Tim Hurley, MD

Bio

I can't remember when I didn't want to be a doctor. All through grade school and high school I had home science laboratories and made up all sorts of experiments. After high school I attended college at the University of Arizona in Tucson, braving the summer heat. Then I went to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco where I fell in love with everyone's favorite city and graduated in 1970. Next I moved to the East Coast for an Internal Medicine Residency at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

Then, to escape the heat of Arizona, I did my GI specialty training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota, where there are only two seasons, winter and the 4th of July. After finishing many years of training, I returned to the Bay Area for private practice in Marin County and later Petaluma for 23 years. Then, fed up with the paper work hassles of private practice, I came to work for Kaiser Permanente in 1999.

At last I could practice medicine with great colleagues, with a state-of-the-art computer system, in a setting where the focus was on getting my patients what they need. It's been a very welcome and satisfying change.

I am Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. I have many years of experience unraveling the mysteries of the things that can go wrong with the gastrointestinal system, doing upper GI endoscopy and everyone's favorite test, colonoscopy, as well as evaluating liver disease with liver biopsies.

Check out the links at the left for valuable patient oriented information about many gastrointestinal disorders, but be aware that not everything you read, even on an official-looking website is necessarily correct or up-to-date thinking. Nor does everything necessarily apply to you, the patient. Remember everyone is an individual and needs an individual approach. But these are good places to get good general information about many questions you may have.

My philosophy of medicine and life? If it bothers you, check it out. Fix what is fixable. If it can't be fixed, try to make the best of life with what you have, and try to have some fun along the way. Worry and anxiety cause way too many illnesses and make all of them worse, while a good attitude and sense of humor make even the difficult easier to bear.

I work with some great people in the GI department here. You can feel that you are in good hands with any of my colleagues, Dr. Permutt, Dr. Trahms, Dr. Pompa, Dr. Feng and Dr. Ruffner, if you need to see one of them when I'm not here. We have great nurses and assistants too.

We know that coming to the doctor, especially when you need something as touchy as a GI procedure or have a symptom that scares you, can be a frightening experience. But we all understand you have to put your trust in us, and everyone really wants to help fix what's not right for you.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

When I was an intern in San Francisco, I took care of a severely ill patient with liver disease one weekend. The GI consultant who was later called in to the case noticed what a good job I'd done (if I do say so myself) and suggested he could help get me into Mayo Clinic training for GI. I really enjoyed the diagnostic challenges of figuring out what the mysterious belly symptoms were trying to tell us.

Caring for my patients at Kaiser Permanente, with its great computer systems, fine colleagues both in my department and other specialties and freedom from bureaucratic involvement, has been a welcome change from my days in private practice.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

I have a special interest in liver problems, and do most of our department's liver biopsies. I hope you never need one, but if you do, we'll make it as easy for you as can be.

Great health resources that I refer to:

Check out the links to the left for good patient information resources. Also try Harvard's disease risk website at http://www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu Again, I caution you to remember, not everything you read on the internet is accurate, or will stay current as science moves along. And generalizations do not necessarily apply to you as an individual. Life and health are way more complex than can be summarized in a few sentences or pictures on the Net. Check things out with your doctor.

An interesting story from my training:

The Mayo Clinic was a unique place to train, a place where taking care of patients came first. It's where I really learned the importance of understanding what symptoms meant in the gastrointestinal physiology. A wise old professor there used to say, "Listen to the patient, they're trying to tell you the diagnosis."

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

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, Land of Winter and the 4th of July

GI Training at Mayo in the 1970s

Interests

Currently reading:
Big Box Swindle by Stacy Mitchell, about the impact of chain stores on communities

My favorite book or author:
books on history, politics, philosophy, gardening, environmentalism

Great movie:
Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

Hobby Photos & Links:

Coaxing Tomatoes and Corn to Grow in the Petaluma Fog

Thriving in Vermont, Hiking on the Rail Trail

Kaiser's programs to help develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Family & Friends

People in my life:

My wife of 39 years is an architectural historian and preservation expert and works for the State Parks system. She restored the 1903 Victorian house we live in.

My children and people I care about:

Our four children are all grown. And to my great joy, live nearby. They have very generously provided us with five wonderful grandchildren.

Photos of my Family & Friends:

On the Golden Gate Bridge Walk, 1986

A Fisherman is Only Lying When His Lips are moving. Fishing in Alaska

Our dog is a black lab, and I think labs can teach us a thing or two about life. She tells me her philosophy of life is, "What is, is, and what ain't, ain't worth worrying about." Words of wisdom from man's best friend.

Travel

An adventure I've had:

I love train travel. I have crossed the USA twice with my family and once with my wife alone. And we were all on the last train to cross Canada from Vancouver to Quebec. Give me some good books, a nice sleeping compartment and I can listen to the clickety-clack for days on end. Alas, the government doesn't share my love of long distance trains and seems to be shutting down Amtrak.

Favorite place in the world:

How can anyone live here and not say San Francisco is their favorite place? San Francisco is where I met my wife, where I've had my medical school adventures. I've raised my family in the Bay Area. Is there anyplace else with the natural beauty and restaurant treasure? My other favorite places are London where I asked my wife to marry me (she said yes) and New York City, easily the most exciting place on the planet.

One of my recent trips:

We made a trip in the summer of 2007 to watch two of our sons run in the Kaiser/Disneyland Half Marathon. They both did fine in a run through and around Disneyland. My wife and I are looking for a walking half marathon we can do.

Other Links & Photos