Sarah Martin Joins Family Medical Center

Born and raised in rural Illinois, Sarah Martin is no stranger to smalltown life.
 So, when the opportunity to relocate to Weiser presented itself, she knew it was the right thing to do.
 It turned out to be the perfect fit for the nurse practitioner who is Family Medical Center’s newest medical team member.
 “The Weiser clinic is my first nurse practitioner job,” said Sarah who graduated last August from Olivet Nazarene University, located in Bourbonnais, Ill. She was previously a registered nurse before going to school to become an NP. She moved to Idaho  with husband, Lee, following the devastating “Camp Fire” that destroyed the community of Paradise, Calif., located about two hours north of Sacramento in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.
 In November 2018, the small town of about 26,000 was left in ruins after a fire, named for its place of origin on Camp Creek Road, quickly spread, engulfing the entire town, including Feather River Hospital where Sarah was employed.
 “The town burned down and that’s why we moved,” she said. “I wasn’t working that day, thankfully; but I come from Illinois and we have tornadoes, so this whole fire thing was a completely different experience.”
 The wildfire charred 153,336 acres, or 239 square miles, in only a few hours, destroying more than 18,000 structures, or about 95 percent, in the communities of Paradise, Magalia, Butte Creek Canyon, and Concow.
 A severe drought made the landscape dry, helping to spread the fire, which was ignited by a faulty electric line. In the end, it cost 85 people their lives and resulted in approximately $16.5 billion in damage. It is the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history. Today, about 2,000 people reside in Paradise, which continues to rise from the ashes. 
 Amid the aftermath, with no job, Sarah and Lee decided to move closer to family.
 “My husband has a brother that lives in Boise, so we decided to move there,” Sarah said. “It was either move back to Illinois or … well … we needed something different.”
 Sarah then found work at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, followed by Treasure Valley Hospital, and then St. Luke’s Hospital.
 “I worked for two years at the COVID unit at St. Luke’s,” Sarah explained. “It was supposed to be a cardiac unit, but it kind of turned into a COVID unit.”
She eventually began commuting to Weiser to work at Family Medical.
 “I did my first clinical rotation with Dr. (Jordan) Blanchard and kind of fell in love with the clinic,” she said. “So, I was driving back and forth every day, and thought, ‘Wow, I really love Weiser. What a cute little town.’”
 In the meantime, Lee’s parents, Lisa and David Martin, who were farmers in northern California, moved to Weiser where they grew corn, wheat, and sugar beets this past year. Come spring, they plan on growing alfalfa and grass hay, according to Sarah.
 “We were lucky enough to be able to move in next door to them,” she said of her in-laws. “My husband grew up on a farm, so he was excited to get back to more of a farm life.” 
 Sarah said she grew up hiking and camping, and always had a keen interest in how the human body works.
 “I found it fascinating, and I think that is what drew me to health care,” she said. “I really enjoy getting to know people and helping people, and finding a job that allows me to do that has been rewarding.”
 Part of her desire to help people comes from her grandfather who used to take his grandkids on hikes through the woods of rural Virginia where he lived, often stopping to check up on neighbors.
 “They all had some health problems going on and he was bringing us kids to, kind of, help cheer them up,” Sarah said. “We’d end up at some neighbor’s house and get to know them and see if there was anything we could do to help them out a little bit. We learned some important lessons along the way and I think, in a way, those little hikes through the woods with grandpa inspired me.”
 She said that she is happy to be in Weiser and has enjoyed becoming a part of the community.
 “It’s just the nicest place,” she said. “Everyone has been super welcoming and supportive, and the patients are wonderful, so I’m just really thankful that it all worked out.”
 “Sarah is clearly skilled and eager to jump right in with our other providers here at FMC,” said Practice Manager, Madora Albertson. “I have no doubt her patients will appreciate her intelligence and friendly personality as much as we already do.”
 

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Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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