Dr. Susan C Hattori-Oyama, MD

I have had a rather long and varied association with Kaiser Permanente. By a stroke of good fortune back around 1975, I chose an entry level union job as an accounting clerk in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Regional Business Offices. Nine months later, I was promoted to a full-time assistant data researcher position in the Department of Economics and Statistics. For a high school grad with little college education at the time, this was a tremendous opportunity. My team worked to forecast health plan membership and dues revenue, providing the basis for all other planning efforts aimed to meet projected medical demands. I became intrigued with the concept of prepaid health coverage and Kaiser's vision of a health maintenance organization. This early experience instilled in me a desire to make a life-long career at Kaiser Permanente. And indeed I did.

After a couple college courses at UCLA extension paid for by Kaiser Permanente, I was encouraged to return to school …full-time. I continued with part-time work at Kaiser Permanente getting a taste of the outpatient clinical side of health care as a receptionist and medical transcriptionist in the Psychiatry Department. After graduating UCLA, I took a "leave" from Kaiser Permanente to attend medical school, and then I came back as a radiology resident at the Los Angeles Kaiser Medical Center. Following advanced fellowship training at USC, I returned to Kaiser Permanente for a third time, this time to join The Permanente Mecial Group where I have made my home as a board certified radiologist. I have since enjoyed practicing radiology at multiple Kaiser bay area locations, including Walnut Creek, Martinez, Pleasanton, Antioch, Vallejo, Vacaville, Fairfield and Napa.

My professional career as a radiologist has been most fulfilling. In 1992, I started up a brand new state-of-the-art MRI service at Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek, and headed that section until 1999. The specialty of Radiology is highly driven by technology, and the tools of our trade, such as mammography, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, greatly enhance the ability to detect and diagnose disease. The technical aspects of medical imaging and medical informatics have always been a special interest of mine. I have been the recipient of several innovation grants which have enabled me to develop programs using technology to enhance operations in the Radiology Department. I served as Associate Chief for the Diablo Service Area Radiology Department for several years, working with management to transition the department to a filmless digital environment. I am currently active in this same capacity for the Napa-Solano Service Area. This amazing technology enables your doctor to view your medical images from any location in the Kaiser Permanente network, regardless of where it was taken!

I am indebted to Kaiser Permanente for nearly three decades of employment! I have had the unique opportunity to view this health care practice model from multiple perspectives, not only as a physician, but even as a birthing mother and a hospital patient! I am humbled by the excellence of my colleagues and proud to be part of a winning team for the long haul, dedicated to providing high quality, affordable health care to this community. I truly believe in the mission and vision of Kaiser Permanente. Welcome to Kaiser! May you live long and thrive!

I enjoy gardening, bike-riding and following my son's music career. I especially cherish time with my family and my church.