Staff

Meet The Team

A Team That Chose to Stay

The physicians at Wyoming Behavioral Institute did not end up here by default. They came from Venezuela, from the East Coast, from New Mexico and Alabama, and they stayed because the practice is better than what they left behind. That is not a recruiting pitch; it is the track record. The Medical Director has been at WBI for approximately 15 years. One of the staff psychiatrists left for a position elsewhere, decided it was not an improvement, and came back. When physicians return to a place they already left, that tells you something.

The team culture is collegial and supportive without being social obligation. Physicians cover for each other when someone needs time off, step up during extended absences, and treat boundaries during off-hours with respect. If you need to leave early for a school event or take a long lunch on a clear Wyoming afternoon, the team makes that possible. That kind of flexibility does not happen by accident; it is the product of a group that genuinely looks out for one another.

Physician Staff

  • Dr. Pripchin — Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; covers the youth unit and provides weekend youth coverage
  • Dr. Martirano — Medical Director; approximately 15 years at WBI; originally from the East Coast, trained and practiced in California before relocating to Wyoming
  • Dr. Danzig — Staff Psychiatrist; left WBI for a position in New Mexico or Alabama, returned because WBI offered a better practice environment; originally from the Czech Republic
  • Dr. Walter — Staff Psychiatrist
  • Dr. Wheeler — Part-time Staff Psychiatrist; based in Lander, WY; practicing in Wyoming for decades; covers approximately half-time, primarily adult weekend shifts via telehealth

The incoming Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist will join Dr. Pripchin as a partner on the youth unit, providing the second C&A psychiatrist the program needs to sustain and grow its services.

Advanced Practice Providers

  • 3 experienced Nurse Practitioners supporting clinical care across units
  • 2 Physician Assistants handling the majority of History and Physicals and covering the medical unit through approximately 10 PM most days
  • 1 APP dedicated to weekend coverage and admission management, ensuring continuity of care when physicians are off

The APP team absorbs a significant portion of the administrative and medical workload so that physicians can stay focused on psychiatric care. That division of labor is intentional and one of the features that keeps the physician schedule clean and the daily patient load manageable.

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