SMH Primary Care complements current SMH service offerings

Sheridan Memorial Hospital announces the late summer opening of a new Primary Care practice to serve patients of all ages in downtown Sheridan at 61 South Gould St. 

The office will open with six providers who are currently part of the SMH staff in the Internal Medicine clinic, including Dr. Kristopher Schamber, Dr. Chris Prior, Diana Charlson FNP-BC, Jeffrey Shideman FNP-C DNP, Jessica Neau PA-C, and Rebekah Montgomery FNP-C DNP. Two additional providers are scheduled to start by September- Dr. Erica Rinker, a family physician currently working in Buffalo, and Dr. Derek Redinger, an internist who will be returning home from Idaho.

Dr. Hannah Hall, Dr. Juli Ackerman, Dr. Sierra Gross, Dr. David Walker, Erin Strahan PA-C, and Jason Otto PA-C will remain with SMH Internal Medicine and continue to see patients in their current location in the Outpatient Center.

“Primary care is not a specific specialty, but rather a style of medical practice with a focus on addressing a majority of personal health care needs, through long-term relationships with patients and their families, and practicing in the context of family and community,” Dr. Kristopher Schamber, Medical Director for SMH’s new Primary Care practice said. “This includes initial diagnosis of acute and chronic problems, management of chronic illness, health and wellness promotion, disease prevention, and appropriate referral to specialists as needed.  Primary care practices generally serve all age groups, often caring for multiple generations of the same family, from grandparents, to grandchildren.” 

Primary Care ideally serves as the entry point to the health system. 

“In essence, primary care providers are the first responders for the community’s non-emergent medical needs. They create strong, holistic patient relationships which provide access to the information and resources required for optimal health outcomes for our patients,” Chief Ambulatory Officer Holly Zajic said.  

Traditionally, Primary Care practice includes Family Practice (caring for all ages), Internal Medicine (caring for adults only), and Pediatrics (caring for children only). Sheridan Memorial Hospital Primary Care will focus on Family Practice, supported by our own Internal medicine providers caring for adults with more complex medical problems, and in collaboration with Northeast Wyoming Pediatric Associates for children with more complex medical problems. 

According to SMH, if a patient’s current provider is moving to the new Primary Care clinic, the patient will simply have appointments downtown going forward.  Prior to any upcoming appointments at the new location, the patient will be reminded of this change. 

Patients with immediate questions about this transition can contact Angie Erickson, Clinic Administrative Supervisor, at 307-675-2657.  Patients may also visit the SMH Primary Care webpage at SheridanPrimaryCare.org for additional information.  SMH anticipates scheduling in the downtown Primary Care practice to begin early August.

“We are excited to bring the new Primary Care practice to the community and provide a critical resource to gain access to care quickly and efficiently,” Zajic said.