Clearwater Valley Hospital and Clinics is excited to welcome our new provider, Dr. Shelly Theobald, pictured here with her husband Ryan.
Dr. Shelly Theobald attended medical school in Israel at the Medical School for International Health and then did her residency in Vancouver, WA. She and her husband, Ryan, chose to come to Clearwater Valley Hospital and Clinics because, “we were looking for a small community where we could put down roots and make a home,” says Theobald. “We chose Orofino for both its physical beauty and for the beauty that we saw and experienced in the community here. Also, the incredible staff at CVHC has been so kind, welcoming and extremely proficient from the very beginning, which made it a very easy decision! Ultimately, this is where we felt God leading us and so here we are!”
Dr. Theobald loves all aspects of family medicine but is particularly passionate about women’s health and obstetrics, “there is nothing more beautiful than following a woman throughout her pregnancy and then getting to be there to bring that beautiful baby into the world,” says Theobald. “I also love those moments in clinic when I am able to help my patients truly overcome obstacles in their life and experience deep healing and transformation.”
“I believe that so much of our physical health is rooted or connected to our emotional/spiritual well-being,” explains Theobald. “As such, I feel that a holistic approach that addresses these deeper issues, as well as the physical concerns, is a priority in my practice.”
She says that her least favorite part of healthcare is that, “there are times that we as providers are just putting Band-Aids on patient’s problems. The true cure is usually something deeper, but sometimes it can be hard to access or understand what patients truly need to help motivate change.”
Dr. Theobald has led an interesting life, to say the least! She was born and grew up deep in the jungle of Papua New Guinea. “My parents were faith based social workers and we lived with a tribe beyond all roads, stores or any form of civilization. There was also no access to any form of healthcare, which is the primary reason I went into medicine,” she says.
“My original dream out of high school was to start an orphanage in India,” says Theobald. “I love to travel and I love working with youth/young adults, especially women. I think every woman should know how powerful, beautiful and adored she is and would love to be in some sort of counseling/teen support role.”
Dr. Theobald and her husband, Ryan, both have a great love of the outdoors. “We enjoy hiking, camping, paddle boarding and kayaking,” says Theobald. “We both love playing sports (my favorite is Ultimate Frisbee), and I also love running and participating in triathlons. We love to travel and would love to visit every country of this beautiful world!”
Dr. Theobald and her husband are expecting their first baby, a girl, in August. “Ryan is amazing and is a full-time PhD student,” says Theobald. “My parents are crazy awesome. They lived in Papua New Guinea for 30 years but are now living in Minnesota. I have two sisters, and one brother. I am the baby of the family! My oldest sister is just finishing up her nurse practitioner degree and lives in MN also – she has twin boys!! My second oldest sister is also a family medicine doctor and lives/works in rural Alaska with her husband. My brother runs an NGO and lives in California with his wife and my two sweet nieces.”
Shelly says that on a typical Sunday morning you can find her “hopefully sleeping in a little and then going to church. We are thankful that God has brought us to Orofino and we are so excited to get to be part of such a wonderful community!”