The lifeblood of any effective organization is not the bricks and mortar, the procedure manual, nor the organizational chart.    It's the people involved.

     We're proud of ours.

Douwe Rienstra, MD

Joseph Douwe Rienstra practices general medicine. He graduated from Duke Medical School in 1969 and has taught in the Preventive Medicine Department at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. His study of medicine has taken him to India, the Mayo Clinic, and many places in between. An active student of both pharmaceutical and natural methods, he knows the value and limitations of each. He loves medical practice, singing, tennis, backcountry hiking, and his family. He goes by "Douwe," a Dutch name he inherited from his grandfather.

More Information about Dr. Rienstra:

• Curriculum vitae.
• Medical education activities.
• Dr Rienstra tells why he uses both traditional and natural healing techniques.
• Dr Rienstra is not a naturopath

Janet Goldenbogen-Self, RN, RC

Janet's interest in self-care and patient-centered health led her to complete a Doctorate of Natural Healing from the Clayton College of Natural Health in 1993 and go on for further study and certification at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM. She began leading treatment education groups at the Children's Behavior Disorder Clinic at Western Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh and has had a strong interest and much experience in leading support groups since that time. She facilitated courses for the weight loss franchise "NutriSystem". She has developed a variety of weight management groups including the "Don't Diet Live It" support group, offered since 1999 on her own and through Peninsula College.  She is a key element of the Solutions weight-loss program here at the clinic.

More Information about Janet Goldenbogen-Self:

• Curriculum vitae.
• About

Christine Nock, MA, LMHC

Christine earned a degree in Psychology from Washington State University in 1992.  She went on to study at Northern Arizona University where she was awarded a Masters degree in Applied Health Psychology in 1994.   Since then she has worked with individuals, couples, teenagers, and groups in a variety of treatment settings.  Using mindfulness training, insight development, cognitive restructuring and behavioral skills, Christine helps people improve their health habits.  She has assisted intravenous drug users in reducing HIV risk behaviors.  She has helped people suffering from weight, pain, stress, hypertension, depression and anxiety.  She worked with teenagers at a farm based life skills training program.  She’s worked in behavior change in schools.  Christine is accredited by the State of Washington as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.   Here in Port Townsend, she has a private practice in the Oregon C. Hastings Building on Lawrence Street. 

Christine enjoys gardening, dance, hiking and spending time with her five year old daughter.

More Information about Christine Nock:

• Curriculum vitae
• About

Bonnie Corra

If you've a question about the clinic, you can get the answer from Bonnie. She has been with the clinic since 1986 and is looked at as the mother of the office by other staff members. Bonnie keeps the accounts, works at the reception desk, and fulfills many other tasks to help Dr Rienstra operate the clinic. Although the clinic doesn't bill your insurance company, Bonnie can help you with any questions you may have regarding insurance billing and the clinic's procedures. Bonnie enjoys working at the clinic because there is always new information. "In all these years, I continue to learn a great deal about health." In addition to the academic benefits, Bonnie loves working in a small clinic that has the feeling of family and adds the personal touch to it's daily business practices. When she isn't working at the clinic or her other bookkeeping job, or being real life mom, Bonnie enjoys acting and cooking.

Dixie Scoffield

Another clinic veteran (since 1994), Dixie has many skills. Most often you'll see her at the reception desk. A trained practical nurse, she does laboratory work and assists Dr Rienstra with office procedures. She manages the clinic's dispensary and can help you with a special or wholesale order. Dixie transcribes our medical records. Dixie doesn't just like working at the clinic; she loves working at the clinic. "I love the people I work with. I love the people who come into our office. I love the variety of tasks I do. And I love that I learn something new almost every day that I work." While Dixie dreams of being a world-class fiddler or a gospel singer, she puts some practicality to those dreams by gardening, hiking and quilting. Dixie also feels passionate about all of us being kinder to our planet and our children.

Pat Herkal, RN

Pat Herkal earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of South Carolina and went on to manage a nine-doctor pediatric clinic in Fort Carson, Colorado. After marriage and a move to Wyoming, she taught Allied Health at a high school, took time off for children, worked as the nurse for a vascular surgeon, and was an office nurse for a group of orthopedic surgeons. For the past 10 years, she worked for a home health and hospice agency in Wyoming. Her interest in nutrition led her to become the lead nutritional educator in that agency. Pat believes in the importance of patient education so people can make their best choices for good health and health care. Pat and her husband moved to Port Townsend from Riverton, Wyoming in March 2004. She had been searching for a community with an atmosphere of tolerance and environmental concern and feels she has found that here. Her daughter is a talented chef. Pat likes to garden, read and quilt. She was a Master Gardener in Wyoming but is having to learn new ways to garden in the Pacific Northwest.

Kathleen Kastner, RN

Kathleen graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1968. As a military wife for over 24 years, she moved 11 times. She’s served as a public health nurse, school nurse, nurse in a pediatric allergy office, pediatric nurse educator, lactation educator and as a hospital nurse on the pediatric unit and newborn nursery. The Monterey Peninsula Pediatric Medical Group enlisted her in 1986 as the nurse manager.

Kathleen is proud to be the mother of Kristine, a police officer, and Jill, a cardiac rehab nurse and happy to be the “gg” (goofy grandma) to Austin, Trenton, Kailey, Claire, Chase, and Aidan. She and her “good man”, Chuck O’Connor, retired and moved to Port Townsend in 2003, happy to be close to the water and able to enjoy the great outdoors and small town atmosphere. She enjoys hiking with Chuck and Libby, their golden retriever. She is a power walker and has completed 21 marathons and several half marathons.

Kathleen wanted to be a nurse since she was a little girl. She has always enjoyed teaching her patients and loves to learn new things.

Alea Waters, RN

Alea earned her RN at the College of the Redwoods in Mendocino and the University of New York Registered Nursing Program. She's worked in most fields of nursing, including the ICU, general medicine and surgery, urgent care, home health and hospice. Alea became fluent in Spanish at the University of Madrid, a skill that she found vital working for Planned Parenthood and as a health consultant for the Head Start Programs of Mendocino and Lake Counties. In that capacity Alea put her undergraduate credentials to work teaching hygiene and health maintenance to teachers and parents. A "detail person," she has her own interest in nutrition and herbal medicine to back up her traditional nursing tasks here at the clinic. Alea, with her partner Lang, an electrical contractor, were "drawn here by the lure of the wild north, cohousing, and folk music." Each of them plays several instruments, Alea now adding fiddle skills to her musical repertoire.

LuAnn Rogers, RN

LuAnn started her medical career as a Licensed Vocational Nurse in Geneva, NY in 1978. She did general medical and surgical hospital nursing there until moving to the San Francisco area in 1983. LuAnn advanced to an RN degree in 1987. She went to work in organ transplantation at California Pacific Medical Center for fourteen years, until 2001 when she began traveling to people's homes to insert intravenous lines and care for people with serious illness. With her musician husband, two children and Oscar the miniature dachshund, she moved to Port Hadlock in August of 2003. Her children are young enough that she works part-time here at the clinic covering when the other nurses are off-duty. "I love Dr. Rienstra's approach to healthcare--- the combination of traditional medicine with holistic and preventive care--- my co-workers, our patients, and the atmosphere in the office." At home, after her maternal duties are seen to, LuAnn bikes, hikes, and enjoys the outdoors, "especially the garden with my hands in the dirt!"