Women in Medicine
Special to The Woodburn Independent, Women in Business The face of healthcare is changing. Women have always been a powerful force in the evolution of medicine, acting as decision makers for the healthcare of their families. Today, they are entering health professions in increasing numbers and are leading the charge from illness-based to wellness-based care.

At the forefront of this trend in Woodburn are several talented women at Wellspring Medical Center. They have the knowledge, the experience – and most of all, the passion – to change the future of this community’s health and wellness.

Lisa Zurcher, RN, BSN
Silverton Hospital Network Vice President, Wellspring
Lisa Zurcher, RN, BSN is a vice president with Silverton Hospital network, and oversees the operations at Wellspring. Zurcher started her career at Silverton Hospital as a labor and delivery nurse, then became Infection Control and Employee Health RN. In Woodburn, Zurcher served as Silverton Hospital’s Women’s Services Director and in clinic administration before being appointed a vice president.

A long way from the labor and delivery room now, Zurcher said she got into nursing by chance.

“I heard a news story on nurse practitioners and thought ‘this is what I want to do,’” says Zurcher. “It turned out that I liked hospital nursing so much that I stayed.”

She adds that working at Wellspring gives her the chance to be associated with cutting edge medical philosophies. “It’s an opportunity, a community and a wellness center like no other.”

Meegan Gruber, MD, PhD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Wellspring Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Being Silverton's first plastic surgeon, and one of only a few females in the specialty statewide is a distinction Dr. Meegan Gruber calls both a challenge and an opportunity.

Dr. Gruber was originally attracted to her medical specialty because so much can be done today, she said, to improve lives and help people feel better about themselves. "At the University of Illinois, I worked with plastic and reconstructive surgeons and saw many breast cancer reconstruction procedures," she said. "I found it a fascinating combination of medicine and art."

Dr. Gruber participated in the Medical Scholars Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, earning a PhD in Biochemistry in addition to her medical degree in 2000. During medical school, she participated in a post-doctoral fellowship in transplant immunology at Stanford University. She went on to complete a residency in General and Plastic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Gruber's aesthetic philosophy is guided by the idea that everyone has a self concept. At Wellspring, Dr. Gruber’s goal is to ensure people feel comfortable and free to talk so they can get the most benefit from the services she provides.

"I get to know patients and understand their self image goals," she said.

Linda Webb, RN, BSN
Director of Women’s Services
Silverton Hospital Network
Linda Webb joined the staff at Silverton Hospital to make sure women’s health issues stay in the public eye. As the Director of Women’s Services, Webb works to develop programs at the hospital and at Wellspring Medical Center in Woodburn, that educate women in how to maintain their health. “It’s about education and empowerment,” said Webb. “Women want to be educated about their bodies and this information will help them seek healthier lifestyles.”

“My interest in women’s medicine developed when I became friends with my mentor, Armande Ritter. She was the pioneer in our area for childbirth education and brought the first natural childbirth classes to Marion County.”

Webb worked as a Public Health Nurse at Marion County Health Department for two years, specializing in women’s issues for the county. She also worked at Woodburn High School as the school nurse for one year and loved it. “What a great community,” said Webb.

Webb began at Silverton Hospital in 1994 as a Labor and Delivery Nurse. Her desire to improve the birth experience for families earned her a promotion to manager of the Family Birth Center. She was instrumental in the design and construction of the new FBC wing and guided the staff in developing unique programs such as Babies And Breastfeeding Information Education and Support (BABIES). The innovative programs are still in place and continue to make Silverton Hospital’s FBC a success.

“I marvel at where the Birth Center at Silverton Hospital has gone long after my departure. When you set a good thing in motion, it is easy to find others to follow the path and do things greater than I could ever imagine.”

For the past four years, Webb has worked at Legacy Meridian Park Hospital, first as a Birth Center Manager in Portland and most recently as Manager of Women’s Services for Legacy’s five Portland-area hospitals.

Now, at Silverton Hospital, Webb draws upon that experience to develop women’s programs and promote the community’s interest in being champions for their own health. At Wellspring, Webb plays a key role in developing the spa, aesthetics and plastics surgery center and the integrative medicine clinic.

“My nursing career has been very fulfilling, and my move to nursing administration has allowed me to continue that path,” says Webb. “The opportunity to develop programs that help families stay healthy is a great reward.”

Britt Bensen Steele, MPH
Director, Fitness & Weight Management
Wellspring Medical Center
The imperfect body is not just welcomed, it’s celebrated at The Fitness Center at Wellspring, offering new ways to think about health and exercise in an environment focused on the whole person. “We don’t encourage attachment to the perfect or forever-youthful physique,” says center Director Britt Bensen Steele. “Instead, we allow that it is possible to attain fitness and optimal weight without pushing hard, getting hurt or spending one’s life in the gym.”

Bensen Steele brings a ton of experience to the training table, with 15 years in the health and fitness industry as a program director, professional speaker and trainer. Her expertise ranges from employee wellness to clinical cancer research and corporate and organizational development.

Along with her husband Larry Steele, a former Portland Trailblazer, Bensen Steele helped develop the concept for the center at Wellspring.

“In conventional fitness, there is a ‘fix what is broken’ mentality,” she says. “And what is defined as ‘broken’ is anything that is not the perfect body or the perfect level of fitness.”

In integrative fitness, the uniqueness of each individual’s life experience is respected. “Each person’s journey is unique, with unique needs and timing.”

Time spent at the Integrative Fitness Center — “a place of refuge,” Bensen Steele says — focuses on the body, mind and spirit. It’s time spent reaching a transformational space in a transformational place, supporting sustainable fitness, health, wellness, internal strength, personal endurance, individual flexibility and finding a balance in life.

Bensen Steele’s philosophy is guided by the concept that medicine starts within. “Each day we make choices that have medicinal impact,” she says. “how much sleep we get, what food choices we make, whether or not we exercise, how we choose to handle the stress of life. They all create physiological changes in our bodies.”

“Lifestyle choices are medicine. And they are the least invasive, most sustainable, impactful choices you can make.”

Mary Tippin, NP
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Wellspring Integrative Medicine
Mary Tippin has lived and practiced in the Silverton area for twelve years. Three years ago, she took a hiatus from her maternity practice to focus on her young family. “I was fortunate to be able to take the time to be an at-home parent; to hike, read, and establish an essential foundation with my daughter.” Now that her daughter is a little older, Tippin has returned to her practice and devotes her time and energy to new and returning patients.

A Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Tippin brings years of experience to her position at Wellspring. She offers well-woman gynecological exams, hormone balancing, family planning options, preconception counseling and care for mid-life concerns. Through a philosophy of prevention and education, her practice focuses on balance throughout the life cycle, emphasizing nutrition, exercise and self-awareness to enhance each woman’s experience of optimizing their health.

“Many of us are pursuing new ways of looking at our health. The Integrative Medicine Center has given me the opportunity to work with women to effect change in lifestyle and wellness.” Back >