BREWSTER  MEDICAL 

Charlene retired to the Methow Valley in 2007 after a 20 year career with the U.S. Foreign Service, in which she ran health units for diplomats and family members at U.S. Embassies.  She served in Liberia, India, El Salvador, Morocco and Germany. Charlene enjoys outdoor activities, playing the flute, being with family and gardening. Although retirement was wonderful, Charlene missed doing patient care.  She is pleased to be working part time at FHC, utilizing her bilingual and clinical skills for a variety of patients.

Kathleen Manseau, ARNP, received her degree in English Literature from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, and worked for several years in non-profit organizations providing services to high-risk and gang-affiliated youth in urban areas.  Kathleen spent a year in Central America traveling and learning Spanish, and for five of those months worked as a mountain trekking guide in the Guatemalan highlands with a non-profit group, La Escuela de la Calle, that ran the treks to fund a school and shelter for homeless children.

While in Central America, Kathleen decided that she would either spend the rest of her life splitting time between Portland and Guatemala, or she would go back to school to become a health care provider.   A year later, she began prerequisite coursework to enter nursing school and then entered Oregon Health & Sciences University School of Nursing.  After graduation she worked in the OHSU hospital emergency department for two years, and then returned to OHSU School of Nursing to begin the nurse practitioner program. 

Kathleen graduated in the summer of 2008 and moved to Twisp to be with her new husband, Jim.

Dr. Matel appreciates all of the outdoor activities in Central Washington and looks forward to practicing full spectrum family medicine with integrative and preventative medicine as staples of healthy living.

  BREWSTER DENTAL 

Dr. Tucker attended Colorado State University where he majored in Biology and obtained two minors, one in Spanish and the other in Anatomy.  He then attended the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine where he received his Doctorate in Dental Surgery.  Dr. Tucker enjoys learning Spanish and spending time in the outdoors by riding his bike, snowboarding and touring the country.  He is excited about serving the people of Okanogan County and looks forward to learning about life in rural Washington.

  OKANOGAN  MEDICAL 

Dr. Hammar was raised in the tiny Eastern Oregon town of Halfway.  Here he grew up building fence, throwing hay bales and later working as a whitewater river guide.  His parents had served for six years in a hospital in Haiti, where he was born, and to them he attributes his desire to help others. He believes in the idea from (the real) Dr. Patch Adams that "the health of the individual cannot be separated from the health of the family, the community, and the world".

After graduating from Wesleyan University in Connecticut with a major in chemistry and a minor in dance, Dr. Hammar worked for two years in the Peace Corps in South Africa.  In South Africa he decided to study to become a doctor. Upon his return to the U.S. he attended medical school and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and after graduating moved back to Oregon to be closer to his family.  He completed his residency in family practice at Swedish Providence in Seattle.  Here he met the love of his life, Dr. Lissa Lubinski, they were married in 2009.

Don Leach is our Pharmacy Manager working out of Okanogan & Brewster clinics. Don graduated from Washington State University with a B. Pharmacy degree; from the University of Kentucky with a PharmD; and from the University of Colorado with an MSHA degree.  He has been a Director of Pharmacy for 7 1/2 years over his career at Doctors Hospital Family Practice Training Program in Seattle and Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington, WA.  He spent 8 years as Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at WA State University in Spokane.  At Cascade Valley, he spent 11 additional years in various management positions and was active in professional association service in various offices; such as a board member and Executive Director of WA State Society of Hospital Pharmacists.  Over the last few years Don has been practicing pharmacy as the store owner/Pharmacist of Cascade View Pharmacy, and retail Pharmacist for Rite-Aid, Bi-Mart and Central WA Hospital Pharmacies.

In 2005, Don and his lovely spouse Janice decided to move to Wenatchee, WA  as owners of Cascade View Pharmacy.  Over the last few years they have enjoyed the weather, outdoor activities and the pace of life in this area.  "We like having easy access to our family who still live on the I-5 corridor in Western WA.  We enjoy spending as much time as possible with our grown children as well as our three handsome and brilliant Grandsons."

Kris received his Bachelors degree in Pharmacy from Washington State University in 1987.  He is in the process of learning Spanish and enjoys golfing, camping, fishing, gardening and playing with his 2 kids.  Kris enjoys working with the wonderful people here and feels Okanogan county is a wonderful place to live and raise his kids.

David is the father of four children who live in Spanaway, WA with their mother.  His hobbies include reading, writing, hiking, biking, fishing and hunting.

Dr. Ryan Busk was granted a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA.  He Received his dental training at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA graduating with a doctorate in medical dentistry.  He and his wife Janie moved to the Okanogan valley in the summer of 2008 to start work with Family Health Centers.  Dr. Busk loves to ski in the winter and ride his bike during the summer as well as take a backpacking trip or two every year.  He also enjoys growing vegetables in his garden and reading a good book. 

Dr. Hammelman completed her Bachelors degree in Dental Hygiene at Oregon Health and Sciences University.  From there she attended the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health where she was awarded her Doctorate of Dental Medicine.  She also obtained her MPH (Master of Public Health) at A.T. Still University. Dr. Hammelman did her Residency right here with Family Health Centers in November, 2009 and she was in a clinical Fellowship in the care of Special Needs Dental Patients at the University of Washington, DECOD program (Dental Education in the Care of Persons with Disabilities).

Dr. Hammelman has a special interest in Public Health dentistry, Community Outreach and Disease Prevention.  She especially enjoys treating medically complex patients and patients with special needs.  She is also working on improving conversational Spanish and Russian.

Prior to attending dental school in Arizona, Dr. Hammelman lived and worked in the Okanogan. She is excited to have the opportunity to return and practice at Family Health Centers.  LaVonne enjoys taking advantage of the four seasons outdoor opportunities here, the great seasonal produce offered and living closer to her family, who reside in Oregon. 

Rick Welton:  MD

Dr. Rick Welton received his medical degree from the University of British Columbia.  He then completed rotating internships with Edendale Hospital in South Africa and Royal Alexandra and University Hospitals in Canada. Dr. Welton has held hospital appointments with Grace Hospital, Colonel Belcher Hospital, and Calgary General Hospital in Canada. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine and has been with FHC since 1997.