| Dr.
Gilbert to begin seeing patients
Dr. Andrew Gilbert will begin seeing patients the first week of September at the Cottonwood and Craigmont Medical Clinics. He recently completed his residency in Boise through the Family Practice Residency of Idaho program. His medical degree is from the University of Washington School of Medicine. In August, 2004 he completed a rural rotation at St. Mary’s Hospital and Clinics. 
“When I was in Cottonwood as a second year resident, I really enjoyed working with the medical staff and felt they would be the best possible group to work with,” said Dr. Gilbert. “I also felt the community was so open and welcoming. When I was asked if I’d be interested in joining the practice I thought it would be a great match.” Dr. Gilbert was raised in Great Falls Montana. He graduated magna cum laude from Carroll College in Helena with a degree in Biology. “My stepdad was a biology teacher and in high school I was very interested in science. I decided to become a doctor because I wanted to work one-on-one with people.” During medical school, Dr. Gilbert was a research assistant with the Montana Diabetes Project. He has published and presented research on issues relating to Diabetes care in Native American populations. He has also volunteered in Micronesia helping provide full spectrum health care in the country of Pohnpei. In his third year of medical school he provided a series of lectures and discussions on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis to residents in the communities of McCall, New Meadows and Riggins. “I learned a lot during my volunteer, school and work experiences. They helped me make the decision to become a family practice physician. My goal is to practice the full scope of medicine from delivering newborns to working with older patients,” said Dr. Gilbert. “It allows me to work in an ER, a clinic setting and within a hospital. I am really looking forward to developing long term relationships with my patients and providing the best care possible.” Dr. Gilbert and his wife, Katie, have purchased property in the Cottonwood area. She will be a kindergarten teacher at Prairie Elementary School. While teaching in Boise, Katie received the award for Teacher of the Year from the Boise School District. “We’re looking forward to settling in. We both enjoy outdoor activities and this area certainly has a lot of opportunities,” said Dr. Gilbert. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, mountain biking and skiing. “We are really fortunate to have Dr. Gilbert join our medical staff,” said Casey Meza, CEO. “He is familiar with a rural setting and is a great complement to our other providers. I think the people here will enjoy meeting him and Katie. They’ll be a great asset to our health care team and to the community.” |
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