibling rivalry, school problems and many more "issues" - with my own 2 boys and my patients. I understand how scared children can be when they are in the office, and know what helps to calm them down. And I can identify with the fear a parent feels when they are worried about their child's health - both when it is just a worry and a reality. I strive to treat my patients as if they were my own - and their parents as I myself would like to be treated. I feel that my children have given me my best training as a pediatrician, and continue to. But it is also the many shared experiences I have had with my patients (medical and personal) that continue to teach me about becoming a better pediatrician. It is very rewarding for me as a pediatrician to be able to help a young family navigate through the challenges of childhood and parenthood, and to educate them in laying a healthy and confident framework for their future. I feel a responsibility to advocate for a child when they have special needs. It is particularly gratifying for me to have my patients come to me when they are teenagers and to have their trust as well as that of their parents in helping them through their stormy periods, and in celebrating their successes. I have worked in the community in private practice for 10 years, but joined Kaiser Permanente in January of 2009. I decided to move to Kaiser Permanente because I feel it is a successful, efficient model, with wonderful resources that can be difficult to come by in the fragmented private insurance model. I have been honored by the many patients who decided to move to Kaiser Permanente with me. I earned my MD degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, then did my internship at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. I then finished my residency in 1997 at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, and stayed on as a chief resident and staff attending there for a year, before starting my practice in Santa Rosa in 1998 in the private community. My practice partner at Kaiser Permanente is Dr. Cindy Wu. We have a very similar practice style, and take care of each other's patients when one is not in the office as we both work part-time. We strive to ensure consistency in our patients' care, and we work very well together ! At the end of the day, especially a long, hard day, it is that sweet smile from a patient, or a cute story - which makes me remember why I became a pediatrician in the first place. Roles and Responsibilities Pediatricians take care of kids from birth until ~age 18. I have a particular interest in taking care of adolescents. I also enjoy teaching other doctors and am involved in teaching medical students and residents at Kaiser Permanente. I am on the Board of Directors of the 4C's (Community Child Care Council), an organization that strives to ensure quality preschool and child care for our community. I am a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Sonoma County Medical Association Current projects or research: Establishing a Teen Clinic at Kaiser Permanente, and improving preschool access and enrollment for our patients An interesting story from my training: When I was in my second year of residency, I remember starting my shift in the emergency room feeling perfectly fine. Within 2ho