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Meet Our Providers
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Provider Bios
Puyallup Office
Bonney Lake Office
Sunrise Medical Campus
Administrative Offices
Provider Bios
Puyallup Providers
Curtis Allen, PA-C
Marc Aversa, MD
Rhoda Brooks, PA-C, MPAS
Tammy D’Souza, DO
James Gee, PA-C
Nancy Grubb, MD
Sandra Loyer, PA-C
Jennifer Knowles, MD
Cydne Marckmann, MN, ARNP
David Nieman, PA-C
Andrew Poplawski, PA-C
Edward Pullen, MD
Kevin Taggart, MD
Christopher Young, MD
Bonney Lake Providers
Sonya Cottrell, PA-C
Julie Komarow, MD
Susan McDonald, MD
Daren Mealer, MD
Sean Stout, MD
Brandon Swisher, PA-C
Sunrise Providers
Darin Blackburn, MD
Cyndi Desmond, ARNP
Paul_Gibson, PA-C
Mohit Mahajan, MD
Donald Sinden, DO
Curtis Allen, PA-C
I joined Sound Family Medicine in 1991 as our
clinic’s first mid-level practitioner. I’ve had the tremendous pleasure
of watching our patients, community, and clinic grow over the years. I
enjoy the daily challenges of providing walk-in/urgent care for our
patients. I strongly believe that my role as a health care provider is
not just to treat disease, but also to help promote wellness in my
patients. I am interested in natural medicine and have completed a
yearlong professional course in homeopathic medicine. I enjoy the outdoor
life of the Pacific Northwest and I’m active in sea kayaking, mountain
biking, hiking and mountaineering and have successfully climbed Mount
Rainier on two occasions. I have twin teenage daughters that keep my home
life interesting and challenging.
Marc Aversa, MD
Family medicine benefits both patients and their
doctors: You get more personalized, tailored health care; and I get the
satisfaction and personal fulfillment of caring for families over months
or years. In fact, I chose family medicine because I enjoy caring for all
generations -- a child, a young couple during a pregnancy, right up to
grandparents.
I grew up an hour north of Edmonds and I've worked at SFM since finishing a family medicine residency at Valley Medical Center in Renton in 1999. My family and I have enjoyed joining the Puyallup community. My wife and I are busy raising our three young children, which includes shuttling them to activities through the YMCA.
I believe it is important that we take care of ourselves through fitness and healthy eating. You may see me running on the streets of South Hill. I enjoy discussing exercise with my patients, whether they are beginning a walking program, cycling, swimming or marathon training.
Medicine is changing. Most patients notice the difference right
away in our office -- computer charts, printed prescriptions instead of
handwritten. Some of these changes are important for patient safety,
while others are about moving the center of the health care encounter from
the physician to the patient. For example, I try to be available to my
patients the same day they call for an appointment. People come to
us from many walks of life. My role is to advise. This usually
means laying out some options and helping patients select what will work
for them. This is a different model compared to a decade ago when
the doctor finished the visit and told you what to do. But what has
not changed is the value of a strong relationship with your doctor.
As my practice has grown, so has my understanding of my patients’ values.
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Darin Blackburn, MD
I joined Sound Family Medicine in 2002 after
completing my residency training. I have a diverse past including three
years as a Cavalry Scout in the US Army following high school and several
summers fighting forest fires while in college. I attended the University
of Colorado School of Medicine before moving to Washington. I greatly
enjoy living in western Washington, where my wife and I can be near many
of our family members. My favorite aspect of family medicine is being
able to treat patients of all ages with diverse medical needs. I can
provide care in the areas of pediatrics, adult medicine, geriatrics, and
obstetrics, often within the course of a single day.
One of the most important functions I serve for my
patients is as a teacher, educating them about their individual medical
conditions and directing them to outside sources of information. Patients
come to us from diverse backgrounds, and I value the wisdom and knowledge
my patients share with me about our community, our world and life in all
its phases.
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Rhoda Brooks, PA-C, MPAS
I joined Sound Family Medicine last June, 2007. I started my career after graduating from the University of Washington, Medex Northwest Program in 1998. I worked for three years in family medicine and urgent care at Marysville, Group Health. We then moved to Bend, Oregon where I worked in pediatrics for the next five years. We have recently relocated back to Puyallup and I am now working the Sound Same-Day Clinic (SSDC) at the Hartland clinic.
I served for four years as a Navy Corpsman. I attended the University of Maryland for my bachelor’s degree and University of Washington for my physician assistant training. I completed my Masters of Physician Assistant Studies with the University of Nebraska.
I enjoy the fast pace and scope of care I am able to offer patients in the SSDC
with a special interest in pediatrics. In my spare time my family and I
enjoy hiking, golfing, swimming, skiing and travel. We are really
enjoying making Puyallup our home.
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Sonya Cottrell, PA-C
I started my medical career as a nurse in 1994 working with geriatric
patients, and in a family practice clinic. I soon found that I wanted to
do more than give injections, draw blood, and dress wounds: I wanted to
treat people with care and educate them on their health.
I attended the MEDEX Northwest University of Washington School of Medicine
program from 2001-2004. I learned great deal of family practice medicine,
as well as orthopedics, rheumatology, urgent care, and correctional
medicine.
I began at Sound Family Medicine in December 2004 in their Same Day
Clinic. Eventually I shared my time between the Sound Family Medicine
Bonney Lake location and the Same Day clinic in Puyallup. I love the
combination family and urgent care medicine. I appreciate the opportunity
to treat you, your families and friends.
In my spare time, I enjoy playing with my kids, scrap-booking,
photography, camping, cooking and baking, and shopping.
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Cyndi Desmond, ARNP
The
newest care provider at Sound Family Medicine, Cyndi Desmond, ARNP,
became a nurse in 1983, seeing it as a way to combine her love of
speaking Spanish as a second language with her desire to help others.
Cyndi received both her RN and ARNP training at Pace University in New
York City. In 1996, she and her husband of 25 years and 2 teenage
children relocated from NYC to Pierce County.
Now in her tenth year of practice as a Registered Nurse Practitioner in
the Puyallup area, Cyndi enjoys the variety of medical challenges
that she encounters daily. She sees her main role as a patient advocate,
helping patients negotiate the complex health care system and make
informed decisions about their own health care. Being able to connect
closely with many generations of the same family is another reward to
Cyndi.
Cyndi is joining the Sunrise Campus of Sound Family Medicine and looks
forward to helping serve the growing patient demand at the site. In her
spare time, Cyndi enjoys grooming and caring for two soft coated Wheaten
terriers, canoeing, and cross country skiing.
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Tammy D’Souza, DO
Being in family practice gives me the advantage of
understanding the whole family while caring for each individual.
Listening to patients is very important to me and I strongly encourage my
patients to freely express their concerns. I enjoy adolescent medicine
and women’s health and want to maintain a lasting patient-doctor
relationship. Being in the Northwest, I enjoy gardening and when not at
work, I spend time with my family.
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James (Jim) Gee, PA-C
I have been with Sound Family Medicine for eight
years and have enjoyed every day working with this group of
professionals. I have been working in the medical field for the last 30
years and continue to enjoy interacting with all the patients and people I
have met through the years. Family practice affords me the opportunity to
manage the health care of the very young to our aging population. On days
away from work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and children, working
out, fishing, bowling, and golf.
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Paul Gibson, PA-C
Although I am one of the newer members of Sound Family Medicine, I have been a health care provider for 30 years. I honorably served my country as a Special Forces Medic, and graduated from the MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program at the University of Washington School of Medicine, with training in Family Practice and Primary Care. I also have experience in Radiology, Orthopedics and Occupational medicine.
I enjoy working with the dedicated health care professionals at Sound Family Medicine. I am proud to be part of a group that uses its collective talents and experiences to treat patients with honesty and respect, helping them to become well again. I enjoy working with the variety of patients that Sound Family Medicine serves, in the urgent care setting as well as the long term family practice and primary care issues.
When I get time off, I like to spend it with my wife and two daughters. We have been in the Puget Sound for almost 10 years and love the area and people. I enjoy woodworking, computers, photography, gardening, fishing and canoeing. I’m also active in my church and I am an assistant scoutmaster with our local Boy Scout troop, which gives me the chance to share the things I have learned about the outdoors, camping and hiking.
I look forward to getting to know even more wonderful people and future friends
in the area as I help you with your healthcare needs.
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Nancy Grubb, MD
Welcome to our practice! I am Nancy Grubb, one of
the part-time physicians, and have worked here since 1996. I enjoy seeing
patients of all ages and providing obstetrical care. My husband, Mark
Grubb, is a pediatrician in Puyallup, and we have 2 young daughters. We
enjoy hiking, cycling and gardening and we are both involved in a
Christian outreach ministry for teens, Young Life. I look forward to
caring for you and your family.
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Jennifer Knowles, MD
I
joined Sound Family Medicine’s Puyallup office in September, 2004. This
has really been an exciting move for me and my family, since I grew up
in Puyallup (RHS class of 1983). Prior to coming to SFM, I practiced
family medicine for 10 years in Renton. I enjoy every aspect of family
medicine, from maternity care and pediatrics, to caring for middle aged
and elderly patients.
During my leisure time, I enjoy running, backpacking, and orienteering
(an obscure sport of cross-country navigation with map and compass!). My
husband and I also enjoy playing with our son and daughter, including
shuttling them to sports and school activities. My family and I are very
happy to be back in the Puyallup community. I look forward to meeting
you and caring for your family.
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Julie Komarow, MD
In joining Sound Family Medicine, Dr. Julie Komarow has come full-circle. She began her career in family medicine 21 years ago with Everett Family Practice Center. After the closure of EFPC in 2001, she found herself working for a corporate owned clinic in Covington for the past five years.
The opportunity to join SFM, and return to an environment in which the bottom line is excellent patient care, proved irresistible. “I wanted to go back to a physician owned and run practice, providing full-spectrum family medicine – that’s where I came from and where I belong,” Dr. Komarow emphasizes.
With Sound Family Medicine, Dr. Komarow will provide family and hospital medicine, with a special emphasis on obstetrics and preventive care. As a breast cancer survivor, Dr. Komarow has a personal perspective on the value of heading off problems before they become serious. Patients who select her as their provider need to plan on seeing her on at least a yearly basis, she says.
The daughter of an Air Force pilot, she inherited a love for speed and has given it an outlet competing in sprint and endurance races with local and national sports car clubs. She has driven BMWs and Porsches in races all over the US. “Just don’t call me ‘Camaro’, she says, semi-jokingly. “I’m a German car kind of woman.” (Her name is pronounced ‘Comma-Row’.)
At the opposite end of the speed and noise spectrum, she and her husband also own six llamas, who behave more like big dogs than livestock. Smart and affectionate, each has its own personality. She adds that the llamas ride nonchalantly in the family van when heading out on a camping/hiking trip.
Dr. Komarow grew up all over the U.S., but has lived in the Pacific Northwest since high school. She knew that Washington state was where she wanted to live and practice medicine. “Family medicine specialists are much appreciated in Washington’s medical community,” Dr. Komarow says, and the partnership between primary care providers and specialists provides patients with care that’s both efficient and effective. The respect other physicians hold for Dr. Komarow is evident in the fact that, for the last 15+ years, she has represented the state as a trustee for the Washington State Medical Association and as a delegate to the American Medical Association.
Dr. Komarow looks forward to serving her existing patients, as well as new patients, in the Bonney Lake area beginning later this month.
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Sandra Loyer, PA-C
I
am one of the new faces at Sound Family Medicine’s Sunrise location and
am excited to be joining the fine group of medical providers there. I
enjoy working with people of all ages and consider it a privilege to
assist patients with their health care needs. I believe the best health
care occurs when the provider and the patient partner together to
address the patient’s needs, concerns and questions.
I graduated from Idaho State University in 1998 with a Bachelor of
Science in Physician Assistant Studies with an emphasis on Family
Practice and Rural Health Medicine. Prior to P.A. school, I had been
employed part-time as a Physical Therapy technician in Idaho working
with patients in the hospital and nursing home after surgery, in a
Sports Medicine clinic and with wound and burn care. After graduation, I
worked as a Family Practice Physician Assistant in Shelton, Washington
from 1998-2004. I then worked locally in an Urgent Care/Walk-In Clinic
until 2007 at which time I made the decision to return to Family
Practice.
I was born and grew up in Olympia and love living in the Pacific
Northwest. We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful region of the
country! I have a daughter in graduate school in Pennsylvania and a son
who is senior at the University of Washington. When I am not working, I
enjoy cooking, kayaking, hiking and fishing.
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Mohit Mahajan, MD
Like many other physicians with Sound Family Medicine, I have moved to the Northwest to become part of this outstanding group of health care providers. However, I’ve come a bit further than most -- from the other side of the globe. Along the way, I spent a few years in Texas getting to know the medical system and life in the United States.
After I moved to Northwest to start my residency training in Family Medicine, I decided to make this part of the country my home away from home, as the climate, ambiance and the hospitality of its people resembles that of my region in India. This will be even more meaningful to me when my wife, Monika, joins me next year after completing Dentistry from UIC Chicago.
I enjoy practicing holistic medicine and patient education and encouraging patients to participate in decision making in their health care. Besides English, I am fluent in the Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu languages as well. I feel blessed to be a part of Sound Family Medicine and my wife and I look forward to becoming members of this community and starting our own family here.
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Cydne
Marckmann, MN, ARN
P,
Certified Lactation Consultant
I joined Sound Family Medicine in 2001. I began my nursing career after
service in both the Air Force and Air Force Reserve, then completed my
Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from George Mason University in Fairfax,
Virginia. I moved to Puyallup in 1996 and soon after began commuting to
the University of Washington for my Master’s of Nursing degree. A labor
and delivery nurse for most of my hospital career, I became Board
Certified as a lactation consultant because of a special interest in
supporting new families.
I have always had a sincere desire to serve and contribute to the
community where I live. Sound Family Medicine allows me to do that. I
enjoy living and working in Puyallup where I feel a connection to each of
my clients. I enjoy working with teenagers and all aspects of both women’s
health and primary care. I take great joy in helping new moms with
breastfeeding issues. As a nurse practitioner, I enjoy coaching my clients
to maximize their health and prevent illness. I have hosted classes here
at Sound on smoking cessation, pregnancy and lactation issues.
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading and
gardening. I have a young son who is a student in the Puyallup School
District and can often be found on my day off working around his school. I
am also active in the PTA, the East Pierce County chapter of Habitat for
Humanity, Puyallup Santa Cops and youth programs at Unity Church of
Edgewood. I would love to become your healthcare partner & hope to see you
soon.
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Susan McDonald, MD
I am a longtime Washington resident who grew up in
the South Sound area, and still have tons of family nearby. I attended
Washington schools and graduated from UW Medical School in 1994. After
first practicing in Auburn, I joined SFM in July 2003. Full-spectrum
family medicine has allowed me to establish strong family relationships by
providing maternity care for moms, caring for babies and children, and
even their grandparents. My own young children keep me busy and in touch
with the concerns that all parents have for our children. In my spare
time, I enjoy exercising, scrapbooking and spending time with family.
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Daren Mealer, MD
Although I was raised in Central Texas, it wasn’t until I first ventured to the Puget Sound area as an ROTC midshipman during college that I knew where I wanted to call home. The laid-back attitude and eclectic style of the Northwest reminded me of Austin, but the mountains and rivers offered new territory to pursue the road biking, kayaking and rock climbing I enjoy.
After many years of medical education and service in two military branches, I am finally here to stay. I look forward immensely to partnering with individuals and families in a comprehensive approach to medical care. I enjoy the art of medicine, in talking with my patients, in explaining therapeutic options, and in fostering plans for healthy lifestyle changes at any stage in life.
I practice full scope family medicine from obstetrics to geriatrics. I have been an active duty physician at hospitals in the United States as well as in the Middle East and Central Asia. Although I am a board certified family physician, I have also worked in Internal Medicine, Pediatric, and Emergency Services.
Because my Russian-born wife is currently serving as a linguist overseas, daily letter writing is my current primary hobby. But in my leisure I also find some time to enjoy bicycling, rock-climbing, kayaking, participating in medical missions, reading British literature, and promoting educational opportunities for children.
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David Nieman, PA-C
I
am pleased to join the team at Sound Family Medicine. I have recently
retired from over 20 years of service in the Army most of that spent
right here in Fort Lewis in the 2nd Ranger Battalion. Because of my
military background, I am used to working with clearly focused and
dedicated people who have the patient’s best interest in mind. I have
found that same dedication in the staff of Sound Family Medicine and
look forward to serving our community with them.
I became interested in medicine when I joined the Army as a medic in
1986 and had the opportunity to work closely with PA’s and our battalion
surgeon. It took a few years on active duty to get enough college out of
the way to apply for PA school but I began the Army PA program, through
the University of Texas in San Antonio in 1994 and graduated in 1996. I
then went on to complete a Masters in Family Medicine at the University
of Nebraska in 1998.
My family and I are deeply rooted in our local community and enjoy all
that the great Northwest has to offer. We enjoy camping, hunting,
fishing, are very active members of the Roy Rodeo Association and I have
recently accepted an appointment as the Northern Committee Director for
the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association. We also raise beef cattle
on our farm and spend much of our free time caring for our livestock and
gardening.
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Andrew Poplawski, PA-C
I may be a new face at Sound Family Medicine, but I have nearly 30 years
experience in providing medical care at a variety of levels.
For the past three years I have been part of the Family Medicine Department at
Madigan Army hospital. Before that, I spent 24 years in the US Navy as an
Independent Duty Hospital Corpsman, specializing in Sports Medicine,
Occupational Health and Hyperbaric Medicine. I am also a licensed
Registered Nurse, paramedic, and medical technologist. As a Physician’s
Assistant, I have developed a strong interest in emergency and urgent care
medicine, as well as orthopedics & internal medicine.
I graduated from North Park University in Chicago and the University of
Utah School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant’s Program. I have made the
Puyallup/Tacoma area my home since 1978.
My wife & I have been married for 21 years, and we have 3 teenage sons.
The oldest is finishing his sophomore year at Eastern Washington, the
other two attend Rogers High School. I am looking forward to serving the
SFM family.
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Edward Pullen, MD
I joined
SFM in 1987 and I have enjoyed the
experience of providing care for patients and families as we have grown
and changed together. Seeing babies, children, and adults young and old
makes my practice challenging, interesting, and fulfilling. Although I
discontinued the maternity care aspect of my practice in 2002, I still
provide women’s health care to my patients. In particular, I enjoy
providing care for children.
In my spare time I enjoy bird watching, spending time with my teenage children and following their school and sports activities. I am active in the South Hill Rotary and in Celebration Lutheran Church, where I am in the choir and participate in the retirement home ministry.
I am passionate about helping SFM grow to help meet the health care needs of our community. When I’m not seeing patients, I’m working to improve the healthcare of the community as a managing partner for SFM.
My goal is to ensure that Sound Family Medicine can
continue to meet the needs of our current patients, as well as to be
available to help meet the currently underserved primary health care needs
of our community.
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Donald Sinden, DO
I
moved from our Puyallup clinic to our new Sunrise Medical Campus
location in mid-Oct 2004. This allowed me to be located closer to my
many patients living farther south on the hill, and to accept the
challenge of leadership at the new office while remaining part of Sound
Family Medicine group.
I joined Sound Family Medicine in 1994 after completing a tour of duty
in the Army as the post-flight surgeon and family practice physician at
Fort Sill, Oklahoma. While at Ft. Sill I was able to practice a full
spectrum of family practice that included obstetrical care. During this
time, I was deployed to serve in Desert Shield/Storm where I was a
battalion surgeon for the 2118th artillery battalion. After completing
my military obligation, my family and I were looking forward to
returning to Washington to find a place to practice.
We were delighted to find a wonderful group of doctors here in Puyallup
that shared my ideals of full family medicine including delivering
babies. My wife, Linda, was glad to be back near family after years of
moving our family from place to place while in the military. Our
children, Rachel, Andrea, Brian, and Christopher, have enjoyed growing
up in Puyallup.
Since coming to Puyallup, I have been blessed with a panel of wonderful
patients. I feel privileged to be a part of their lives. I plan on
continuing my practice and serving my patients here for years to come.
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Sean Stout, MD
Let me be honest. I didn’t want to be a doctor when I
started college. I didn’t tolerate the sight of blood well, and just
wasn’t interested the field. Instead, I studied physics, since that was a
challenging, exciting, growing field.
Two years in Japan as a missionary led to a change of heart. I discovered that I enjoyed working with people, getting to know them and help them. I knew I wouldn’t get much of an opportunity to develop these kinds of personal interactions as a physicist, so I looked into medicine as a challenging, exciting, growing field where I could also serve others. I have never regretted that decision.
I was raised here in the Northwest, but after graduating from Kentridge High School (class of 85), I spent 14 years away from home (between college at Brigham Young University, my missionary years, medical school at the University of Utah, and residency in South Bend, Indiana). The Air Force brought me back, stationing me at McChord clinic for four years. I recently left the unique challenges of military medicine to try my hand in the civilian world, joining Sound Family Medicine in November of 2003. Once again, it was decision I haven’t regretted. I have enjoyed the chance to meet and talk with my patients and doing hospital medicine.
My wife and five kids are also happy with our decision to stay in the area and enter civilian life. Next year we will have two at Ferrucci Junior High School, two at Ridgecrest Elementary, and one trying to sneak on his sisters’ busses. My wife stays busy with our kids, in addition to all of her PTA work and volunteering at the schools, while in my free time I work as a Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts.
Medicine is changing, and both patients and providers
need to be involved in these changes to be sure we can continue to give
you the best possible care. I look forward to many years working with you
to ensure your health, and your access to good care.
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Kevin Taggart, MD
I believe a sense of humor can heal your heart and mind and there are
studies to confirm it. I try to bring a gentle and natural sense of humor
to my family medicine practice. Like our other doctors, I care for all
ages of patients, and I have an emphasis on obstetrical care, internal
medicine, and pediatrics. As a sports enthusiast, I also have training in
sports medicine, and help out in the community as the team physician for
the Puyallup High football team. I enjoy all spectator sports, and
spending time with my wife and two young children.
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Christopher Young, MD
Once upon
a time, doctors made all the decisions for their patients. Today, patients
expect to share in the decision-making process, and I believe that it’s
important for doctors to encourage and respect their wishes. I provide
whole family care and preventative medicine with special interest in
obstetrics, pediatrics, and minor office surgery. I am fluent in Thai as
well as English. I enjoy having my extended family in the Puget Sound
area, and am enjoying coaching my children’s soccer teams.
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Brandon Swisher, PA-C
My
career as a Physician Assistant here at Sound Family Medicine is the
culmination of a long and somewhat convoluted career in medicine
spreading over the past sixteen years. I grew up in eastern Washington
in the college town of Pullman, Washington (Go Cougs!!). I later moved
to Spokane, Washington where I lived for the next twenty or so years.
My career in medicine started when I joined the Army as a field Medic. I knew shortly after starting my military training that I wanted to continue in the medical field once I was back in the civilian world. I initially worked as a Medical Assistant at a walk-in urgent care clinic for the first five years out of the military. I then went back to college and became a Surgical Technologist. I practiced at Sacred Heart and Holy Family Hospitals in Spokane, Washington for the next ten years.
After ten years as a technician, I realized that there was never going to be any “upward mobility” in this focused career field, and I missed interacting with my patients (it’s hard to talk to someone who is asleep on the operating table). I decided to once again go back to college and train as a Physician Assistant.
I feel that as a Physician Assistant I am finally realizing the full
patient care ‘experience’ that I was lacking in my previous medical
career fields. Until recently, I practiced with an emergency medicine
group in Vancouver, Washington. Practicing medicine in this capacity was
a wonderful learning experience, but I am so happy to be in a family
practice group where I feel that I can finally provide the most
comprehensive care to my patients in this wonderful community.
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