His academic activity is informed by his clinical practice at Rush University Family Physicians, which he established in 1988 and continues to serve as medical director. His research focuses on chronic disease management, with particular attention to reducing health disparities affecting minority groups and the medically underserved. He is the principal investigator for the Virtual Integrated Practice Project, as well as the Mexican-American Trial of Community Health Workers funded by the National Institutes of Health. He received his M.D. from the University of Michigan.