Dr. Peter Pingsum Chau, MD

Prior to becoming a physician, I was a registered physical therapist. It was an extremely rewarding career but I wanted to broaden my horizon in the health care arena.

I chose emergency medicine because we help people at times of stress and crises. It is gratifying to be able to provide physical and emotional care for people in need. In addition, there is plenty of excitement at work. There is hardly a dull moment in the emergency room. Due to the wide variety of conditions we encounter, I am challenged to keep up with the developments in many aspects of medicine.

For certain complex and advanced cases, consultants are needed to contribute to the successful treatment of the patients. Kaiser Permanente is a very large and supportive organization. Emergency physicians here are more likely to find the right consultants for the patients than in some other community hospital emergency systems. Moreover, the primary practice physicians of Kaiser Permanente are willing to provide prompt …follow-up care for the patients.

Besides being an emergency physician, I have had several other professional interests. I served as administrator for other physician groups and as a medical expert for a number of civil and criminal cases. I am a Certified Medical Review Officer for drug testing and have worked as a part-time occupational medicine physician.