Physician Assistants Heather Allred and Phillip Rutledge joined SVI to discuss the dermatology services offered and to offer the best care possible to those in the area.

Allred has been working in dermatology for 14 years with the past year in Kemmerer. Rutledge has been at South Lincoln Medical Center for a year in a family practice and the last couple of months he has been working in dermatology.

“I worked with Heather as a medical assistant for five years in dermatology,” Rutledge said. “So, that’s kind of how I got into it.”

He says the practice is anything that has to do with your skin. Rashes, skin cancer, and acne are all part of that. However, he says fingernails or toenails and hair are a part of that as well.

“Anything that has to do with anything can see on your body basically or itches,” Rutledge said. “We can help you out with it.”

He also says that even if they will not be able to help as a treatment may require surgery, the medical center will refer you to someone who can take care of it. Allred says you do not need a referral to come see them.

“Although we do have several people that are referred to us from their family practice docs,” Allred said.

The service has now only been offered over a year at South Lincoln Medical Center.

“I think a lot of people are unaware that dermatology, for one, is here,” Allred said. “And also exactly what dermatology covers.”

She says everyone should be aware of their skin and monitor it on a consistent basis. She says you look for things that seem different.

“So, growing, changing, that are tender, that they’re picking at, bleeding,” Allred said. “Any of those things are definitely red flags that we want to see.”

She also mentioned if you have a wound that just isn’t healing properly. She recalled a time where a patient did not have a mosquito bite heal properly and bothered the patient for ten years.

Rutledge says they can take care of a lot of needs with the services provided. They can typically diagnose and if it requires more specialty care they will refer you. Allred even pointed out that Kemmerer has a local Moh’s surgeon who can perform the treatment for really tough skin cancers.

“I would say the majority of the things we find on the skin that need to be removed, we can do right here in the clinic,” Allred said.