I was raised in Bloomfield, a small town in upstate New York. I earned an AS from The Community College of the Finger Lakes in Canandaigua NY. Then on to Syracuse University for a BS in Biology and Magazine Journalism. I stayed in Syracuse for Medical School at SUNY HSC Syracuse. Then on to Family Practice residency in Erie, PA. By the time I moved to Williamsport PA in 1992, it seemed like the sunny south compared to where I had been.
I worked for Williamsport Hospital from 1992 to 1996, then on to Geisinger outpatient clinic in Milton until 2000 when I joined Cornerstone Family Health. We were an independent group initially, joining Family Practice Center physician-owned group in 2010.
At the end of 2021 I left FPC, with plans to start my own practice of Family Medicine. It’s been interesting learning the details of starting a practice. One of the main things that shaped some of my decisions is that, despite my participating in medical insurances such as Medicare for all my years, I was told that “Credentialing” to get permission to take medical insurances in my new practice could take 3 to 6 months! Imagine going without a pay check for months! And how about the patients who want to continue seeing me?
Meanwhile I had ended up with information on “DPC” (Direct Primary Care). This is a unique but rapidly increasing membership-based model of medicine that removes the middleman of the insurance companies and administrators. It seemed like the perfect solution, giving me time to take excellent care of patients, having great doctor-patient relationships, and helping empower patients to improve their health.
Outside of work, my passion is my horses, enjoying trail riding with friends and occasionally getting the chance to camp with horses and friends. I don’t need to join a gym — cleaning stalls and doing horse-related work is great exercise and mental release! Our little farmette currently has 4 horses, 4 cats and a dog.
Many of you know that my husband and I adopted our daughter from China in 2005. She’s heading off to college this year, studying Chinese culture studies and business. Time has flown from our trip to China where we brought home the greatest souvenir.
My husband, Wayne Palmer, has his own business, Palmer Multimedia Imaging in Williamsport, PA. He has literally written a couple books on Photoshop. He has been a great help in setting up Pine Creek Family Medicine, encouraging me along the way.
I have seen God’s work in my life. It’s said that when God closes doors, he opens windows. In this adventure of starting my own practice, I have definitely seen those windows opening! I look forward to continuing to do God’s work in helping my patients thrive.
