BY KAREN BOSSICK

St. Luke’s Wood River will get its first full-time pediatrician in more than a decade this month.

Dr. Katie Quayle will start Oct. 22.

Quayle has a special interest in preventative care, mental health and working with adolescents.

Quayle, who grew up in a small town outside Boston, graduated from Williams College and earned her medical degree at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

But she has wanted to live out west amidst the wide open spaces and big mountains ever since taking a NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) course in Wyoming following high school. She did a residency at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and became a general pediatrician in Riverton, Utah, afterwards.

She and her husband Forrest, whom she married in August, are thrilled to start out their new married lie in Sun Valley.

“We both love being outside in the mountains, camping, hiking, mountain biking, back country skiing and cross country skiing,” she said. “I love long-distance trail running, as well, and am excited for the many trails surrounding the valley. Forrest is an avid whitewater kayaker who is happy to be a little closer to rivers than he was in Salt Lake City.”

Quayle hopes to establish long-term relationships with both the children in her care and their families.

“My philosophy as a pediatrician is to take care of the whole child because where kids live, their families, as well as their diet and interests, all contribute to their health,” she said. “Getting to know each child individually helps me take better care of them. I think well child checks are important to help keep kids healthy as well as to keep track of their growth and development. As more and more children are struggling with mental health, pediatricians have an important role in taking care of kids' emotional health, too.”

Quayle will establish her practice at St. Luke’s Clinic-Family Medicine in the Hailey Clinic. She will also serve the needs of pediatric inpatients at St. Luke’s Wood River near Ketchum. To schedule an appointment call 208-788-3434 or visit www.stlukesonline.org/resources/before-your-visit/making-an-appointment.

Dr. Nancy Mann will continue to provide developmental pediatric services, on a weekly basis, as well.

The full-time pediatric services in made possible through St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation’s Pediatric Services Endowment, which is made possible through community generosity.

HOSPITALIST JOINS STAFF

Dr. Katie Schneider has joined the medical staff of St. Luke’s Wood River as a hospitalist. Schneider, who started Oct. 1, will free up primary care providers from doing rounds at the hospital, allowing them more time to see patients in clinic.

The hospitalist system will increase the number of same-day appointments, which can be accessed via phoning the Hailey clinic at 208-788-3434 or via online scheduling through the electronic health record portal MyChart: mychart.slhs.org/MyChart.