Pacific Alumni Among Top Portland Doctors
Twenty-one Pacific University alumni were recognized in January 2017 when Portland Monthly magazine published its annual list of Top Doctors and Nurses.
The list, which the magazine has published for the past 13 years, represents the top 5 percent of vote-getters in a survey that asks healthcare providers to name the best among their peers in a variety of medical specialties.
The 2017 edition marks the first time that Portland Monthly has included physician assistants in the list. Physician assistants practice medicine under the supervision of a physician and are found in almost every medical setting, representing a growing percentage of the healthcare field. Portland Monthly notes, the number of PAs in the Portland area has jumped 38 percent since 2012.
Pacific has offered a master’s degree program for physician assistants since 1997, and many of its alumni made the Portland Monthly list:
Joanna (Christiansen) Adams PA '13
OHSU Brain Institute
Surgery - Neurological
Brooke Arias PA '10
Tuality Health Care
Emergency Medicine
Erin Bolken PA '08
Pacific Vascular Specialists
Surgery - Vascular
Diana Brewer PA '05
OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
Hematology and Oncology
Michael Cunningham PA '07
The Portland Clinic
Sports Medicine
Saje Davis-Risen PA '06
SW Community Health Center, Hillsboro
Family Medicine
Jon Gietzen PA '99
Kaiser Permanente Sunset Clinic
Family Medicine
Ian Hartman PA '06
Providence Portland Medical Center
Surgery - Cardiothoracic
Lisa Kensil PA '06
NW Renal Clinic - Tualatin
Nephrology
Nicole Knigge PA '14
Providence Medical Group – Sunset Internal Medicine
Internal Medicine
Melisa Laurits-Stocek PA '02
Kaiser Permanente Interstate Medical Office
Internal Medicine
Kelly Mahara (Charles) Bartholomew PA '99
NW Urology
Pediatric Urology
Cindy Melean PA '09
OHSU
Anesthesiology and Pain Management
Alyssa Pace PA '00
Oregon Pediatrics - NE
Pediatrics (General)
Amy Scheer PA '09
Compass Oncology - West
Family Medicine
Nate Smith PA '03
Goodskin Dermatology
Dermatology
Timothy Smith PA '99
OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
Hematology & Oncology
Mary (Forste) Titmus PA '15
Waldorf Center for Plastic Surgery
Surgery - Plastic
Three other Pacific University alumni also made the list.
- Jennifer Gibbons ’94 majored in biology as an undergraduate at Pacific and now practices naturopathic medicine at the Magnolia Family Clinic.
- Noami (Halsey) McClure studied psychology as an undergraduate at Pacific and now practices emergency medicine at the Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Clinic.
- Leigh Reece PT ’10 earned her doctorate in physical therapy at Pacific University and practices at The Portland Clinic.
The health professions are a cornerstone of the Pacific University academic offerings. In addition to physician assistant studies and physical therapy, Pacific also offers graduate and professional programs in athletic training, audiology, dental hygiene, gerontology, healthcare administration, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, psychology, speech-language pathology and vision science. Many undergraduates also prepare for healthcare careers with majors and minors in biology, chemistry, exercise science, music therapy, psychology, public health and more.