Dr. Bae was born in South Korea and raised in Arizona. For undergraduate,
he went to St. Bonaventure University in Upstate NY where he learned the
importance of policy making as the President of the Class. He received
his Master degree in Health Economics and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. While in graduate school, he
focused on population studies and big data analysis where he found passion
for addressing barriers to healthcare. Dr. Bae attended medical school
at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has a special interest
for geriatrics and palliative medicine. He would like to provide end-of-life
care with special attention to quality of life. He believes in holistic
and integrative care for all. Outside of residency, he enjoys spending
time with loved ones, hiking, tennis, golf, traveling, and cooking. Dr.
Bae chose St Peter Family Medicine Program for residency because of its
quality training in high volume outpatient and inpatient settings. He
believes he will be a well-trained physician in Geriatrics and Palliative
care in St. Peter Hospital which offers training from exceptional staff
with love and passion for medicine.
Dr. Barnes was born and raised in Corvallis, Oregon, a small college town
about an hour and a half south of Portland. For undergrad he moved to
University of Utah in Salt Lake City and majored in Biomedical Engineering.
Although interested in continuing his studies in engineering after graduation,
he ultimately decided to pursue his life-long dream of becoming a physician.
For medical school, he attended Western University of Health Sciences
in Lebanon, Oregon where he served as president of the Sports Medicine
club and helped educate elementary school children about healthy eating
habits and how to plant vegetables through the Seeds of Change volunteer
program. He ultimately chose family medicine as a specialty due to the
ability to curate lasting relationships with patients, to have discussions
about health and wellness so seamlessly in patient visits, and the wide
variety of patient population and career opportunities. His interests
in primary care include sports medicine, preventative medicine, and wilderness
medicine. He spends his free time running, hiking, biking, surfing, skiing,
rock climbing, and exploring the mountains, forests, and ocean of the
beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Dr. Eckart- Budinich was born and raised in a small ranching community
in eastern Montana. She then moved four hours West and attended Montana
State University in Bozeman after high school. There, she earned a degree
in Cell Biology and Neuroscience and was an active member on the executive
board of Chi Omega fraternity. During college, she worked both as a behavioral
care coordinator and eventually a residential manager at a group home
for children with autism. This is where her passion for complex care management
first began. She also worked as a technician at a Gastroenterology practice.
Dr. Eckart-Budinich went to medical school at Pacific Northwest University
of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. While in medical school,
she served as both a student engagement committee member and secretary
of the Yakima Valley Interprofessional Practice and Education Collaborative.
In addition, she completed a Women’s Health medical mission in Cusco,
Peru. Dr. Eckart-Budinich chose Providence St. Peter Family Medicine Residency
because as a medical student, she completed a rotation with the program
and not only felt welcomed by the faculty, residents and staff, but also
fell in love with the tree-covered hospital campus. Having briefly studied
Architecture, she feels that environment, in and of itself, is healing.
She has a variety of interests within family medicine including preventative
medicine, mental health and addiction medicine, cost-conscious care, and
chronic care management. Outside of medicine she continues to serve as
an advisor to her alma mater sorority, enjoys spending time with her husband
and dog, listening to music and going to live concerts, cooking and talking sports.
Dr. Jeltema grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, though she moved throughout
the Midwest for her education, Minneapolis will always be home. She is
grateful to have grown up surrounded by the lakes, and in a diverse city
with access to green space that promoted an active lifestyle, even in
both extremes of weather. Summers with days in the 100s and winters with
days in the -30s teaches you how to adapt! In continuing her education
in Grand Rapids, MI while studying a Biology major she became involved
in community initiatives. These diverse teams had a mission to restore
natural habitats, and to dually address social issues and environmental
issues such as providing and sourcing local foods for those in need. Because
of her passions for sustainability of food, the environment, and healthcare
she pursued and graduated with a degree for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.
(The category is… holistic!) She believes that in primary care
you have to consider the whole picture of health, and our health is tied
to our social and physical environment. St. Peter Family Medicine Residency
not only supports this, but acts on it. The avenue to walk alongside patients
so that they can thrive is laid out in the clinic and hospital, but more
importantly beyond its doors. It involves the understanding to truly let
food be thy medicine. Unfortunately, there are still great inequalities
with access to healthcare, amongst the many inequalities in this country.
Family medicine provides an epicenter to have ripple effects that not
only empower individuals, but whole communities. Listening to each patient’s
unique story is vital. By empowering individuals in their health journey
we can address the various micro to macro factors of health. Dr. Jeltema
is extremely excited to be able to train as a family physician at St.
Peter Family Medicine, where she can learn full-scope family medicine,
and have continuity serving the Olympia community.
Outside of the St. Peter campus Dr. Jeltema can be found enjoying cooking
and eating all things vegan, or biking and running on the nearby trails,
or hiking out to the beach or the mountains.... It’s all here!
Born in Bogota, Colombia. Dr. Mendoza was raised and completed his medical
training in Quito, Ecuador. After graduation, he enrolled for social community
service in the Ecuadorian tropical rain forest. Practicing for a year
in a community of 2000 people and being the only physician there, he had
the opportunity to care for patients of all ages, feeling the great joy
of developing genuine relationships with them and sharing their culture.
This experience sparked his interest in directing his career to family
medicine. He chose St. Peter family Medicine residency for the service
the program offers to the under-served, especially the Latino population.
He has a passion for wellness and outdoor activities and when he is not
busy with medicine he enjoys exploring the diversity of the landscapes
and nature that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Dr. Wixwat was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and raised in BC, Canada.
He pursued his undergraduate studies at Burman University in Alberta,
studying chemistry and psychology. His time there was largely consumed
with physical pursuits, playing on both the collegiate basketball and
volleyball teams and exploring the beautiful mountains of nearby Banff.
He was then privileged to make the journey south with his now wife to
attend medical school together at Loma Linda University. His interests
in medical school focused on underserved populations, volunteering with
Syrian refugees in Beirut, Lebanon, where he was struck by the value of
a rich full spectrum primary care practice. Buffeting through the shifting
landscapes of these recent times, he was pleased to come back to the Northwest,
excited by the opportunity to be molded by experience at a program committed
to primary care. He was impressed by the culture and in particular the
unique curriculum that prioritizes continuity clinic alongside varied
inpatient rotations. Some of his particular interests within family medicine
are emergency care, obstetrics, and inpatient medicine in rural communities
in addition to outpatient care and global health. He keenly enjoys the
mountains- skiing and climbing- alongside rowing, cycling and weightlifting.
Born and raised just north of the border in Vancouver, BC, Dr. Wood completed
her BA in Psychology at the University of British Columbia before pursing
her MD alongside her husband at Loma Linda University in Southern California.
She is passionate about lifestyle medicine and preventative health. Prior
to medical school she was involved in several community health initiatives
that focused on educating & empowering community members on the lifestyle
mediators of chronic disease. She also has a keen interest in mental health,
recognizing the privilege family doctors have to address sensitive issues
that many patients would otherwise not seek care for. She has been involved
in mental health initiatives in her local community and has served as
a facilitator for depression recovery small groups. She chose the SPFM
program for its supportive work & learning environment, full spectrum
training and unique curriculum with emphasis on clinic. In her free time
she enjoys baking, cooking and spending time with friends and family.
