Meet the Team

	Dr. Earl Kemp, MD, Program Director. Dr. Kemp is a 1972 graduate of the University of IA School of Medicine and interned at McKennan Hospital. He serves as tuberculosis consultant and clinician for the SD Department of Health. Dr. Kemp's professional interests include smoking cessation, patient education, health promotion/disease prevention and maternity care in family medicine.
	Dr. Michael Bloom, PhD, Director of Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Bloom received his Clinical Social Psychology Ph.D. from the Wright Institute in 1977. He did his residency at Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco. Dr. Bloom regularly presents workshops at national meetings on Brief Therapy Skills for Family Physicians.
	Dr. David Brechtelsbauer, MD, Associate Director. Dr. Brechtelsbauer from the Univ. of MI Medical School in 1973 and did his family practice residency in Saginaw, MI. Dr. Brechtelsbauer practiced for nine years in rural Virginia before joining the residency faculty. Having completed a mini-fellowship in geriatrics at the University of North Carolina, he is the residency geriatrician. In March 2009, Dr. Brechtelsbauer was elected President of the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA).
	Dr. Robin Meyer, DO. Dr. Meyer grew up in Joplin, MO. She attended Missouri Southern State college where she obtained a BS in Biology. Dr. Meyer attended medical school at University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City. Her residency was completed through the University of Missouri, Kansas City where she met her husband. After completion of the program, Dr. Meyer worked in private practice in Lees Summit, MO for several years before relocating to rural Iowa where she practiced for six years. Dr. Meyer's professional interests are in women's health.
	Cathy Miller, MSN, CNP, Assistant Director of Geriatric Training Cathy joined the faculty in June, 2003. She is a graduate of South Dakota State University and is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She has practiced in various settings that include geriatric assessment, rehabilitation, and neuroscience. Her special interests include dementia and depression in the elderly, disease prevention, and health care ministry.
	Dr. Wesley Nord, MD, Associate Director. Dr. Nord is a 1975 graduate of the University of Minnesota and did his family practice residency at Hennepin County Medical Center. In 1987, he completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of South Dakota. Dr. Nord is board certified in Family practice and Internal Medicine. He has a certificate of added qualifications in Sports Medicine.
	Dr. Charles Shafer, MD, Medical Director for the Falls Community Health Center. Dr. Shafer earned his medical degree from the University of Nebraska in 1986, and completed residency training at Sioux Falls Family Practice Residency in 1989. His professional interests include preventive medicine, HIV/AIDS, Third-world medicine and working with the underserved. Dr. Shafer is credentialed as an HIV Specialist by the American Academy of HIV medicine.
	Dr. Roger Shewmake, PhD, LN, Clinical Nutritionist; Professor of Family Medicine USD School of Medicine. Dr. Shewmake, PhD, LN, Clinical Nutritionist; Professor of Family Medicine, Sanford School of Medicine. Dr. Shewmake received his PhD in Human Nutrition from Texas Tech Univ. He served as Chair of the Department of Food and Nutrition at the University of North Texas and South Dakota State University. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Practice Improvement Conference Committee; STFM Co-Chair of the Group on Nutrition; Chair of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Political Action Committee; a member of the ADA Education Committee; the Nutrition Educators of Health Professionals Public Policy Chair; editor of the STFM Nutrition Newsletter; on the South Dakota Nutrition Council and the South Dakota Board of Osteopathic and Medical Examiners Committed on Dietetic Licensure.
	Dr. Suzannah Spencer, MD Dr. Spencer is a gradute of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed her family practice training with the Michigan State University - St. Lawrence Hospital Residency in 1983. In addition she completed a Family Medicine Fellowship at Michigan State University. Dr. Spencer practiced six years in Western Montana before joining the residency faculty in 1992. Her professional interests include health promotion including patient education and women's and children's health issues.
	Dr. Fred Thanel MD, MPH Dr. Tranel graduated from Creighton University School of Medicine in 1975, and did his family practice residency at Creighton-St. Joseph's Hospital in Omaha, NE. Dr. Thanel practiced for 13 years in rural Wyoming before joining the faculty at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. He completed an MPH degree in Epidemiology at the UAB School of Public Health in 1993, and joined the faculty here in December of 1993. His interests include rural health care issues, outpatient procedures, sonography, practice-based research and obstetrics. HE serves as a National Advisory Faculty for Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO).
	Dr. Mark Huntington, MD PhD FAAFP Dr. Huntington is a graduate of the Medical Scientist Training Program at Michigan State University, with graduate work in microbiology He received his Family Medicine residency training and a Diploma in International Health from the University of Cincinnati in 1998. Prior to joining the CFM faculty, he was in private practice for eight years in rural west-central Minnesota. He is extensively involved in international health in educational, clinical, and research capacities.
	Dr. Mary Watson, MD Dr. Watson graduated from USD School of Medicine in 1986 and completed two years of pathology residency in 1988. Dr. Watson completed her residency at the Sioux Falls Family Practice Residency in 1991. She practiced for nine years in rural South Dakota before joining the residency faculty. Dr. Watson's professional interests include patient education, preventive medicine, rural medicine and women's health.
	Dr. Jim Wilde, MD Dr. Wilde graduated from the Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison Medical School in 1988. He then completed his residency at the Univ. of Wyoming - Cheyenne Family Practice Program. From there he traveled to Nome, Alaska, spending 6 ½ years tending to a largely native indigenous population. Appalachian Kentucky provided the next professional challenge, staffing a rural health clinic in Booneville for 1 ½ years before beginning his service here. Dr. Wilde's professional interests include rural medicine and an evidence-based approach to care.
	Dr. Tara Geis, MD Dr. Geis graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School. She received her family medicine training at the St. Joseph Hospital-HealthEast in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Geis also completed a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Minnesota and a Primary Care Faculty Development fellowship at Michigan State University. She brings six years of faculty experience from Iowa before moving to Sioux Falls. Her special areas of medical interest are geriatrics, women's health, dermatology, and preventive medicine.
	Dr. Jean Heisler, MD Dr. Heisler graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine ini 1979. She completed her family medicine residency at the Sioux Falls Family Practice program in 1982. She has practiced medicine for two years in the Indian Health Service and two years in rural Africa as well as several years in private practice. Her professional interests include working with the underserved.

* All faculty members have clinical appointments to the Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota.