Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 3, 2022

12 Taylor Laverdiere, PA-C Kootenai Urgent Care Tell us abit aboutyouandyour family. My husband and I have two fur babies. We met eight years ago and have been married for four years. We are excited to finally be done with school and start our careers. Whydidyoupickyour specialty? I have always been drawn to acute care. My husband is in emergency medicine. For me, urgent care provides the perfect balance of family and life. What canpatients expectwhen they firstmeetwithyou? Working in medicine, especially acute care, can take a toll. I try to always meet patients with a smile on my face and hope my empathy and compassion are felt. What are someofyour hobbies? I like to work hard and play harder! In the summertime we paddleboard, mountain bike, hike and fish. When the snow comes, we enjoy snowshoeing and downhill skiing. What drewyou toKootenai Health? I was born and raised in North Lake Tahoe. We visited Coeur d’Alene a few times in the past. As we neared the end of our training, we felt this area provided both the recreational lifestyle and medical facilities we were looking for. What isyour favoritehealthy tip? I use Pinterest to find quick and healthy meals. Christian Menard, M.D., Ph.D. Emergency Medicine Tell us abit aboutyou andyour family. My wife and I have three children, ages 8 to 11, and five dogs. My wife started a dog rescue when we moved to Houston. She has rescued 4,000 dogs to date. We fostered over 200 dogs in the process. Three of them failed to launch and helped create our oversized pack. We’re excited to get the family settled in Coeur d’Alene where we can all spend more time outdoors together. Whydidyoupickyour specialty? In truth, I probably was influenced by the show ER in my teens and 20s, although I expected to resemble Doug Ross more than Mark Green. The fast pace, variety and high acuity resonated with me then—and still do. What canpatients expectwhen theyfirst meetwithyou? They can expect me to take the time to sit with them and to listen to them. If they come to the emergency department (ED) with a problem, I will make every effort to quickly and compassionately care for them. Often patients come to the ED because they don’t know where to get help. When the ED can’t fully solve their problem, I will still make the time to explain the limitations of what we can provide and to direct them to more appropriate resources.

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