BY KAREN BOSSICK
Two consummate hikers are parking their hiking boots during office hours to serve St. Luke’s Wood River Family Medicine Clinic as primary care providers.
Dr. Victoria Kent and Dr. Joe Pendleton will start in January 2023.
The two met at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Pendleton majored in microbiology with minors in gender studies and global health before attending medical school at the university. He pursued his passion for rural healthcare by rotating around the small communities of Wisconsin during his third and fourth years.
Kent majored in Biology and Spanish at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before completing her medical degree at Pacific Northwest University of Osteopathic Medicine in Yakima. Like Pendleton, she served nearly all of her clinical rotations in rural communities.
The two completed their residency at Family Medicine Residency of Idaho.
“Tori and I were drawn to the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho in Boise for its challenging curriculum and focus on rural communities,” said Pendleton. “During residency we were able to rotate in the Wood River Valley and fell in love with the extremely patient centered and medical team-based approach employed by the St Luke’s team, ensuring high value care in a small setting.”
When not tending to patients, Kent and Pendleton have hiked the entirety of the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail through 14 states on the East Coast. They have also hiked the 2,653-mile Pacific Crest Trail through California, Oregon and Washington, according to relatives. And they finished hiking the 3,028-mile Continental Divide Trail from the Mexican border to the Canadian border just before moving to the Wood River Valley.
“Outside of work I have been known to take on ‘slightly too big’ running, hiking, and skiing adventures for which the Wood River will be a perfect jumping off base,” said Pendleton. “We are also excited to be joined in the valley by Tori’s parents and hopefully will be able to add a dog to our family soon.”
“I am so excited to live in this area--as someone who loves cross country skiing, running and hiking, this place is a paradise!” added Kent.
Kent hopes to help serve the Spanish-speaking population of the Wood River Valley, given her knowledge of Spanish
“I try my best to give patients options in treatment plans, providing pros and cons of certain paths and coming up with a solution together,” she said. “Being an osteopathic physician, I have an added focus on helping the body heal through musculoskeletal manipulations and targeted treatments for those experiencing pain or injury.”
Pendleton said he’s particularly interested in reproductive care and mental health.
“I am excited to work with a new set of patients in the Wood River Valley with a focus on inclusive and supportive medical care tailored to individual goals,” he added.
Both doctors will have offices in the St. Luke’s Clinic at 1450 Aviation Drive in Hailey. To schedule an appointment, call 208-788-3434 or go online via https://mychart.slhs.org/ Office hours at the clinic are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays