Grande Ronde Hospital | Life & Health | Summer 2016

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Dara Fields, NP-C, pediatrics
Fields began seeing patients in
February 2016 after moving from
Alaska upon receiving her Master of
Science in nursing from University of
Alaska, Anchorage, where in 2009 she
also earned her Bachelor of Science
in nursing. As a medical-surgical registered nurse, she
worked for the Alaska Native Medical Center and the
PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center.
Fields has volunteered extensively for medical
missions to Honduras and Jamaica, as well as for the
Muldoon Community Assembly and the Catholic Social
Services Refugee and Immigrant program.
She enjoys reading, playing piano, learning the beau-
tiful Spanish language and being outside in the sunshine.
Aprill Graham, NP-C, family practice
Graham has more than nine years
of experience in direct patient care as
a certified emergency nurse in several
facilities throughout the state. In 2015,
she received her Master of Science in
nursing from the University of Texas
at Arlington. She also holds an advanced registered nurse
practitioner certification.
Graham’s professional interests include primary and
preventive care. Her personal interests include running
and other outdoor activities, spending time with her dog,
traveling, and photography.
Grande Ronde Hospital
Blake A. Gornowicz, MD, hospitalist
After serving at GRH as a locum
tenens (a physician hired to fill in for
other physicians temporarily) in our
hospitalist program for the past year,
Dr. Gornowicz has joined our staff as
a permanent member of our provider
care team. Professional interests include critical care
medicine, symptomatic coronary artery disease manage-
ment, COPD management and end-of-life care.
His personal interests are sailing, motorcycle racing,
mountaineering and paragliding.
Esinath “Essie” Kwenda, NP-C, hospitalist
program and emergency medicine
Kwenda came to La Grande from
Tennessee, where she had worked as a
family nurse practitioner since 2011.
She has a solid background in acute
care and medical-surgical nursing with
a special emphasis in treating both ventilator-dependent
and diabetic patients.
Kwenda’s professional interests include infectious
disease control, evidence-based practices and diabetes
management. Her personal interests are reading, running
half marathons (she completed eight in 2015), traveling,
kickboxing, and spending time in church and with family.
Courtney Travis, NP-C, emergency medicine
A resident of the Pacific Northwest,
Travis has worked as a registered nurse
and family practitioner throughout
Washington state, most recently as a
family nurse practitioner for Saint
Alphonsus Medical Center–Baker
City. In 2013, she received her Master of Nursing from
Gonzaga University in Spokane. She also holds an
advanced registered nurse practitioner certification.
Women’s & Children’s Clinic
Monica Hill, NP-C, pediatrics
Hill began working for GRH in 2012
as an emergency room and triage nurse,
house supervising RN, and clinic float
nurse while completing her education
as a family nurse practitioner.
In April, she transitioned into
working full-time as a family nurse practitioner with our
pediatric clinic services upon completing her education
as a nurse practitioner.
Hill’s personal interests are running, reading,
supporting her children’s sports teams, spending time
with her family and volunteering for kids’ causes.
Neurology Clinic
Chris Quinto, MD, neurology
In February, Dr. Quinto joined us
as a neurologist and to serve as the
medical director of the GRH Sleep
Clinic. Her professional interests
include general neurology, nerve
conduction and EMG studies, evoked
potential studies, polysomnography and sleep medicine.
Her personal interests are running, kickboxing, golf and
spending time with her family.
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New care providers
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