Daniel Penn, MD

Bio

I grew up in Silver Spring, MD, a suburb of Washington, D.C. I left home for school and then spent 9 years living in the South, both in Atlanta, GA and in Nashville, TN. Since then, my medical career has provided me the opportunity to also live in Denver, CO, Ann Arbor, MI, and now here in Santa Rosa. Of all the places I've lived, this one is by far the best!

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

I entered medical school with both a pre-medical education and a graduate degree in computer science. By my 4th year of medical school, I realized I really liked all facets of clinical medicine but also clung to my technical background in computers. Diagnostic imaging was a perfect fit! As a radiologist, I interact primarily with other physicians to provide interpretations of all varieties of medical images, including radiographs (aka, "x-rays"), CT scans, ultrasound, and MRI.

Technological advancements in the past 20 years have made medical imaging increasingly important for both diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of medical and surgical disease. As a board-certified Radiologist, my goals include:

1. Ensuring that patients get the most appropriate imaging tests they need, and,
2. Providing high quality medical imaging interpretation and consultation for Kaiser Permanente providers and patients.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

Primary specialty interests:
1. cross-sectional imaging such as MRI and CT
2. imaging-guided procedures such as biopsies and catheter placements

Professional society memberships:
American College of Radiology
Radiologic Society of North America
American Roentgen Ray Society
California Radiologic Association

Current projects or research:

Our radiologists here at Santa Rosa interpret cases not only from Kaiser Santa Rosa, but also from other Kaiser facilities in Northern California.

We have a brand new imaging Department opening at the new Medical Office Building on Old Redwood Highway. We'll be up and running by mid-January 2008.

Great health resources that I refer to:

American College of Radiology website: www.ACR.org

Photos from My Training Years or of Practicing Medicine in My Field:

Vanderbilt Medical School graduation, 1998

Interests

Currently reading:
"Heat" by Bill Burlson

My favorite book or author:
Author: Tom Robbins

Great movie:
The Muppets Wizard of Oz

Hobby Photos & Links:

Leslie, a quarter horse

Uno, a Missouri Fox Trotter

hiking at Crater Lake, Oregon

Missouri Fox Trotter Horse Breed Association

Family & Friends

People in my life:

The most important person in my life is my wife, Esther. We were married in April 1998, after completing 4 years of medical school together. She is an Ophthalmologist.

My children and people I care about:

My brother, Gary, is my only sibling. We have been very close ever since growing up together in Silver Spring, MD. He currently lives and works in Orange County, CA.

An interesting story about my family or friends:

We've recently discovered that our goats and horses love watermelon rind, plums, and tomatoes. I discovered one of the goats sticking his neck through our fence and eating our tomato plants this summer.

Photos of my Family & Friends:

Vanderbilt Medical School graduation, 1998

My brother and I hiking in Topanga Canyon

2 cats: Tabriz (a Maine Coon) and Sonoma (a gray-striped, wild beast)

1 horse: Uno (a Missouri Fox Trotter)

2 goats: Sierra & Nevada

Pet Photos:

My cat, Sonoma, a wild beast

My Maine Coon cat, Tabriz

Travel

An adventure I've had:

Backpacked through central Europe for 3 weeks with my brother, just before starting medical school.

Favorite place in the world:

Right here in Sonoma County, California. After living all over the USA and traveling both in and out of this country, I feel confident this is the best place to live on earth.

One of my recent trips:

This past May, my wife and I when on a "Yoga and Spiritual Tour" of Bali, in Indonesia. We were fortunate enough to be able to participate in some traditional Balinese religious ceremonies. The Balinese have a beautiful culture.