Melissa created Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates (RPMA), now Redwood Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Associates/Somology Medical Group, in January 2002 as a solo practitioner specializing in Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care, and Sleep Disorders.
The offices of RPMA have always been located inside Sequoia Hospital, where most of our patients receive hospital and outpatient services. In 2012, seeing that the demand for sleep care far outweighed the number of available providers, she founded MobileSleepDoc, LLC to integrate mobile technology and virtual care on a software platform. In 2015, MobileSleepDoc became Somnology, Inc., which now, in partnership with the clinical team, provides sleep care nationally.
Melissa grew up near Akon, Ohio and brings her down-to-earth mid-Western sensibilities to the way she relates to patients and colleagues. She graduated from Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center). She then completed her fellowship and research training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospitals and the University of California, San Francisco.
Clinical areas of special interest include lung cancer, obstructive lung disease, respiratory infections and acute respiratory failure, and sleep-related breathing disorders. She loves to work collaboratively to find creative solutions to problems large and small, and enjoys teaching, learning, and mentoring.
When she is not working, she likes to hike, travel, follow baseball, practice Filipino martial arts, listen to music, cook (especially dishes her mom used to make), and spend time with family and friends.
