| Dr.
Atkinson joins staff
Dr. Obbie Atkinson recently joined the St. Mary’s Hospital medical staff after serving as a locum tenens or  fill
in family practice physician throughout this past year.
“We received such positive feedback from our patients about their care from Dr. Atkinson that we offered him a position. He fits in so well with our medical staff members and is a pleasure to work with,” said Dr. Andrew Gilbert, SMHC Chief Medical Officer. “It has been especially helpful having him available while our providers learn how to use our new EMR Centricity software system” According to Dr. Gilbert, the SMHC health care providers are being trained on the EMR system which has been taking them out of the clinics regularly for the past few months. The clinic EMR system is set to go live in April. “Our patients and staff really enjoy Dr. Atkinson,” said Kathryn Allen, SMHC Medical Staff Services. “He has a wealth of experience seeing patients in a family practice clinic setting. We’re fortunate to have him join our staff. He won’t work full time because he has other commitments, but he will be seeing patients on a very regular basis. Dr. Marc Farnworth will also be joining our staff next August.” Dr. Atkinson went to medical school in Illinois and completed his residency at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, California. He spent the next ten years in the US Air Force until going into private practice for 26 years in Paso Robles, California. He has worked as a locum tenens and has accepted temporary assignments over 30 times in locations including Arizona, Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Illinois, Oregon and Bermuda. Dr. Atkinson sees patients in the Kamiah and Cottonwood clinics and confers with the SMHC providers on their patients. “This is the greatest place to work. The hospital and clinics here have the best staff and the people of this area are so welcoming and friendly. I enjoy it here and can commute to my home in Oregon, easily, on the weekends,” said Dr Atkinson, who is staying in the recently purchased home adjacent to the SMH campus.
Optometrist continues to be at Cottonwood Clinic on Wednesday mornings Dr. Jill Lane, optometrist and owner of Camas Prairie Eye Clinic in Grangeville, continues to see patients at the St. Mary’s Hospital Cottonwood Medical Clinic every Wednesday morning. Interested persons can call the Cottonwood clinic, 962-3267, to make an appointment. 
“Dr. Lane has generously agreed to see patients in our Cottonwood clinic to save people the drive to Grangeville,” said Dr. Andrew Gilbert, SMHC Chief Medical Officer. “As a physician I appreciate having the expertise of an optometrist not only for eye exams, but to assist our patients who have diabetes, glaucoma, macular degeneration or any other condition of the eye. Our eyes are extremely important to our health and well- being. It is advisable to have them checked regularly.” Dr. Lane received her doctorate degree in May, 2005 from Pacific University College of Optometry in Forest Grove, Oregon. She opened her solo practice in Grangeville in March, 2008. She also serves as the hospital based optometrist for Nimiipuu Health. She was an associate optometrist at ClearView Eye Clinic in Moscow, Idaho and also worked through Klemp Optometry in Lewiston. “I am proud to provide optometry services more conveniently for local patients and to work with the medical providers at St. Mary’s to deliver patients more comprehensive eye care. The health care providers and I co-manage for ocular medical needs such as the treatment and management of cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinopathy and pediatric issues such as lazy eye and abnormal eye turn,” said Dr. Lane. “In addition to vision testing, my comprehensive eye examination also screens for neurological and systemic diseases such as hypertension, thyroid problems, multiple sclerosis and other possible conditions.” According to Dr. Lane, a diabetic eye exam plays an important role in treating and managing the disease. Some of the body’s smallest blood vessels are located in the eye and are negatively impacted first with uncontrolled diabetes. Proper management involves close monitoring of the eyes and regular exams. Dr. Lane was raised in Cut Bank, Montana. She currently resides in Grangeville with her husband, Andrew Lane, a Grangeville native, and their daughter, Ava. Interested patients can self refer or their health care provider can set up an appointment. At this time eyewear fittings and selections are handled through Dr. Lane’s Grangeville office. Interested patients can call her Grangeville office, 983-3732, 158 East Main Street, for questions relating to insurance or to the exam. |
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