Valley Springs, CA…“Kindness goes a long way in healing” notes Family Nurse Practitioner Laura Keller. “Just listening to people makes a huge difference.” Laura has recently joined the staff at Mark Twain Family Medical Center in Valley Springs and explains, “I’m here to provide care for people of all ages.” She received her RN degree from College of the Redwoods in Fort Bragg and her FNP certificate from the University of California, Davis.

Laura moved to Calaveras County from Trinity County, where her career was dedicated to family medical practice, including positions at Hayfork Health Center, Trinity Hospital and Mountain Community Clinic in Weaverville and Mercy Medical Center in Redding. She also worked with a local physician in his family medical practice for some 20 years. “We took care of the town,” she notes. “I knew everyone and I’m hoping to establish those kinds of relationships here.”

“Nurse Practitioners play a key role in rural clinics, like in any family medical practice,” Laura says. “I guess the biggest thing is that I really like to take the time to listen to patients. I take their concerns seriously and enjoy working with them to help solve their health issues. What I care about the most in the practice of medicine is to maintain an attitude of respect and compassion and integrity for patients of all ages.” She continues, “I believe in the body/mind connection. Helping people help themselves is crucial to good health and well-being.”

Having helped patients in multiple settings – including emergency rooms, corrections, private practice and even her own business – Laura says she thought she had truly found her calling when she first began working in Calaveras County serving the Native American population. She says, “Unfortunately, that was unexpectedly cut short and now I am so happy to have joined the team at Mark Twain Medical Center and Dignity Health. Their motto is ‘humankindness’ and that fits me to a tee.”

Laura and her husband Jack enjoy living in the foothills and they have a grown daughter, Lauren, who lives in Oklahoma. Throughout her nursing career she has always been an avid gardener. Moving to Calaveras County included special handling for many of her favorite plants, which the couple dug up and transported to their new home. “These are lifelong friends,” she said. “I’ve nurtured them for decades.”

For more information on the Valley Springs Family Medical Center or to make an appointment, call 209.754.2963.