Robert Masao Itami, MD

Welcome to my Web page, part of Kaiser Permanente's effort to enable you to more actively participate in your care electronically. This site will allow you another avenue for contact with me and your medical care team, enable your access to most of your lab work and other portions of your medical record, renew your prescriptions, check appointments and access information about diseases that may affect you or your family. It will also give you an opportunity to get to know me better. I am pleased to be part of an excellent pediatric department and part of the entire Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Biography I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, home of the University of Michigan Wolverines, to which I continue to feel close ties. My undergraduate education was in biochemical engineering, providing me a unique perspective on my practice of medicine, although pediatric endocrinology is more closely related to engineering than you might imagine. My engineering background has also been helpful in my role as a physician lead for the electronic medical record project and my long-time involvement with the regional electronic privacy and security committee. Education continues to remain important to me, both my own and the education of medical students and residents in my field of expertise. I continue to volunteer as an assistant clinical professor at UCLA, and have had many students and residents join me in the evaluation of patients in my office. Photography and college sports, especially football, continue to be central to my non-medically related activities. About my practice Educating my patients to enable them to make appropriate health care decisions is central to my practice of pediatric endocrinology. It is important to me to address all of your individual needs and direct you to the most appropriate care for your condition. A team approach is especially useful for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes. A dietician and social worker will be involved in your care, in addition to my nursing staff. My team will also occasionally involve a medical student or resident from UCLA or the Kaiser Permanente residency program, as a component of their education. I am responsible for a large area geographically, including the east San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, Antelope Valley, and Bakersfield. Please feel free to use any of the available communication avenues (visit, phone, e-mail, regular mail) to communicate your questions and concerns to our office. How I thrive Thriving in all areas of life is important to me. A busy clinical practice, combined with my administrative responsibilities allows my professional side to thrive. Physical activity is another component of a healthy lifestyle. I try to incorporate brisk walks and stairs as an integral part of each work day. When I do get away from the office, I enjoy snow skiing. Lastly, I find attending educational conferences very stimulating intellectually, and attend several national conferences each year.