Ronald Welch, MD

	Joined Nov, 1980 Department: Psychiatry (Adult) [Map] Title: Physician Degree: MD Interests: Running, classical music (especially early music), SF Giants baseball, reading (history; political & religious philosophy; evolution), cooking, bridge (I wish I had time to play), and travel (where I can take long walks). Languages: English (only) Physician Homepage
Bio My life has provided a continuing lesson for me that wonderful things can happen despite both my best laid plans and original motives. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and originally wanted to be an astronomer despite the fact one cannot see stars from where I lived. In college I eventually settled on physics for my major. There were still nerds before the era of computers and I was one of them. Sadly, it was also the era of the Vietnam War, the draft and a sometimes violently divided nation. I confess that I originally chose to enter Medical School because, for me, it was the only legal way to avoid being drafted into the Army. It was the most fortunate decision I ever made, opening a whole new world to me. I became eager to learn the science and the art of working to help people confront their suffering and strive to live full, vibrant lives. I originally wanted to be a Family Physician, but chose Psychiatry for my additional training because I didn't want to stay up every third night, all night, and risk not being at my best to care for my patients. I wasn't sure I'd like being a Psychiatrist at first, but during my Child Psychiatry fellowship in Los Angeles, I had terrific training and learned that I enjoyed working with families. I was encouraged to be creative in my work and I started to feel for the first time that I could make this my life's career. When I finished my training I looked for jobs in the Bay Area because I loved SF when I visited years before and because my wife's sister lives here. By an incredible stroke of luck, Kaiser Permanente was just beginning to open medical offices in Santa Rosa and I was selected to be the first member of the Psychiatry Department. I originally "knew" I'd have a solo private practice someday, but 25 years later, I have a "private practice" with the largest, most diversified and integrated medical program in the country. I certainly hope that my patients see me as their doctor, yet I know I have a tremendous network for support. I love working with colleagues in my department and within our facility who bring skills, energy and dedication to creating and delivering a wide variety of programs and treatment opportunities to our members. My other medical colleagues are available with a simple phone call to help me and my patients when needed. Most importantly (and historically not always true), our organization is dedicated, and at some risk, to become the best provider of health care in the world and a model for the future. I've never been more excited to work here.
My Medical Specialty
More details about my specialty: Once I settled upon Psychiatry as my career, I have never regretted it. I am continually privileged to have people trust me enough to tell me their stories, share details of their misfortunes, admit their mistakes and otherwise reveal themselves to me. There's no question that I have learned more from my patients than I have from any book or journal, and I rely upon what I've learned to, hopefully, give back to my patients the collected wisdom I hope I have gained. My specialty interests and affiliations within my field: During my career I have had many opportunities to expand my scope of knowledge. In addition to the general practice of psychiatry, a few of the areas I feel I have something to offer include: Attention Deficit Disorders in Adults Chronic Pain Interaction between Medical and Psychiatric Disease Current projects or research: I give a talk on the medical aspects of Attention Deficit Disorder to our members in the class given through our Health Education department, as well as at other professional teaching settings. I have been fortunate to serve as consultant to our medical center's Chronic Pain program for many years and have learned a lot from their multi-specialty approach to care. Great health resources that I refer to: My favorite website for medical information (aside from our own website) is Medscape, a resource for both physicians and others (www.medscape.com). I read many of my own professional (Psychiatry) journals regularly, but also subscribe to the New England Journal of Medicine, arguably the foremost medical journal in the US (www. nejm.org). An interesting story from my training: I went to medical school in NYC and was quite intimidated by the high pressure atmosphere and competitiveness of my colleagues. When we gathered to discuss patients on rounds, we were expected to quote from the most recent journals to discuss aspects of the care of patients we were treating. I brought this mental attitude to San Francisco, but was changed forever when, after presenting to one particularly wise physician and teacher, he calmly chided me by saying, "that's all well and good, but what about your patient?" He reminded me that, first and foremost, everything I do should flow first from my knowledge of who my patient is. I hope I have never forgotten that when seeing my patients.
Interests
An article in the newspaper caught my eye in 2001 about running with walking breaks. I had tried running/jogging many times in my life, but always would stop after getting some kind of nagging pain or injury. Here was a method that promised a lower risk of injury and also made such good sense. In my 30's I figured running fast was the goal. In my 50's I realize that enjoying the view and simply finishing are truly worthy goals in themselves. Once I started doing this I found I could also go farther (if much slower) than I could when I was younger. My father died (too young at 76) in 2001 and I dedicated my first marathon to his memory. I have since completed one other marathon (NYC in 2003) and ran the SF half-marathon (July, 2005). I run in the back of the pack and am thrilled to be there with others, many of whom have overcome tremendous obstacles to achieve this goal. I have run with blind people (tethered by rope to guides on the course), people with prosthetic legs, a 93-year-old man who started running at age 81, and many others. I owe my continued dedication to them. I have been enriched by these experiences and hope I have learned that whatever I've been given by way of talent, challenges and so forth, it is my character that greatly determines the quality of life I choose to live. I hope I can learn by the examples of those with whom I have run. Currently reading: American Creation by Joseph Ellis My favorite book or author: Stephen Jay Gould's monthly columns on evolution, history and the history of science kept me enthralled for 25 years. His articles from Natural History magazine are collected in ten volumes. Great movie: Bridge on the River Kwai; On the Waterfront; Pride and Prejudice (Keira Knightley); Lord of the Rings Trilogy	Hobby Photos & Links: Finishing the NYC marathon: 11/2/03 Jeff Galloway has publicized the walk-break method of running and has a website where you can access his newsletter and get training information. I have downloaded and listened to numerous courses in history and the history of music by this company. I listen in my car and makes the commute engaging and enjoyable.
Family & Friends
People in my life: I have been married for 30 years and have two sons. My wife is a classically trained musician and also performs with several chamber groups. She has a keen interest in international streams of folk music, attends music camps yearly and plays with different groups of musicians to build her skills. She has also been learning Italian for several years, including travel to Italy, so that if we ever go abroad at least one of us can communicate with the local population. My children and people I care about: My older son works in a large pathology laboratory, wants to study immunology and may pursue a career in medicine eventually. He is married and lives in Salt Lake City. My younger son is a senior at the University of Southern California, with a major in Cinema Production and a minor in Video Game Design. He'd like to write and direct feature films. An interesting story about my family or friends: There's a Woody Allen movie in which his fictional parents argue about which ocean is "better," the Atlantic or Pacific. Sure enough, on my parents' first outing to San Francisco, upon showing them the Golden Gate Bridge, I heard in detail why the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in NYC is a "better" bridge. Life does imitate art!	Photos of my Family & Friends: Recent exchange student (Cristina: Italy)
My pets: When we moved to Santa Rosa we acquired a brother and sister pair of cats who got along beautifully. Ever since, when a cat died in our household there seemed to be a "vacancy" sign posted and stray cats interviewed us for suitability. Our last in this line of cats died recently and we have an empty "den" for the first time. After we do some travelling we will start over by adopting a pair of kittens again.	Pet Photos: Dearly departed feline
Travel
An adventure I've had: After finishing my training and before starting my career here in Santa Rosa, my wife and I spent nearly two and a half months traveling in India. We were blessed to be able to stay with several families along the way, while also having long stretches to explore on our own. While there I developed a greater appreciation for the values of honoring family, and the advantages and challenges existing in our individual-first culture as contrasted with a family-first culture. I also read many religious texts and experienced a way of living a religious life that is very different than in the West. Favorite place in the world: I have no specific favorite place in the world. My favorite place at a given time reflects more my mood and needs at the time. Generally, Sonoma County for me is the best place in the world. My family, friends, and colleagues are here; the weather is beautiful; there are so many different micro-climates and ecosystems in such a small area. If I didn't go to work every day, I probably wouldn't even mind the traffic. There are times I want a huge helping of "culture," as can be experienced in NYC, London or Paris. Or maybe I'd like to fatten up in Italy, home of my favorite cuisine. There are times I'd love to be in Hawaii, at the shore, just in shorts, reading and listening to the waves. There are times I'd love to be in Japan, experiencing a completely different culture and not being able to easily communicate so I have to adapt to the world into which I'm immersed. When my younger son and I visited New Zealand I came to love that country's natural beauty, honest and friendly people and the fact that an English speaking country can also be generally peaceful and peace loving. Finally, there are times I wish I were back in India, experiencing the smells and sights of a place that overwhelms the senses. One of my recent trips: For the past 20 years my family has gone to Ashland, Oregon for vacation. Home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland has a small town flavor and world class theater company. We usually see as many plays as we can during our stay. My Mom comes from Florida, and my children bring their friends. We usually rent a house there and immerse ourselves in theater. Now grown, my sons want to continue the tradition as a family and I am thrilled.	A Photo of One of My Favorite Places: Half Dome (Yosemite): April, 2005 (another favorite place) Outside Queenstown, NZ Trip Photos: