Your clinical practice at Good Shepherd will encompass the full range of gastroenterology, from routine consultations to complex interventional procedures. You will diagnose and treat disorders affecting the esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. Patients will present with conditions ranging from acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome to liver disease and suspected malignancies requiring endoscopic evaluation. The variety keeps your skills sharp while the procedural volume satisfies physicians who find fulfillment in technical work.
The patient population draws from Umatilla County and surrounding rural communities. Many of these patients have delayed care due to limited local access, meaning you will encounter conditions at various stages of progression. This creates opportunities for meaningful intervention, whether catching early-stage pathology through screening colonoscopies or providing relief to patients who have struggled with chronic digestive complaints without specialist evaluation.
Your procedural days will center on the endoscopy suite, where you will perform the diagnostic and therapeutic interventions that form the backbone of modern gastroenterology. The hospital specifically needs ERCP capability, as the current locum provider cannot offer this service. Patients requiring biliary and pancreatic interventions currently travel to distant facilities, a burden your presence will eliminate.
Good Shepherd has invested in the diagnostic infrastructure that supports effective GI practice. You will have access to imaging, laboratory, and ancillary services without the delays common in fragmented healthcare systems. The hospital runs on Epic, providing a modern electronic health record that integrates across departments and facilitates care coordination.
You will work alongside a GI-focused advanced practice provider in clinic, allowing you to extend your reach and focus your time on complex cases and procedures. A new GI APP joined the team in January 2026, having relocated from the Tri-Cities area with familiarity of the regional patient population. A practice manager handles administrative operations, freeing you from scheduling logistics and staffing concerns.
The call arrangement here differs substantially from what many gastroenterologists experience elsewhere. You will have no general GI call obligation. Your on-call responsibilities are limited to ERCP coverage on a rotating basis, addressing emergent biliary and pancreatic cases that cannot wait for scheduled procedures. Hospital bylaws require a 30-minute response time when on call.
Good Shepherd is developing an Open Access colonoscopy program that will streamline screening procedures. Under this model, primary care providers will refer patients directly for colonoscopy, with you meeting the patient for a brief history and physical on the morning of the procedure. This approach increases procedural efficiency while maintaining appropriate clinical oversight.
The combination of strong procedural volume, modern equipment, capable support staff, and minimal call burden creates a practice environment where you can deliver excellent care without the burnout that plagues many gastroenterologists in busier metropolitan settings.