Medical

Adam Hunsaker, FNP, has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Utah, a Master’s of Science in Nursing Education from the University of Utah, and a Master’s of Science from Georgetown University.

He grew up in West Layton on a produce farm where he worked 10 years – his favorite memories involve watermelons, corn and onions. He started learning Spanish working in the potato fields and learned more Spanish in Argentina. He has a wife (who loves to bake cakes) and five mostly normal kids. When he has spare time, he works in his small apple orchard, smokes meats, and raises sheep. He has worked for 10 years as a registered nurse in various areas, mostly in emergency medicine, also in neurology, home health and wound care. He taught nursing students for four years at Utah State University. He is a rabid Chicago Cubs fan.

Brandi Karroum, Family Nurse Practitioner, moved to Pocatello 9 years ago with only one visit to this area. Like all locals, after she discovered the mountains, the rivers, and the great people here, Brandi knew it was the perfect place to raise her family.

Brandi grew up in the inner-city of Seattle. She is the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants; and, she and her 4 siblings were raised by their single mom. Brandi grew up “in the system” with public assistance, including WIC, welfare and free lunches. Because of her sparse upbringing and the challenges related to reduced opportunities of childhood, Brandi has always had the desire to give back to those who may need extra help. This is what led her to our Community Healthcare – Health West, Inc.

Health West stands for what Brandi believes in—Healthcare that is available to all despite a patient’s ability to pay – so she is thankful to be a part of Health West’s provider team. Brandi has been a Registered Nurse for 5 years, and a Nurse Practitioner for 2 years. She earned both her Baccalaureate and master’s degrees at Idaho State University. Brandi’s favorite part about being a Family Nurse Practitioner is getting to know her patients along with their children, parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and on occasion, their animals! However, Brandi only sees human patients from newborns to geriatrics.

Dr. Brandon Comish comes to us from University of Washington. As a student who has shown commitment to rural and underserved community engagement, he was chosen to participate in the TRUST Program (Targeted Rural Underserved Track) in Idaho. He has a special interest in global health, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Brandon has no trouble filling his off-time, where you may find him practicing Judo (black belt), traveling, learning new languages, playing his guitar or piano, engaged in art, flying drones, or reading fantasy fiction.

Dr. Brian Vause comes to us from A.T. Still University – Kirksville. He hails from Eden, Utah and has a heart for rural Family Medicine, including hospital medicine, especially for underserved populations. He is interested in the challenges and options that a Family Physician can have in providing a breadth of care in differing circumstances. In his free time, you’ll find Brian doing all sorts of outdoorsy things, like mountain biking, trail running, flying an airplane, gardening, camping and visiting national parks, road trips, and skiing.

Dr. Cody Patterson, DO was born and raised in Saint George, Utah. He received an undergraduate degree from Southern Utah University in Human Nutrition, after which he attended Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine as one of the inaugural class members of the Southern Utah campus. He is excited to dive right into Idaho life where he can continue enjoying some of his passions such as hiking, backpacking, camping, and riding his mountain bike. In fact, he loves the outdoors so much that he fills his home with as many houseplants as possible to make him feel closer to nature. He looks forward to practicing outpatient Family Medicine after completing his residency training.

Dr. Sterner, DO grew up in Pocatello and has always loved the American Falls area. As a kid he often went with his family to the reservoir, the fish hatchery, the river and the sand dunes. It is a beautiful place and he love it. He had spent years in Paraguay and has traveled to multiple Spanish speaking countries. He decided to go into healthcare because he loves solving hard problems, but learned at ISU that he hated being in labs because there is not enough social interaction.

Dr. Sterner liked medicine because it combines hard problems with spending time with people. He got his bachelor’s degree at ISU and then decided to try something new and went to Las Vegas for medical school. He loved it there but was very happy to return to Idaho to complete residency. He is now a board certified doctor in family medicine and is excited to also provide obstetrical care. He is very excited to become part of the American Falls community and he hopes to be a part of it for many years to come.

Dr. Emily Davis comes to us from Washington University – St. Louis. She hails from Van Nuys, California but has a heart for rural Family Medicine, with special interest in public health and disease prevention, having earned a Master’s Degree in public health to learn more about health policy and become a better advocate for her community. In her free time, Emily enjoys music and dancing, spending as much time outdoors hiking, and on rainy days curled up with a good book.

Dr. Jack John comes to us from Liberty University. He hails from Layton, Utah. He has a heart for Family Medicine because “it is the only specialty where a physician is not limited by patient population or specialty. They can see all patients, any time, regardless of the ailment.” In his free time, you’ll find him backpacking, horseback riding, golfing, listening to music, or reading.

Dr. Jessica Rolynn graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine as a TRUST Scholar in the Targeted Rural and Underserved Track. She is an Idaho native who attended Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology, minoring in Chemistry and Theatre. Her experience growing up in rural Idaho, as well as becoming a young mother, military spouse, and first generation college student, gave her a unique perspective as she pursued her degrees. She developed a strong passion for teaching while volunteering and working with at-risk students in various settings, and found that passion continued as she developed relationships with her patients in underserved populations. Dr. Rolynn and her family are excited to join the Pocatello Community; they plan to spend lots of time exploring the hills, local arts, and theatre troupes. She has a strong interest in Broad Spectrum Family Medicine, including advocacy, community health, and LGBT+ medicine. She looks forward to a long career in Rural Medicine.

Dr. Jokke Kokkonen comes to us from AT Still University, Kirksville. He is interested in working in an underserved area after residency and to have a positive influence in communities far from the epicenters of health care. Family Medicine will equip him with the tools to serve his future community. In his free time, you’ll find him on the prowl for new hikes, gardening (cherry tomatoes for his children is a must), camping, traveling, and training for 5Ks and half-marathons.

Jon Malan, D.O. has been providing primary care to underserved populations for 20 years, in rural Northern California and now in Idaho. He believes in a team approach to making care decisions, and that patients who are educated about their medications and conditions can make better choices about their health. Jon resides in the Pocatello area with his wife and 4 kids, and enjoys spending time with family, cooking, and reading about new discoveries in science

Dr. Jordan Hammon graduated from Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences. He was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho with two brothers and one sister. After high school, he studied microbiology at the undergraduate and graduate level with Idaho State University. Teaching undergraduate students in microbiology is where his love to educate others was fostered. He is the lead author of six journal articles in immunology on his research with the covertly infectious fungal organism Blastomyces Dermatitidis. He then attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University in Yakima, Washington. He intends to remain close to family and practice full-spectrum family medicine in Idaho. He enjoys weight training, hiking, camping, kayaking, and spending time with family.

Dr. Katrina Spangenberg was born and raised in the Texas Hill Country. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, earning a B.A. Honors in International Relations and Global Studies. This naturally led her to study medicine at the Medical School for International Health in Israel. She has a heart for caring for underserved communities and intends to take the expertise gained through the broad-scope family medicine training at ISU to work towards increasing healthcare access to underserved people groups and to provide quality, comprehensive, culturally sensitive care, domestically and abroad. Outside of medicine, she enjoys exploring the beauty of Idaho and being outside. You may find her running on a trail, swimming in the Portneuf river, skiing Pebble Creek, or hanging out with family in Utah. She is excited and grateful to be a part of the ISU Family Medicine community.

Dr. Logan Anderson attended medical school at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho. He studied at Utah State University where he received a Bachelor’s of Science in human biology and met his wife, Francesca. Prior to completing his undergraduate studies, Dr. Anderson spent two years living in Southern Chile where he learned Spanish and an appreciation of foreign cultures. He plans on practicing full-scope family medicine in a rural community where they can enjoy easy access to the great outdoors and all of its recreational opportunities. He and his wife love the outdoors and during their free time can often be found camping, hiking, swimming, or white-water rafting.

Dr. Melissa Kjos grew up in various small towns all over Oregon, with a short stent in Colorado, before she moved to Corvallis, Oregon to receive her undergraduate degree in Biology with minors in History and Chemistry at Oregon State University. She completed a 3-month medical internship in South Africa, working in various day hospitals and with EMS services in Cape Town’s numerous townships, prior to entering medical school at Oregon Health and Science University. She married her husband, Chris, in 2004 while he was a Military Police Officer. It was during his second deployment to Iraq that she went to Africa.

Melissa and her husband have a 3-year-old daughter, a miracle ex-24-week-old, who is the light of their lives, and the best teacher Melissa has ever had. Melissa enjoys traveling, camping, jogging, reading, and spending time with her family. She is excited to explore the beautiful outdoors surrounding Pocatello during her residency and experiencing a new area of the country.

Joseph Neil Ragan, M.D. is a board-certified family physician who graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed internship and residency training at Naval Regional Medical Center San Diego, CA, and Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, CA, respectively. After doing full-spectrum family medicine for 26 years in the U.S. Navy, Ragan returned to his small hometown in northeast Arkansas where he did emergency medicine and hospital inpatient work for a few years before relocating for family reasons to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Dr. Ragan is Medical Director at the Health West Pocatello Family Medicine residency clinic where he sees patients and teaches in the residency program. He has a special interest in under-served populations, including ensuring comprehensive and sensitive care for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people.

Dr. Nicholas “Nick” Henrie was born and raised in Lewiston, Idaho.  He graduated from BYU-Idaho with a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and attended medical school at the University of Utah. He married a farm girl from the Magic Valley and together they are raising two boys. They all share a passion for the state of Idaho and plan on settling in a rural part of the state where she can coach basketball and he can practice broad-spectrum family medicine with inpatient, outpatient, acute care, and obstetrics. He is an avid dry fly fisherman, but also enjoys hunting, camping, and playing and watching football, basketball, and baseball.

Dr. Sye Speth comes to us from University of Pikeville. He is drawn to Family Medicine because of the wide scope of practice, the personal, long-term relationships built, and the opportunity to be a teacher of medicine. In his free time, you’ll find Sye woodworking, camping, or playing baseball, bowling, and football.

Dr. Trevor Miller was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska and can’t help but love Husker football. He completed a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Concordia University, Nebraska before attending medical school at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in New Mexico. It is here he found enjoyment for many different areas of medicine naturally making family medicine a natural choice. After residency he plans on practicing rural broad-spectrum family medicine with an emphasis on obstetrics. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors doing various activities such as fishing and golfing.

Dr. Ty Smith, DO earned an undergraduate degree from Idaho State University and his medical degree from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic medicine in Missouri. Dr. Smith did his residency training at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, Colorado.

Ty was born and raised in Inkom, Idaho. He has been married to his high school sweetheart for 39 years, and, together, they have raised four children. He is also the proud grandfather of 10!

Dr. Smith went into healthcare because he wanted to be able to travel and help people. He came to work at Health West because he wanted to be back home in the area he loved. He loves to help his patients and sees value in treating complicated patients in the South Bannock Area. When Ty is not working in the clinics, you can find him working on his farm and with his horses.

Dr. Tyshae Jaggi comes to us from Pacific NW University. She hails from the Idaho Falls area. She aims to work in a rural area after residency, stating “I like the doctor-patient relationships in family medicine, the medical variety of cases, and the ability to work with all ages, entire families, and different ways of life”. In her free time you’ll find Tyshae outside running, hunting, fishing, hiking, playing soccer, or watching a movie at home.

“Laurie Nate is a native of Southeast Idaho, and grew up in Bear Lake County. She earned her nursing degree from Idaho State University and worked as an RN for 17 years; after which, she graduated from Graceland University with her Family Nurse Practitioner license. The rural community is her favorite area to work. After practicing in Kemmerer Wyoming for 7 years, Laurie moved back to Idaho with her husband. She has experienced various opportunities including: clinic setting, ER, hospital, home visits and education. Currently she is living in Dayton, Idaho with her husband, dog, horses, cows and chickens. During the winter she spends her free time inside doing handwork or studying, and in the summer she loves to be in the great outdoors.

Logan Higbee, PA, was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho. He received his education from Alderson Broaddus College in West Virginia before moving back to the area. He has been practicing medicine since 2010

Logan enjoys working with Health West patients to improve their health and make an impact on their lives. Logan enjoys spending time with his family, football, ultimate frisbee, disc golf and the outdoors.

Paul has been practicing medicine for 35 years. He received his education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He started his career with Health West in our Lava Hot Springs location. Since, he has practiced in Oregon, Montana and Washington; he returned to Health West in 2010.

In his spare time, Bieniasz enjoys the beautiful outdoor activities that Southeast Idaho has to offer from skiing to camping and fishing

Tina Guedes, FNP-C is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She is certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She received her undergraduate degree in nursing from Advent Health University. She received her master’s degree in Family Nurse Practitioner from Frontier Nursing University. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, she spent 20 years working as a registered nurse. She has diverse experience working in ICU, ICU step down, Emergency room, heart catheter recovery unit, and clinic nursing. Tine choose a career in medicine because she loves to help people and interact with them every day.

Tina grew up in Massachusetts, then moved to Florida with her family as a teenager. She moved to Idaho in 2013. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family friends, reading, hiking, and traveling. Health West is a wonderful organization that has so many resources to offer patients. Tina is proud to work here.

Zuzana earned her undergraduate and her master’s degree at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. She is certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Before becoming a nurse practitioner, she spent three years as a hospital based registered nurse in various departments which included medical, surgical, and cardiovascular. Prior to joining Health West in February 2014, Zuzana also worked part-time in the Pocatello Free Clinic as a volunteer NP.

Zuzana’s scope of practice encompasses health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis and management of common as well as complex health care problems spanning from childhood through senior life.

Among Zuzana’s greatest healthcare interests is in guidance and treatment of patients with diabetes. She understands the complexities of this disease requiring not only focus on treatment but even more important, prevention. She is passionate about educating diabetics on how they can manage their condition. She is a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Zuzana was born and raised in Slovakia yet has traveled throughout Europe and the US extensively. She moved to Pocatello, Idaho in 2007. She and her husband enjoy spending time playing golf, skiing, traveling and enjoying outdoors in beautiful Idaho.