Orcas Family Health Adds New Practitioners

— from Aaimee Johnson —

Orcas Family Health Center, the island’s community clinic, is expanding their clinical services with the addition of a part-time physician and part-time psychologist according to medical director, David Shinstrom, M.D.

Jim Litch, M.D. will be seeing patients at OFCH one day a week (Tuesday) starting May 20.

Dr. Litch completed medical school training at the University of Michigan and his Family Medicine residency in the University of Washington Network/Swedish Medical Center in Seattle with an emphasis on community health. He initially worked on Orcas covering as a locum physician for Dr. Shinstrom at Orcas Medical Center in 1994. Since that time he has worked as a physician for the University of Washington, Puget Sound area community clinics, and provided primary and emergency care in the San Juan Islands.

Jim has worked in some very challenging settings including six years in Nepal and India running a remote hospital and clinic system, providing care at a hospital for refugees, and serving as full-time advisor to the Nepal Ministry of Health. Dr. Litch will continue his work in Global Health leadership improving childbirth outcomes worldwide with international agencies such as USAID, WHO, and UN. Dr. Litch lives on Orcas with wife Rachel Bishop and two children.

Dr. Litch did a trial run at OFHC for a week in February of this year. He was very impressed with the friendliness, teamwork, and commitment of the staff to provide excellent care, with the needs of the patient the top priority.

In addition, Carrie Feuer, PhD, will be providing counseling services at OFHC one day a week. Dr. Feuer received her PhD. from Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco. She recently moved to Orcas after five years in private practice in Hawaii. Her special areas of expertise include depression, anxiety, marital issues, adolescent issues, and substance abuse. Consistent with the care for all mission of OFHC, Dr. Feuer will be providing counseling services at no cost to the patient. Currently her hours will be on Wednesdays.

Call 376-7778 for appointments for either Dr. Litch or Dr. Feuer. OFHC is located next to the Eastsound Airport in the Airport Center, 1286 Mt. Baker Rd., Suite B102. OFHC is a federal rural health center with the mission of treating all patients regardless of ability to pay.