Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 2, 2020

12 Kelly Nelson, D.O. Kootenai Clinic Family Medicine, Hayden Tell us a littlebit aboutyouandyour family: I grew up in Coeur d’Alene, so it is nice to be back practicing in the area. I have a 3-year-old daughter and two Maine Coon cats. Whydidyoupickyour specialty? On my rotations, I found I liked aspects of all the specialties, so family medicine gives me that diversity. I also love that family medicine allows me to establish a long-term relationship with my patients. What canpatients expectwhen they firstmeetwithyou? They can expect a physician who is dedicated to her practice and wants to work with her patients to improve their health. Lisa McGill-Vargas, M.D. Neonatology Tell us a littlebit aboutyouandyour family: I met my husband while I was in medical school and he was in the anatomy master’s program at Loma Linda University in California. We have been married for over 11 years and have a 7-year-old son. Our family enjoys exploring the Northwest, we love skiing the local mountains in the winter and hiking and paddleboarding around Priest Lake, Coeur d’Alene Lake and Lake Pend Oreille in the summer. My parents recently moved to Creston, British Columbia, and I am lucky to have them make the short drive to visit frequently. Whydidyoupickyour specialty? During my pediatric residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, I fell in love with neonatology. I can still remember the first extremely premature baby I resuscitated in the delivery room and then cared for for three months in the NICU. I realize that no parent wishes for their baby to need intensive care, but I am honored to be involved in this critical time. Although they are fragile, I am humbled and amazed by the resilience I see in babies every day. What canpatients expectwhen theyfirst meetwithyou? I am passionate about neonatal and maternal care. I work hard to provide excellent care and do everything I can to provide evidence-based medicine while involving the parents in the care of their child. What are someofyour hobbies? I enjoy running, skiing and working out. I am happiest when I am traveling or exploring the outdoors with my family. What drewyou toKootenai Health? I am impressed by Kootenai Health’s commitment to provide excellent care to patients in northern Idaho and throughout the Inland Northwest. I am excited to be part of a health care team that is so invested in their community. What isyour favoritehealthy tip? Exercise to have fun and be healthy. Me e t o u r n ew p r ov i d e r s Michael Raber, M.D. Kootenai Clinic Neurosurgery and Spine Tell us a littlebit about youandyour family: My wife, Elizabeth, and I are from Texas and we have one daughter, Ella. We have two fur babies (dogs), Lyla (a boxer) and Jax (a black Lab). We met and got married in Houston, where I previously worked at Baylor College of Medicine and Elizabeth was working as an environmental compliance attorney. Whydidyoupickyour specialty? I have always been procedure-oriented. When I went to medical school, I signed up to shadow the neurosurgery residents and found a natural proclivity to the disease processes and surgical interventions. I enjoy the technical challenge, the high stress and making a difference through what we can accomplish in the operating room. I think the specialty has a mystique about it, but most of us are just normal people who have a high drive toward making people better in a specialized manner.