Dr. Michael Francis Overfield, MD

Welcome to My Home Page! About Me I was born in Santa Cruz, California, and grew up in Stockton, the city where I attended primary school through graduation from pharmacy school at the University of the Pacific. I then decided to pursue medicine so that I could be of service to my fellow humans and graduated from the University of California in San Francisco. I did a year of internship at Los Angeles County hospital and did a two year family practice residency at what was the Contra Costa County hospital in Martinez. I am a native Californian and could never leave because I might miss something happening in this exciting state. I was in family practice in Vallejo, practicing office family practice and emergency medicine and inpatient hospital medicine until 1989, when I saw the light and joined Kaiser Permanente in Martinez, practicing full-time emergency medicine. I am proud to be associated with such a forward looking organization of individual physicians and support staff who are so committed to improving health care results. Just a small example is the reduction in cardiac mortality such that among Kaiser Permanente patients, heart disease is the number two cause of death rather than number one, as in the rest of the county. I am proud that the emergency care delivered by my colleagues and me helps to create that result. Another example is the robust information technology we have available to make information easily available for patient care. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for more than 37 years and have two wonderful adult children. My daughter has recently given me two grandchildren, which are a great joy. I enjoy swimming, bicycling, hiking, weight training, and reading history. Professional Interests: I practice emergency medicine full-time and am active as the education chair for our department to arrange educational programs for my department. I am very interested in bedside ultrasonography, and again am very pleased with the administrative support that allows us to have such a useful tool available, one which is often not available in non-Kaiser Permanente facilities. I have served as Chief of Staff at Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo and at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Martinez. I was saddened to see Kaiser Martinez close its inpatient unit and emergency department, as the group there was like a family. I am, however, very glad to be practicing at Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek and be backed up with a very experienced and knowledgeable medical staff. Most people are not aware that most hospitals have few in-house medical specialists, whereas Kaiser Permanente has a wide assortment of individuals immediately available to us in the emergency department. My wife says if I should get cut, I would probably bleed Kaiser blue, so I may be biased in that regard. Professional Associations: I belong to the Alameda Contra Costa Medical Association, the California Medical Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Practice Philosophy: I believe in the importance of self care through good health habits such as not smoking, exercising regularly, eating moderately, and maintaining a normal weight and body mass index. I believe that every person should have their own personal physician (yes I have one also), and should follow their recommendations on screening exams and health habits. If you do not have a personal physician, click on the member’s web page to see how to pick a physician to fulfill your needs and expectations. When the unexpected occurs, we in the Emergency Department are ready, 24 hours a day, to assist you. My Credentials Medical school UC San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA Internship Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA Residency Merrithew Memorial Hospital and Clinics, Martinez, CA Board certification Family Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine