We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Dawn Lovisa, FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) joined the Sweet Medical Center on April 19. Lovisa will be working ‘locem tenens,’ meaning on a temporary basis until the end of October. Nicole Legere, NP, currently working part time at the clinic, will join the Sweet Medical Center as a full-time staff member in the fall to fill the position.
Lovisa is a native of California, growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, then moving to Yreka, California where she finished high school. She wrote, “I loved camping when I was little and got into backpacking and rock climbing in my late teens.” After high school she worked as a forest firefighter for seven years with the Forest Service and the California Forestry Department. She was in the Army for four years working as a Korean linguist in Military Intelligence. After military service she married and has two children in their late 20’s.
Seeking a new career path where she could “help people,” she started a medical career in her 30’s, first achieving her RN, then going on to complete a master’s in the Community Health Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Michigan. She moved to northern Wisconsin, in 2000, where she worked for 10 years as a family nurse practitioner with the Red Cliff Community Health Center. Red Cliff is a small tribe in northern Wisconsin, the Red Cliff Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa.
Asked about her decision to work locum, Livisa said, “I loved my job at the tribal health center in northern Wisconsin, but the area was a bit isolated for professional opportunities.” Five years ago she discovered locums and has worked from Barrow, Alaska to Rangeley, Maine, most recently spending eight weeks in Dillingham, Alaska. She wrote, “I enjoy doing locums work as it is a wonderful opportunity to keep me on my toes, always learning, meeting and working with a variety of people in a variety of locations. I also like locums work because I have some great time off between assignments.” On her off-time she and her boyfriend enjoy camping and agate hunting along the beaches of Lake Superior. They live in Bayfield, Wisconsin.
As to her medical specialty, she wrote, “My passion is helping people to adapt healthy diets and lifestyles.” She’s studied nutrition and functional medicine for several years and is a certified holistic health coach, presently taking two online courses related to nutrition and functional medicine. She added, “I hope someday to have my own functional medicine practice in Bayfield.”
The “Journal” welcomes Dawn Lovisa to our area and wishes her success during her time in this part of Montana. Her position may be locum, but perhaps she will find Montana “the last best place.”
