Professional Profile

Stroke Program Medical Director

As a neurologist, I pride myself on providing the best patient care for a wide range of neurological disorders, including: Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, headaches, neuropathies, seizure disorders, dementia and stroke. I have a special interest in movement disorders, neurophysiology and stroke.

Being diagnosed with a neurological disease can be scary, so I want my patients and their families to fully understand what’s happening from the time they walk in the door to when they leave. I empower my patients to be more involved in their own health care.

I see patients age 12 and older. In addition to speaking English, I also speak Arabic. My patients see me as professional, but they also see me as compassionate. I tell jokes. I listen. I’m there for them.

When they make an appointment with me, they are probably scared because they might have some neurological disease. Here’s something I do that helps: I show them the actual image of their brain. This makes a big difference. If you don’t know what something looks like, that’s the enemy. Instead of just saying, “you had a stroke,” I show them an image of what their brain looks like after the stroke. That ways, it’s easier for them to understand what happened.

Before joining NorthBay, I was the stroke director at UnityPoint Allen Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. My wife, our four children and I are looking forward to exploring California and living in nice weather. No more snow!

Education:

Medical Degree, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria

Residency and Fellowship, The University of Texas and MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Certifications:

Board Certified in Neurology

Professional Memberships:

• American Academy of Neurology
• American Medical Association
• American Clinical Neurophysiology Society
• American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine

Languages Spoken:

Arabic,English

Hospital Affiliations: