Angels Camp, CA…Physician Assistant Star Hildabrand has watched many young patients grow up during her 13 years at the Angels Camp Family Medical Center. “The kids I first saw when I started here in 2005 are now teens and young adults. I’ve been taking care of them their whole lives.” Over the years, Star has seen a steady increase in patient population at the center. “People have confidence in us and the services we provide,” she says. “Our goal is to establish on-going relationships with our patients. On the other hand, it’s not unusual for us to see people in their 50’s who have never been to the doctor before.”

“In addition to treating whatever symptoms they may have, we try to help people learn how to take better care of themselves – including coming in to see us at least once a year.” She adds, “People often say they feel okay, so why go to the doctor? You can feel okay and have underlying problems only a health care professional will recognize.” She explains that as a PA, she works closely with MTMC physicians, referring patients as needed for specialty care.

Star’s career in health care was inspired at a young age by helping care for her grandmother.

“My mother and sister are both nurses,” she explains. “I grew up listening to their nursing stories – and we all shared in caring for my grandmother.”

Her close-knit family then lived in the San Jose area. Once she earned her nursing degree – and PA certification a few years later – Star specialized in Emergency and Critical Care, working at Santa Clara University Medical Center and San Jose Regional Medical Center.

She first visited Calaveras County when her parents, Bob and Evelyn Wood, moved to Arnold some 25 years ago. Within a few years, Star relocated to Angels Camp and the entire family is here now. Her sister Katie Tarplee lives in Mountain Ranch and is a nurse at MTMC in San Andreas. She has two brothers – Steven lives in Arnold and David recently moved to Angels Camp.

An experience when her father was critically ill years ago sparked the compassionate approach Star takes with her patients. She says, “I will never forget the kindness of nurses caring for my father when he was hospitalized and hovering near death. They were genuinely nice people helping my family through a difficult situation. They communicated with us on a personal level and were sincerely concerned about our well-being. My dad recovered and ever since then, I’ve always tried to treat my patients that same way he was treated – every time I see them.”

For information about the Angels Camp Family Medical Center, or to make an appointment, call

209-754-2968.