Five New Physicians Join Stormont Vail Health
(Topeka, Kansas, Aug. 13, 2018) –
Dr. Avila will practice as a non-operative sports medicine physician located at Cotton O’Neil Kanza Park, 2660 S.W. Third St. in Topeka. To schedule an appointment with her, call (785) 270-8880.
Returning home is something that excites Dr. Avila.
“Topeka has always felt like home,” Avila said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to the place that gave so much to me.”
Dr. Avila received her medical degree at Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, in 2014. She completed her family medicine residency at the University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, in 2018.
Partha Bhurtel, MD
Dr. Bhurtel will practice as a general and trauma surgeon. To schedule an appointment with him, ask for a referral from your physician. He is fluent in English, Nepali, Hindi and Urdu (spoken).
He enjoys laparoscopic surgery for both the challenge and the patient outcomes.
“Minimally invasive surgery is very detailed and technically challenging,” Bhurtel said. “But seeing my patients’ lives change for the better makes the challenge worth the work.”
Dr. Bhurtel received his medical degree from B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal, in 2008. He completed his residency at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Brighton, Massachusetts, in 2017, and his fellowship in minimally invasive and advanced gastrointestinal surgery at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Rochester, Minnesota, in 2018.
Rany Gilpatrick, MD
Dr. Gilpatrick will practice as a pediatrician and will be located at Cotton O’Neil Pediatrics Urish, 2860 S.W. Mission Woods Drive, Topeka, Kansas. To schedule an appointment with her, call (785) 273-7571. She knows that there are so many different places to get medical information that it can be hard to sort fact from fiction.
“It’s not about me pushing my opinion on them; it’s about presenting the facts and taking the time to answer their questions,” Gilpatrick said. “The time I spend with them in open conversation helps build their trust.”
Dr. Gilpatrick received her medical degree at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Salina, Kansas, in 2015. She completed a pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital at University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 2018.
Heather Pena, M.D.
Dr. Peña will practice as a plastic and reconstructive surgery physician located at Cotton O’Neil Mulvane, 823 S.W. Mulvane, in Topeka. To schedule an appointment with her, call (785)368-008.
Dr. Peña wants to be able to help restore confidence in her patients’ lives.
“I understand the desire and need for your body to be restored to its original form,” Peña said. “Women’s bodies, especially, go through so much change over a lifetime, and I try to be understanding and compassionate to each patient’s desires and needs. I feel privileged to have trained in a specialty that allows me to provide this care.”
Dr. Peña received her medical degree at the University of Missouri Kansas City, in 2012. She completed her plastic surgery integrated residency at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, in 2018, where she specialized in hand, breast reconstruction, microsurgery, body contouring and cutaneous oncology.
Lauri Christensen, M.D
Dr. Vargo is a dermatologist and will be located at Cotton O’Neil Dermatology, 6650 S.W. Mission Valley Drive in Topeka. To schedule an appointment with her, call (785) 272-1250.
When it comes to a person’s health, Dr. Vargo believes skin is often overlooked.
“People often don’t give much attention to their skin,” Vargo said. “But without the proper care and treatment, skin problems can have a serious impact on your life.” Dr. Vargo received her medical degree at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska, in 2014. She completed her internal medicine preliminary year residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, in 2015, followed by her dermatology residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, in 2018.
About Stormont Vail Health:
Stormont Vail Health is a nonprofit integrated health system that has been serving the health care needs of Kansas for more than 130 years. It is composed of Stormont Vail Hospital, a 586-bed acute care hospital, and Cotton O’Neil Clinic, a multi-specialty physician group with more than 400 providers, which includes over 250 physicians. Nearly 5,000 employees provide care and support services for patients in the hospital and 35 other locations, including the Cotton O’Neil Heart Center, Cancer Center, Diabetes & Endocrinology Center, Digestive Health Center, Pediatrics clinics and 10 regional primary care clinics. Stormont Vail Health is committed to its mission of improving the health of the community by being a national leader in providing compassionate, high-quality and efficient integrated care through collaboration that results in a healthier community.
