Committed to caring Cascade Medical has always been fortunate to offer providers committed to caring for our community. The newest additions to our team continue this legacy. New physicians In February, Lauren Kendall, MD, was welcomed to the Cascade Medical family. Kendall said she knew from the beginning of her training that Family Medicine was more than a specialization—it was a calling: “Family medicine… it’s just so full of heart. It has everything, the closest to what I thought medicine should be. When I actually started my practice, I knew, this was what I was looking for.” Dr. Kendall also holds special interests in integrative medicine, women’s health and LGBTQIA+ health. She is a current Fellow in Integrative Health and Medicine at Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine and plans to become board-certified in this additional field in 2024. Dr. Kendall also previously founded and led a multidisciplinary team dedicated to improving transgender care. Dr. Kendall says, “I think this care is so important for the community and for the world, for everybody to have a place and a person they can trust to take care of their health when they need it. I’m so admiring of the LGBTQ+ community. They’re generally folks that realized something about themselves and had the bravery and integrity to say, ‘I’m going to be who I am.’ I am so in awe of that. I’m honored to help them in any way I can.” In June, Cascade Medical welcomed Mark Wefel, MD, to our family of physicians. Dr. Wefel comes to us from Wyoming, where he most recently practiced for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Wefel says he is excited to get back to the unique challenges and opportunities that come with being a family doctor: “For me, practicing family medicine is the definition of the medicine I want to do for the rest of my career. Being a family doctor, you take care of everybody…I didn’t realize (while practicing at the VA) I would miss treating children as much as I did. Kids…they keep it real, they keep it honest, and wow, do they keep you on your toes!” More than anything, Dr. Wefel is excited to weave himself and his family into the thread of our community. “We love being a part of a small community. I’m looking forward to making this my hometown and really getting to know my patients.” Apprenticeship program Cascade Medical is proud to announce our Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program has produced our first two graduates! It’s a one-year program completed through the Washington Association for Community Health. Candidates complete 2,000 hours of training and instruction, at no cost to the candidate. Graduates can practice at the top of their license, start their medical career with no debt, and create a pathway into a possible nursing career if they so choose. In July, we hope to bring on another high school graduate and start another internal candidate on their apprenticeship journey by the end of the year. It’s another example of how we’re working to create more pathways for care and careers. Both Drs. Kendall and Wefel are accepting new patients. Call 509-548-5815 to ask about how either one can be your primary care provider. CascadeMedical.org 9
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