Columbia Memorial | Health Compass | Fall 2018

Wendy Hovden, NP-C Wendy grew up in Astoria and is excited about returning to the community and living closer to family. For the last 17 years, she has lived in Anchorage, Alaska. “It was an amazing and treasured experience,” she says. Wendy says she chose to work in medicine and nursing because they’re a perfect fit for her interests. “Advanced practice nursing is a way of using my critical care background as a foundation for accurate assessment and diagnosis,” she says. Wendy’s professional inter- ests include working in preventative cardiovascular care and the management of immediate healthcare needs. She is board-certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners as a family nurse practitioner. Wendy and her family enjoy outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, berry picking and snowshoeing. Carin Pluedeman, MD After growing up in the Midwest, Dr. Pluedeman has been living with her family in Astoria since the mid-1970s. Dr. Pluedeman enjoys practicing primary care for all ages. “It’s really hard to pick a favorite age group—I find something to enjoy in all of them,” she says. “I thrive on treating acute problems, but the mainstay of my practice is preventing and managing chronic health problems.” Dr. Pluedeman is an avid reader of Dan Brown and is now reading his book, Lost Symbol . She is a master scuba diver (“as close to a mermaid as I can get,” she says), and one of her other hobbies is underwater photography. She has a large family—with five children, 16 grand- children and 4 great-grandchildren—“which pretty much makes me immortal!” she says. Mary Rizzo, FNP-C Mary is board-certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She became a nurse to help people improve their quality of life. Before becoming a family nurse practitioner, she had a 20-year career in emergency nursing. Mary grew up in Hawaii. She is currently reading The Diabolic and Seduced by Madness: The Susan Polk Murder Trial . She and her husband live near Knappa with their two children. Her family enjoys hunting, shooting and archery; golf, football and volleyball. Mary enjoys reading, gardening, hiking and cooking. Anisa Richardson, MD Dr. Richardson is board-certified in family medicine, and her professional interests include prenatal and women’s health, pediatrics, addiction medicine, LGBTQ care and integrative medicine. She grew up in Wrangell, Alaska, and chose the medical profession to help her community and because she is interested in improving people’s health and well-being. Dr. Richardson is married and has two children and two dogs. Her parents also live in the area. She is currently learning how to dance the tango and enjoys exploring waterways on kayaks and paddle boards. Her top five favorite places to eat are Street 14 Café, Naked Lemon, Hong Kong Taco, Good Bowl, and Frite and Scoop—although she says she could name more. Anna Hemphill, MD Before joining CMH, Dr. Hemphill attended universities in Illinois, Idaho and Oregon, and cared for patients throughout rural Oregon. Dr. Hemphill’s professional interests include medical care of underserved and marginalized populations, behavioral health, women’s health and evidence-based inpatient medicine. She is board-certified as a family medicine physician. When she isn’t working, Dr. Hemphill likes to travel internationally, visit National Parks, camp, hike, read, learn Spanish and container garden. COLUMBIAMEMORIAL.ORG FALL 2018 5