Roger Turk, MD

Bio

I have been a physician in the Family Medicine Department at Kaiser Santa Rosa since 1999. My professional function here is to provide primary medical care to my panel of patients. This is something I really enjoy doing. Thankfully, the resources, staff and facilities here create an environment where I can practice high quality medicine to the benefit of my patients.

I was born in San Francisco and consider the Bay Area my home. However, I did live overseas with my family for a good part of my childhood in Australia, New Guinea and South Africa. My experiences living in other cultural settings definitely influenced my personality and ability to relate to people. I attended UC Berkeley for my undergraduate training and remain a diehard Bears fan. After college I traveled east to go to medical school and subsequently a family practice residency in the Philadelphia area. After completing my residency, my wife and I started looking for a place to settle down. We both fell in love with Sonoma County. I was fortunate to find a position here in the Family Medicine Department, and we have settled here quite nicely. Our family has grown by two daughters, Zoe and Phoebe, since then.

As a family physician here in Santa Rosa, I have the opportunity to care for people of all ages, from birth until death. Helping my patients maintain health is my primary goal. Equally important is caring for the sick, and my specialist colleagues are available to help me manage their care when needed.

Please take some time to explore this website and the material available on http://kaiserpermanente.org/. I try to keep things updated on my website with current topics and items of interest to my patients. The on line appointment booking and prescription refills are very convenient and I encourage you to try them out.

Here's to your health.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

Family medicine is my chosen specialty. We family docs are trained in general medical, or primary care. Our focus is on maintaining health as well as curing the sick. Our vision is unique in that we often care for several members of the same family and this can provide important insights into the factors affecting health.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

I have special training in taking care of HIV positive patients. The HIV Team staff is available to help coordinate their care with me.

Current projects or research:

There is lots of construction going on around the facility. This will ultimately improve services, make the parking better, and expand the hospital, but it will be a bit disruptive for a while.

Great health resources that I refer to:

http://familydoctor.org/
http://www.babycenter.com/

An interesting story from my training:

I knew I wanted to be a family doctor when in the same day, I delivered a baby and cared for a dying man who had pneumonia. The opportunity to care for people across the life span is very rewarding.

Interests

Currently reading:
Make Way for Ducklings

My favorite book or author:
Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49

Great movie:
Bee Movie

Hobby Photos & Links:

Modern Art Museum in Minneapolis

copious recipes
Sonoma county trail-related links

Family & Friends

People in my life:

My wife, Molly, was a secondary English teacher for ten years; she is now staying home to care for our daughters.

My children and people I care about:

Zoe and Phoebe keep us very busy, and full of joy.

An interesting story about my family or friends:

Zoe really likes the beach

Photos of my Family & Friends:

Molly and the girls

Phoebe learning to paint

Zoe on Ocean Beach

We have one cat, Lucy.

Pet Photos:

Lucy the Russian Blue

Travel

An adventure I've had:

Animal watching as a boy in South Africa was always very exciting.

Favorite place in the world:

San Francisco, the place of my birth, is the most beautiful city in the world and my favorite place.

One of my recent trips:

My family and I go to the Jersey shore every summer to spend time with my in-laws on the beach. It was hot and humid, but you can swim in the ocean.

Travel Photos:

Zebras at a watering hole

A Photo of One of My Favorite Places:

The windy bay

Trip Photos:

The Jersey shore at dusk