Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 3, 2019

10 Me e t o u r n ew p r ov i d e r s Regan Brown, PA-C Kootenai Clinic Rheumatology Tell us a little bit about you and your family: I’ve been married for almost 14 years to my wife, who has the much harder job as a stay-at-home mother of our two daughters and one son. I commute to Kootenai Clinic from Spokane where church, family and school are close. Why did you pick your specialty? I was a physician assistant (PA) in dermatology, which I loved, for almost six years leading up to this transition to rheumatology. I believe the knowledge I have of dermatologic diseases and treatment options, in collaboration with being a board-certified rheumatologist, will aid in more rapid rheumatologic disease diagnosis and treatment. It is also more and more difficult to be seen by a rheumatologist these days. As a PA in the specialty, I can hopefully lessen this burden so patients can get help sooner. What can patients expect when they first meet with you? Patients can expect me to listen to them. I want everyone to know that finding the problem and treating the problem is a team effort between provider and patient. What are some of your hobbies? I enjoy family outings, working in the yard and attempting to turn a long-time baseball swing into a golf swing. What drew you to Kootenai Health? I quickly felt a warm, family-like environment at Kootenai, which is growing for the right reasons. What is your favorite healthy tip? I have one based on each of my specialties: “Move it or lose it,” for my rheumatology patients, and, “The best sunscreen is the one you're willing to put on,” for my dermatology patients. To schedule an appointment, call (208) 625-4780 . Erick Montero, M.D., FACS Kootenai Heart Clinics Cardiothoracic Surgery Why did you pick your specialty? The summer before I started medical school at USC, I was fortunate to meet an amazing cardiac surgeon, who later on became my mentor and advisor. I would spend any available time and some weekends following him and his team during rounds. I also had the opportunity to observe and participate in some cardiac operations. Very quickly I realized that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my career as a physician. In essence, it was the early exposure and the outstanding mentorship. What can patients expect when they first meet with you? The idea of having heart surgery (or any surgery of the chest) can be overwhelming and scary to patients and families. The most important part of our meeting is that, at the very end, my patients understand exactly what operation I am proposing, why I believe it will be