Stephen Eisenberg, MD

Bio

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. and lived with my parents and younger brother, David. I attended college in East Orange, N.J., then graduated from The Chicago Medical School in 1968. I moved to Los Angeles, California in 1972.

I was in private practice in Southern California for 15 years, with some time spent at an imaging center in Santa Monica and then later at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills. My wife and I decided to move our family to northern California after our daughter Amanda was born. We were looking for a small town in a safe and secure environment that would be a nice place to raise a family and have a strong sense of community. We visited Santa Rosa after a colleague strongly recommended it. We liked Santa Rosa immediately and Kaiser Permanente's type of practice.

There is a big difference being at Kaiser Permanente vs. private practice. Kaiser Permanente allows me to concentrate on taking care of patients, first and foremost, and to spend all of my energy in that regard. It provides me with the best imaging modalities and information technology that is fully interconnected between different facilities and cities, so that essential information about patients is always at my fingertips.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

I took physiology in college and became fascinated with the way the human body functions, or doesn't at times, which led to a career in medicine. I was going to become a cardiologist and had started an Internal Medicine Residency but found myself drawn to Radiology. The process of doing diagnostic studies, putting the pieces of the puzzle together, and making the correct diagnosis became more and more challenging to me. The more I thought about it, the more exciting Radiology became, and so I switched fields.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

Radiology allows me to work and do examinations in all branches of medicine, without limiting me to one special field. The technological advances in imaging are progressing rapidly, and the changes are just amazing. I feel lucky to be in Radiology, especially at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa.

Great health resources that I refer to:

Interests

Currently reading:
Sleep No More, by Greg Iles

My favorite book or author:
Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein

Great movie:
March of the Penguins

Hobby Photos & Links:

dahlia from my garden

Bottles at local winery

Family & Friends

People in my life:

My wife, Jennifer, is a stage manager and worked in Los Angeles at ABC on General Hospital, Family Feud, Welcome Back Kotter and the Academy Awards. Jennifer and my daughter, Amanda, used to deliver cookies and balloons to patients at Kaiser Permanente when Amanda was younger, bringing smiles to the patients' faces. Now Jennifer manages an art exchange program, bringing paintings done by students at Rincon Valley Middle School to the walls of Medical Imaging.

My children and people I care about:

My son, Marc, lives with his wife Melissa in Oakland. After working odd jobs after his college experience, he found the culinary arts to be his passion. He attended the California Culinary Academy and now works as a sous chef at a restaurant in Oakland . His wife Melissa is a lawyer and works in the city.

My daughter, Amanda, is in her junior year at Chapman University in Orange, Ca, majoring in graphic design .She has a great gift as a writer, and it was with joy and pride that I watched her give a speech at her high school graduation. She is a caring and loving person and has a zest for life. She's a terrific kid.

Photos of my Family & Friends:

Jennifer and Amanda

Jennifer, Amanda and me

Marc,Amanda and me at her graduation

Mickey -- Toy Poodle mix

Pet Photos:

Minnie and Mickey

Travel

An adventure I've had:

I took a digital photography course in San Francisco three years ago. The class walked around the city for three days enjoying many photographic opportunities. Later our photos were printed and critiqued. I learned a lot about digital photography during that course when it was still in its infancy.

Favorite place in the world:

For the past five summers we have rented a beach house in Seal Beach in Southern California. We have family reunions, barbecues, and lots of fun. It is the most relaxing and calming vacation I have ever experienced. Within ten minutes of seeing and hearing the ocean, I am at peace.

One of my recent trips:

My wife joined me on a Radiology course in Florence, Italy a few years ago. While I attended conferences she visited galleries, yarn stores, and boutiques. We enjoyed wonderful meals, tours, taking pictures and spending time together.

A Photo of One of My Favorite Places:

at the beach

Trip Photos:

Florence Italy

Ponte Vecchio

Jennifer in Florence