S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 017
Like daughters, Like mother Sisters inspire Mom to follow in their nursepractitioner footsteps
( PAGE 2)
From treating water to healing athletes: An orthopedic surgeon’s journey ( PAGE 5)
Clinic building projects put sustainability in forefront ( PAGE 6)
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VOLUME 15
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C H O I C E
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INTERNAL MEDICINE Marina Arbuck, M.D. | 541-754-1260 At the core of Dr. Marina Arbuck’s foray into becoming a doctor in her native Russia is a “great interest in human psychology.” In fact, after leaving Russia with her 7-year-old son in 1995 and before passing the medical boards to get into a U.S. residency program, she worked as a nursing assistant in a psychiatric hospital. She then did about a year-long psychiatric residency. Dr. Arbuck also brings special knowledge in infectious diseases to her internal medicine skills of solving complex diagnostic issues and managing chronic illnesses in adults. She strives to become “a listening and non- judgmental friend,” who is also “straight and frank.” Dr. Arbuck has two passions outside her practice: outdoor (“au plen air”) painting and Scottish Terrier Rescue. “I frequently take in elderly abandoned animals to make their last years the happiest.” She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine and is eligible for re-certification in Infectious Disease.
PULMONARY MEDICINE Griffith Liang, M.D. | 541-754-1272 Pulmonary and critical care medicine appeals to Dr. Liang (lee-ANG) because it draws from a variety of conventional therapies and the latest techniques to improve patient care. He also enjoys “the procedural aspects” of pulmonary and critical care. Dr. Liang aims to provide thorough care with kindness and compassion. An interest in research and basic sciences spurred Dr. Liang to also earn a master’s degree with support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute while in medical school. “(The master’s) has exposed me to many other specialties in medicine that others may not have had the time to explore. Dr. Liang is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care.
ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY/SPORTS MEDICINE Angela Passanise, D.O. | 541-754-1276 Dr. Angela Passanise (pass-a KNEE-see) competed in college soccer and continued to play as she began an engineering career. Then, a torn ACL sustained on the field altered her professional path. “The process of undergoing surgery and rehabbing my knee to return to sports inspired me to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine.” In addition to non-operative treatments, Dr. Passanise performs multiple types of surgery, including arthroscopy for rotator cuff and labral repairs, ACL reconstruction, and shoulder and knee arthroplasty. She says her patients can expect a caring and understanding physician with excellent listening skills. “I feel it is critical that patients are an integral part of the decisions in their care.” Dr. Passanise and her husband have three children, including twin girls. They enjoy running and outdoor activities. She is certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery.
ENDOCRINOLOGY Nellyda Anslow, AGNP-C | 541-754-1260 Nellyda Anslow says endocrinology is a good fit for her because it is largely driven by objective data. “I like to help patients understand what is happening to them by using straightforward explanations for complex illnesses. That’s the nurse in me.” She decided to become a nurse practitioner to have more of an “upstream impact” on patient care. “I have always had a keen interest in diabetes. There is a great opportunity to influence a patient’s long-term health with a good team of diabetes clinicians and educators.” Ms. Anslow says she tries to tap into patients’ motivations to help them achieve their health goals. She has a horse and a dog and loves long-distance backpacking, once hiking an 800-mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail. “I recommend that adventure to anyone who is willing to try it!” She is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Nurse Practitioner.
“It was hard because you couldn’t see everybody” ( PAGE 2)
Leslie Shortridge, far right, and her two fellow nurse-practitioner daughters, Jennifer Wilson, center in white, and Kristy Kironde, far left, greet young patients at a medical mission clinic in Tanzania. “You had to turn people away at the end of the day,” Shortridge said. “I didn’t like that.” See Page 2. Cover photo courtesy of Kristy Kironde. Photo above courtesy of Leslie Shortridge.
Inside 2 5 6
Cover Story: Putting Mom on a Mission
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Altered life’s path Injury spurred newest ortho surgeon Angela Passanise, D.O., to change careers
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Saving energy, dollars Clinic reduces kilowatt hours in sustainability effort
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Clinical Research Center Longtime manager Pat Eshleman to retire
Physicians Retire Three doctors with 80 years of combined Clinic service say goodbye
Classes & Research
A publication of The Corvallis Clinic 444 NW Elks Drive, Corvallis, OR 97330 541-754-1150, Judy Corwin, Director of Marketing & Public Relations Send comments or questions to Tony DeMeo, Editor, at tony.demeo@corvallisclinic.com. www.corvallisclinic.com More than 100 providers in 27 specialties serving the mid-Willamette Valley at these locations: Asbury Building | Aumann Building Immediate Care | Surgery Center Philomath Family Medicine Walnut Boulevard | North Albany Village QuickCare/Corvallis | QuickCare/Albany Waverly Drive/Albany
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Photo by Jodi Herrling/Emagine Marketing and Photography Leslie Shortridge, FNP-C, left, works at QuickCare in Albany while daughter Jennifer Wilson, FNP-C, right, works at QuickCare in Corvallis. Not pictured is daughter Kristy Kironde, FNP-C, who lives and practices in Africa.
Putting Mom on a Mission At her daughters’ urging, Leslie Shortridge went back to school to become a nurse practitioner by Aimee Zink, for The Corvallis Clinic Leslie Shortridge began to think about becoming a nurse
“I thought, I don’t want to go back to Africa again if I’m not trained as a nurse practitioner. And I was so impressed with my daughters. It was a really good ‘mom thing.’ I just thought, ‘wow, these girls are amazing.’”
practitioner after she went on several short-term medical mission trips with her surgeon husband, Terry. A longtime registered nurse, she loved to learn new things and liked the idea of having more responsibility. However, it was Shortridge’s nurse-practitioner daughters, Jennifer Wilson and Kristy Kironde, who inspired her to finally take the plunge. She, her husband and daughters, and a family friend went on a mission trip to
LESLIE SHORTRIDGE, FNP-C, QUICKCARE-ALBANY
Sakila, Tanzania in 2013 with an organization called 2
“She is brilliant and has so much potential. I know she is a fabulous nurse practitioner!” KRISTY KIRONDE, FNP-C, ON HER MOTHER GOING BACK TO SCHOOL
International Evangelism Outreach.
“It was hard because you couldn’t see everybody,” said
Shortridge was deeply moved when she watched her
Shortridge, who also has two sons. “That was sad. You had to
daughters provide care during their mission. At first, she
turn people away at the end of the day. I didn’t like that.”
wanted to hang back and not assist them, as she was
Though the experience could be sad and stressful at
concerned about her lack of training. But her daughters
times, it was rewarding for Shortridge to help so many
urged her to jump in and start helping.
people while working together with her family.
“That was the final piece. I thought, I don’t want to go
“It was a memorable trip that will always be extremely
back to Africa again if I’m not trained as a nurse practi-
special to me,” Shortridge said, then added: “I think we all
tioner,” Shortridge said. “And I was so impressed with my
got along pretty good too!”
daughters. It was a really good ‘mom thing.’ I just thought,
Jennifer laughed and said, “Whenever a family is in close
‘wow, these girls are amazing.’”
quarters that long together, you’re going to have some
In 2016, she earned her Master of Science in Nursing from
turbulence, but we did pretty good.”
Gonzaga University and is now Leslie Shortridge, FNP-C, a
Returning to School
certified family nurse practitioner working for The Corvallis
Shortridge first started working as a registered nurse in
Clinic’s QuickCare in Albany, while daughter Jennifer is at
1981. She decided to go into the medical field because she
QuickCare in Corvallis. Her daughter Kristy lives in Uganda.
had deep concern for people and their health, as many of
The Family Medical Mission
her family members had health problems. This same
The fateful mission in 2013 was a unique experience for
empathy is what originally motivated her to start going on
Shortridge and her family. Though she had been on missions
medical mission trips with her husband. Her first mission
before, this was the first time that they had worked together
made a deep impact on her. “It was very moving, which is putting it mildly,”
as a family unit. The situation was challenging and stressful. Though they were there for three weeks, they only had eight
Shortridge said. “To see people with health issues that are
days of clinic time due to the labor involved in setting it up.
extremely serious. Advanced cases of cancer, out of control
“It was quite the ordeal,” said Jennifer. “We would show up
infections, abscesses … the severe cases you see in the United States are commonplace there.”
(at the clinic site) and every room was just packed full of junk
As a registered nurse and not yet a nurse practitioner,
and boxes, cockroaches everywhere… so we had to spend a few days just cleaning the clinic out and finding our supplies.”
Shortridge didn’t have as much training as she would have
They also had to bottle and package the medications they
liked during these missions. “Mom kept talking about it and she’d say, ‘I’m too old to
had brought into individual portions by hand.
go back to school,’” Jennifer said. “And I keep telling her,
Practically the entire village would show up and wait for hours in line to see them. It was especially difficult due to
‘You know, in three years, you’re going to be three years
the language barrier; speaking through interpreters,
older, whether you go or not. So you can be three years
communication could be a challenge. The family had to move
older and look back and say you wish you had done it, or
as quickly as possible while also providing the best care they
you can start now.” Though Shortridge found it stressful to return to school
could with their limited time and resources. 3
continued on page 4
“Mom kept talking about it and she’d say, ‘I’m too old to go back to school. And I keep telling her, ‘You know, in three years, you’re going to be three years older, whether you go or not. So you can be three years older and look back and say you wish you had done it, or you can start now.” J E N N I F E R W I L S O N , F N P - C , Q U I C K C A R E - C O R VA L L I S
she put everything into it.
Kampala. She met her husband in this organization, and the
“She worked hard, she was dedicated,” Jennifer said
two of them are working together there.
proudly. “People her age generally don’t go back to school
Kristy is proud of her mother for going back to school.
because they all struggle with thinking there’s no point.
“She is brilliant and has so much potential. I know she is a
So to do that is brave.”
fabulous nurse practitioner!” she said.
“Or a little crazy,” Shortridge added with a laugh.
Jennifer Wilson: Working with Mom at QuickCare
Now, Shortridge is grateful that she returned to school and completed the additional training to become a
Jennifer was also naturally interested in the medical field,
nurse practitioner.
but as her mother was a nurse and her father a physician,
“I love working with people, and helping them. I like
she wanted to do something different initially. “I wanted to
putting all the pieces together of the education and being
do my own thing, I didn’t want to do what either of them
able to make more of a difference,” said Shortridge.
did,” said Jennifer. So she started studying to become a registered dietitian, but toward the end of the program,
Kristy Kironde: Continuing Work in Africa
realized that this wouldn’t be a good fit for her.
With a mother who was a nurse and a father who was a
“I started reevaluating, thinking… well, why don’t I want
surgeon, Jennifer and Kristy were both interested in the
to be a nurse? And I realized that it fit what I wanted to do,”
medical field from a young age, though in different ways.
Jennifer explained. Then after working several years as a
Kristy wanted to be a veterinarian until she went on
nurse, she went on to become a nurse practitioner. “I wanted
her first mission trip to Thailand at 15.
to be able to expand my knowledge and my scope of
“I realized I would rather serve people than animals in
practice, and take on more responsibility. It’s in the blood.”
the medical field,” Kristy said. “As I went into nursing
Shortridge is a recent addition to the QuickCare team,
school I soon discovered that it fit well with aspects of
while Jennifer has worked there for a year and a half.
my personality and passion for people.”
“It’s been a good group of people to work with,” said
Kristy then studied to become a family nurse practitioner
Shortridge. “People love QuickCare, because it really meets
and worked in family practice for two-and-a-half years.
a need. I was here on Easter, and a patient was so grateful
However, she still had a craving to work overseas, which
because nothing else was open. That really made it worth
had stuck with her ever since her first mission trip, and
being here.”
had continued as she had travelled to China multiple times while in high school. In 2013, Kristy had the opportunity to move to Uganda to work for a non-profit organization. So after the family mission trip in Tanzania, Kristy stayed in Africa and has been there ever since. Now she works for an organization called Revelation Life, where she works in the slums of 4
Corvallis Clinic orthopedic surgeon Angela Passanise, D.O., seen above right on the field with high school soccer player Caroline Richards, was so impressed with the treatment and process of recovering from a torn ACL she sustained while playing in a recreational soccer league that she decided to leave an environmental engineering career to enter medical school. Photos by Jodi Herrling/Emagine Marketing and Photography
Injury spurs ex-college soccer player to go from engineering to orthopedic surgery by Aimee Zink, for The Corvallis Clinic
Going from an engineer to a surgeon might seem like an uncommon path, but for Dr. Angela Passanise, a traumatic injury made the decision to pursue such a career switch a natural one. A former college soccer player, she tore an anterior cruciate ligament, commonly known as the ACL, at age 26 in a recreational league. The complex procedure to fix the injury and the long period of therapy to fully recover from it inspired her to abandon engineering and study orthopedic surgery. “The whole process sparked my interest in the idea of being able to help getting athletes back out to play,” said
Dr. Passanise. “I didn’t feel fulfilled and rewarded with engineering, and this is something special to me, to be able to help athletes get back to what they love.”
Competitor from early age A passion was born in Dr. Passanise when she started playing soccer at 5 years old. She played competitive soccer throughout grade school and high school before starting her collegiate career. “I didn’t blossom until I was in college,” she said. “It took me that long to really understand soccer. The better I got, 5
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Facilities Services Manager Anton Grube, left, has managed The Clinic’s sustainability projects since they started in 2014. “If we’re not looking for ways to be efficient,” says Clinic CEO Brad Wakefield, right, “we can’t pass those savings along to our patients.” Photo by Jodi Herrling/Emagine Marketing and Photography
Cutting back the kilowatt hours: Sustainability efforts save energy, dollars for The Clinic by Keith Bowers, for The Corvallis Clinic Projects aimed at reducing electricity consumption at The Corvallis Clinic brought dramatic results in 2014, yet they were only a start. Nearing completion is a one-year, follow-up monitoring program for the Aumann Building that will achieve additional savings, while two similar efforts launched in February at nearby locations are expected to save even more. The four 2014 projects saw changes to interior and exterior lighting as well as heating, ventilation and airconditioning systems. (See Clinic’s four energy-saving projects at a glance, next page.) These efforts achieved a continuing annual savings of some $50,000 and approximately 760,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. The Aumann follow-up effort, known as a strategic energy management project, monitors and adjusts certain airhandling and heating-and-cooling functions to make sure
they’re saving as much electricity and money as possible. It’s on track to finish in late April or early May and save an additional 130,000 kilowatt hours and around $7,000 annually, said Corvallis Clinic Facilities Services Manager Anton Grube. Similar programs in the Asbury Building and Surgery Center commenced in February. Grube says the effort shows how much more can be done after bigger projects are completed. “So far it has been very successful,” said Grube. He has monthly check-ins with representatives of Consumers Power Inc., which initiated the program, and the Bonneville Power Administration. The same two entities helped with the 2014 projects. “I think the more efficient we all can be in everything we do, it’s a healthier way to exist,” said Corvallis Clinic CEO Brad Wakefield, “whether you’re talking about how you eat, 6
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how you get transportation, or how you heat your building.” The money saved is also certainly worth noting. “If we’re not looking for ways to be efficient,” Wakefield said, “we can’t pass those savings along to our patients.” The monetary savings reflect more than just the number of kilowatt hours used, explained Thomas Elzinga, energy services manager for Consumers Power Inc. He estimated The Corvallis Clinic’s annual savings at $49,000 in terms of kilowatt hours, but added that utilities also charge for power demand, which has decreased as well. Elzinga said he hasn’t quantified it, but he estimates the combination is “well over $50,000 in actual savings based on what they’ve done.” Elzinga estimated the total annual savings from The Clinic’s combined efforts since 2014 at 889,000 kilowatt hours, or the equivalent of powering 68 homes, based on figures for the average CPI household. Said Wakefield, “I’ve been a little surprised by how much we could save by using some of those technologies – and surprised in a good way.” He said the idea of reducing power consumption over the long term fits with The Corvallis Clinic’s vision toward health. “We take a long-term view of people’s health,” he said, “keeping people healthy over the next 20, 30, 40 years.” The Aumann Building program covers four areas, Grube said, including: n
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Inspecting the seals on the doors of the air-handling units to make sure they’re as air-tight as possible. If the seals begin to leak, Grube said, air escapes unnecessarily and the motors must work harder to provide adequate service elsewhere in the building. Assessing and adjusting the operational times of pumps in a perimeter-heating system that uses water. Grube said this saves electricity to run the pumps as well as natural gas to heat the water.
Asked about future conservation plans for The Clinic’s 11 buildings in Benton and Linn counties, Grube mentioned two: changing parking-area lights from incandescent to LED at the Waverly Drive location in Albany, and changing interior lighting to LED in the Philomath Family Medicine location. Grube also cited energy-saving and sustainability efforts that go beyond electricity. The Clinic has minimized use of natural-gas powered boilers in the summer, installed lowflow water fixtures (which save water as well as natural gas by lessening hot-water use), and reduced paper consumption by transferring records to electronic systems. Wakefield said aiming for maximum efficiency makes sense, considering The Clinic’s overall patient load varies from day to day. “No matter how many people come in, our costs are about the same,” he said, “so we have to be efficient for the days when everyone’s feeling good and no one comes to the doctor.” A more sustainable approach is also good for the planet. “When you have a chance to be more efficient,” he said, “whatever that efficiency is, it feels good to do that, to be able to say, ‘I’m not consuming more than I should.'”
Assessing and adjusting the schedules of air-handling units, which has meant starting them later in the mornings and shutting them down earlier in the evenings. Making sure the computers monitoring the units’ efficiency are doing their best, and making adjustments when needed.
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Longtime Clinical Research Center manager to retire by Pat Eshleman, RN, BSN, CCRC
As I get ready to retire after 45 years of taking care of my community as a health care professional, I look back on a wonderful career filled with sorrow and joy. My career has been filled with phenomenal co-workers, a lot of family support and most of all the patients, who make it all worthwhile. There are few careers that allow a person to make a difference in someone else’s life. Nursing is one of them. I’ve been with patients and their families at the most difficult times of their lives - times when they must rely on a stranger to take the best possible care of them. It has been so rewarding to be that person. When I started working in health care, in the days before the food police, there were free donuts in the hospital cafeteria on Mondays and patients were allowed to smoke in their rooms. My how things have changed. We now promote health. No donuts and no smoking on campus anywhere near the health care facilities on the hill.
injury
I have seen great advances in health care. Ulcers can be cured, and diabetes can be controlled. Many cancers are either curable or reduced in intensity to being a chronic disease. My one hope that has not been realized during my career is a cure for Type 2 diabetes. I will be watching closely for that advance during my retirement. I leave my final and best job as Manager of the Clinical Research Center at The Corvallis Clinic in the excellent hands of Sheena Strohmayer, MHA. Sheena was my first research assistant. She has gone onto other jobs in management and now returns to the job she was always meant to have. I retire knowing that research will thrive under her leadership. Thank you to all those who have been so important to me during the past 45 years. You all have made me the person I am today. Pat Eshleman, RN, BSN, CCRC, is the Manager of The Corvallis Clinic Clinical Research Center and a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator.
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“I thought it was nothing”
the more I loved the game.” That love extended into when she began her environmental engineering career working in municipal water departments. “It was nice to stay fit and play something that I had loved playing as a kid, and that’s what kept me coming back,” she said. In addition, she dreamed of playing in the Over 30 Women’s National League. And as her skills improved, it seemed like a goal that was within reach. She played for two decades without ever being injured, but in that one key moment, it all changed.
One day while on the soccer field, Dr. Passanise heard a pop. Her injured knee swelled, and she was unable to bear weight on that leg. The injury was painful, but she assumed she had simply sprained her knee. She didn’t know it at the time, but she had torn her ACL, a ligament in the middle of the knee that provides stability for pivoting and shifting motions. This kind of movement is essential in sports like football, lacrosse, and soccer. Female athletes are more likely to tear their ACLs, by a seven to one ratio. Dr. Passanise said physicians have many 8
knee injuries. theories on why this is so “I felt that if I couldn’t play at but that there is no one that level anymore, uninhibited particular reason. and full-go, then I didn’t want to Unfortunately, many patients play anymore,” she said. The do not seek medical help after decision was a difficult one. they tear their ACL. Recovery “I was upset that I couldn’t keep can come fast enough that they playing. But I was concerned think they don’t need to. that I would keep hurting my They often go back to their knees and wouldn’t be able to regular activities, including do anything anymore. So I sports, only to end up injuring decided that chapter in my themselves further. life was over.” Now she has In fact, Dr. Passanise made moved on to competitive longthis same mistake. “When I tore distance running. my ACL, I thought it was The newest physician at The Clinic’s Orthopedic Surgery Dr. Passanise has three nothing,” she said. “Sure and Sports Medicine Department, Dr. Passanise said engineering did not fulfill her. “This is something special children, two-year-old twin girls enough, I was able to walk in a to me,” she said of her current profession, “to be able to and a five-year-old boy. Her son week. I went back to sporting help athletes get back to what they love.” has started playing soccer now, activities and I played for over a at the same age when she year before I tore my meniscus. started. Though she enjoys watching him play the sport Then when they did the MRI, they told me I already tore she loved so much throughout her life, she sometimes my ACL. And I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ worries for him. I didn’t realize that I was truly injured.” “I get nervous because of the potential for injury,” she said. Now she was in for surgery and a long recovery that “It’s hard seeing athletes getting injured so young. These days would change her life forever. The surgery involves you’re seeing ACL injuries in 14 and 15-year-old kids.” harvesting a tendon from another part of the patient, such Still, she stays positive and hopeful when she sees her as their hamstring. Then the surgeon drills bone tunnels in young patients recover. For example, she still stays in touch the knee and places the new tendon in the same position with a former patient in Missouri, a 16-year-old competitive as the original ACL, and affixes it there with screws until athlete. “She lets me know that she’s doing great, getting it heals. It takes around nine months to return to sports, back into sports, and that her knee feels great,” she said. and physical therapy is essential. “That patient connection, knowing that she’s progressing Throughout her recovery, she said that the process was and back out in the field, is important to me.” “very positive.” She was encouraged and inspired by her physical therapist, the people she met during therapy, and especially her surgeon, Thomas K. Lee, M.D. He was instrumental in her decision to leave engineering and pursue orthopedics, and he even wrote a reference letter for her when she decided to go to medical school.
A surgeon and long-distance runner Now as an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Passanise can understand what her patients go through from first-hand experience. “The physical pain goes away pretty quickly,” she said. “The hardest thing for any athlete is the mental anguish of not being able to play. You always want to do something when you can’t do it. That’s what drives me to get up and stay active, because you never know when you won’t be able to.” Most patients are able to return to the same level of activity as before the injury, but not all. Some are afraid to go back, and some don’t feel that their knee is the same. Dr. Passanise herself is one example. She tried to return to playing soccer, but never felt the same after her two
Female athletes are more likely to tear their ACLs, by a seven to one ratio, said Dr. Passanise. She said physicians have many theories on why this is so but that there is no one particular reason. 9
Longtime physicians retire from Clinic Bruce Bynum, D.O., Orthopedic Surgery – 22 years After performing more than 1,700 joint replacements allowed me to focus on patient care,” said Dr. Bynum, who since 1995, Dr. Bruce Bynum retired from The Corvallis moved to California from Virginia when he was in middle Clinic as an orthopedic surgeon in early April. school. He said he was attracted to medicine because of its In addition to establishing a successful, busy jointlifelong scientific learning process. replacement practice, Dr. Bynum cited serving on the During his career, Dr. Bynum said he saw the Board of Directors and the Foundation Board as the some development of less invasive techniques and more of the highlights of his accelerated rehabilitation, Clinic career. which made for a more “I became interested in rapid recovery. He also orthopedics when I was a cited improved “fixation General Medical Officer for devices for periarticular the Marines at Camp (around joint) fractures.” Pendleton,” Dr. Bynum His proudest said. After graduating from accomplishment? Being San Diego State with a BS able to provide improved in biology in 1980, he quality of life and a return entered the Navy through to an active lifestyle for his the military’s Health joint-replacement patients. Professions Scholarship “I will miss the daily Program. He earned his interaction with caring medical degree from the employees and colleagues University of Health and the gratitude of Sciences College of patients after successful Osteopathic Medicine, in surgical treatment.” “I joined The Clinic because of the multispecialty Kansas City, Mo., in 1984. Dr. Bynum said his and business management design that From Camp Pendleton he initial post-retirement plans went on to complete an are to “goof off and allowed me to focus on patient care.” orthopedic surgery decompress.” He will then D R . B R U C E B Y N U M residency at the U.S. Naval re-evaluate and consider Hospital in Oakland, Calif., his many professional and then served as an orthopedic surgeon at the options, such as consulting, teaching and Naval Regional Medical Center in Charleston, S.C. performing independent medical evaluations. He separated from the Navy as a commander “His retirement represents a great loss to his before beginning his practice at The Clinic patients and The Clinic, as well as the local in 1995. orthopedic community at large,” said Dr. Robert “I joined The Clinic because of the multispeDodds, a fellow Clinic orthopedic surgeon who cialty and business management design that retired last year. “Godspeed Bruce.”
Robin Lannan, M.D., Internal Medicine/Immediate Care Center – 28 years When you return to your hometown as a physician, such as Robin Lannan did, having your yearbooks close by can come in handy. “Getting to see the teachers I had in elementary, middle or high school as patients, and the parents of kids I went to school with has been pretty fun,” said Dr. Lannan, a Corvallis native who is retiring on June 1 after 28 years as an
internist at The Clinic. “I keep my middle-school and highschool yearbooks on my desk to share with those patients when they have come in.” She jokingly said it is her way of saying, “Look, guys, I turned out okay after all!” Dr. Lannan was born in Montana and at age 10 moved to Corvallis where her father began to pursue a Ph.D in fisheries 10
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at Oregon State University. She attended Wilson Elementary One memorable moment for her was when she worked all School, Cheldelin Junior High School (now a middle school), day while in labor with her daughter who was born just and Crescent Valley High School. She graduated from Toledo three hours after she left the office. “I wanted to get all my High School, however, because her father had joined the paperwork done and leave a clean desk. I just didn’t expect faculty of the Marine Science Center in Newport. her to arrive so quickly!” She received a Bachelor of Arts in biology with honors Molly is now 21 and about to graduate from U of O with a from the University of Oregon in 1982 and then earned her degree in elementary education. She and her husband, Les, Doctorate of Medicine in 1986 from Oregon Health Sciences also have a son, Nat, 25, who will be training to become a University. She completed an internal medicine residency in firefighter/paramedic. He has one daughter, Ella, who is 1989 at Fletcher Allen Health Care (now the University of 4 and is “the light of her granny’s heart.” Vermont Medical Center) in Burlington, VT. Dr. Lannan and Les will be moving to the retirement home Other than what she they are building on the called a “little moonlighting,” Deschutes River near Bend. The Clinic has been the She is looking forward to only place where she has more leisure time. practiced medicine. When “I want to paddle my she joined the Internal kayak, and sit on my dock Medicine Department in and watch the river flow by. 1989, she was Benton I want to spend more time County’s first female with my granddaughter. internist and the first I want to hike, ski, camp, primary care provider cook in my fantastic new at The Clinic. chef’s kitchen, take some She became a physician cooking classes, knit, spin because it combined (I haven’t had time to use science and caring for my spinning wheel in a few people. “I chose internal years) and do all the other medicine because it gave things I haven’t had time to me that combination of do in the last 28 years.” “The most cherished memories are of the puzzle solving – putting She is not ending her times someone has come back or written me complex clues together to medical career entirely; to tell me how I helped them or what my care figure out a diagnosis – she plans to work at St. and helping people.” Charles Medical Center meant to them. Just recently I got a letter that After 11 years with a Immediate Care in Bend started ‘Dear Dr. Robin, you are my hero.’ patient panel, she moved to a few shifts a month. is just no comparison to what a There the Immediate Care Center Dr. Lannan said she wonderful feeling that is.” when her life got busier with enjoyed “the sense of two children and a husband family” in both the Internal DR. ROBIN LANNAN who worked at HewlettMedicine and ICC Packard. “I was on call a lot, departments. “I will miss our which in those days meant going into the hospital in amazing staff and patients most of all,” she said. the middle of the night on a frequent basis. My “It has been such a privilege to be a part of my husband’s job became a lot less flexible. One of us patients’ lives, especially as they faced challenging needed to be more flexible, so I moved to ICC.” illnesses. It has been so rewarding to feel that I She said she has enjoyed the variety of patients she actually made a difference for some people, and has seen in ICC combined with using her diagnostic that I was able to help or provide comfort in skills as an internist. “Corvallis is a small enough city someone’s time of need. that I have gotten to know a lot of patients as ‘repeat “The most cherished memories are of the times customers’ over the years, giving me the continuity of someone has come back or written me to tell me care that is so enjoyable about primary care.” how I helped them or what my care meant to them. During her time at The Clinic, she helped to spearhead Just recently I got a letter that started ‘Dear Dr. Robin, the policies of job sharing and reduced practices and served you are my hero.’ There is just no comparison to what on the Board of Directors and the Foundation Board. a wonderful feeling that is.” 11
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Edward Schmitt, M.D., Pediatrics – 30 years “Everything you can imagine.” settling on Corvallis. “It was a nice town with a stable That’s the answer one can give, after 35 years as a economy,” he said. So, in 1987, he joined what he called a pediatrician and some 140,000 patient visits, when asked: “nice group” of Clinic pediatricians made up of the late “So, you’ve probably faced some interesting challenges in Dr. Eldon Younger and Drs. Michael Wong, James Nusrala your career, haven’t you?” and John Berry, now all retired, while his wife found a good But challenges that Dr. Edward Schmitt, a longtime practice fit first at Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis Clinic pediatrician who retired in early May, wouldn’t have and later at an orthopedic surgery center in Salem. missed for anything, as it was during medical school when As can be expected, he has seen many changes since he it became obvious to him what path in medicine he began his practice in the early 1980s. he would take. “The cost of an average “I was attracted to office visit was about $15,” pediatrics,” Dr. Schmitt he said, “and the cost of said, “by both the children a pediatrician providing who were often so full of services to a newborn in energy and happy even the hospital for three days when ill - and by the was about $100.” pediatricians and, partic“I will miss the ularly, the pediatric camaraderie of working residents. They were the with the other folks in the most congenial, caring and group,” said Dr. Schmitt, conscientious role models who served on the Board of my medical student of Directors from 2005 to years. I wanted to join 2009 and was board their ranks.” vice-president from His journey to joining 2008-2009. “The constant their ranks began after routine, the challenge of earning an undergraduate sorting out of people’s “The constant routine, the challenge of sorting problems and helping them degree in biochemistry in out of people’s problems and helping them 1975 from the University of get to a solution, that’s Texas in Austin, the city in so rewarding.” get to a solution, that’s so rewarding.” which he grew up after his In retirement, Dr. Schmitt D R . E D WA R D S C H M I T T family moved there from and his wife plan to travel the Washington, D.C. to see those parts of the suburbs. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree U.S. and the world that they have missed out on from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston during the past quarter century of occasional in 1979. vacation travel. For Dr. Schmitt this will probably Dr. Schmitt completed his pediatric residency include continuing medical mission work with 1982 at the University of Virginia Hospital at Faith in Practice in Central America. Charlottesville, where he also met his wife, He said other than his work with Faith in Practice, Dr. Nancy Fisher, a now-retired anesthesiologist. his post-retirement medical activity might also They then spent several years on what he called include being a locum tenens in the Northwest – a “dual-career job safari,” with stops in Columbia, but just for an occasional week or two. S.C., Spokane, Wash., and Roseburg. And, so, getting back to those “everything-you-canThe economic downturn starting in the mid-1980s in imagine” challenges: Asked if he could share some Roseburg put a strain on Dr. Schmitt’s private practice. good stories, after a pause, Dr. Schmitt said, chuckling: He and his wife began to look elsewhere in the Northwest, “The good ones can’t be retold.”
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An Informed Mind is a Healthy Mind
To learn about classes and events offered on important health issues that matter to you and your family, see www.corvallisclinic.com. Healthy Baby
Clinical Research currently enrolling studies:
Each Healthy Baby session features one of our expert pediatricians. Pediatric topics include normal newborn appearance, crying, sleeping and bathing, development, medical care and problems, nutrition and breastfeeding.
Alzheimer’s Disease: Alex Wang, M.D.; Richard Lafrance, M.D. Type 2 Diabetes: Michael Chen, M.D.; Lindsay Bromley, M.D.; Ruth Palma, FNP
Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Asbury Dining Room June 6, Aug. 1, Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Nov. 7, Dec. 5
To learn more about ongoing and upcoming studies at The Corvallis Clinic Research Center, or to learn about becoming a study volunteer, see www.corvallisclinic.com/ research or call the Research Center at 541-766-2163.
Register: 541-738-2075 or www.corvallisclinic.com/classes
Baby Bundle Each Baby Bundle session features Clinic obstetricians discussing childbirth, including signs of labor, birthing options, pain relief, when to call your doctor, partner help during labor and choosing your baby’s doctor.
Walk with the Doc Join our OB/GYN physicians every Wednesday, June 14Aug. 30, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Meet at the Oak Creek Drive entrance to Bald Hill Path in Corvallis. To register for this free series, go to corvallisclinic.com/walk-with-the-doc.
Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Asbury Dining Room Aug. 9, Nov. 8
Waverly Walkers
Register: 541-738-2075 or www.corvallisclinic.com/classes
Hit the trail with physical therapist Aimee Casemier every Tuesday and Thursday, starting June 6, from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Meet at The Corvallis Clinic at Waverly Drive Office, 1705 Waverly Dr. SE, Albany. To register for this free series, go to corvallisclinic.com/waverly-walkers.
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