FULL-TIME DOCTOR RECRUITED FOR LOPEZ CLINIC 

Lopez Homeowner Dr. Sharon Gill Will Start Seeing Patients in Late Summer 

The Lopez Clinic transition has hit another important milestone with the hiring of internal medicine physician Dr. Sharon Gill as a full-time doctor, as Sea Mar Community Health Centers assumes operation of the Lopez Medical Clinic. Dr. Gill has spent 18 years as a physician with the Veterans Administration Puget Sound Healthcare System in Seattle and will start at the Lopez Clinic in late summer. She and her husband have owned a home near Hunter Bay on Lopez Island for nearly a decade. 

Joining Dr. Gill will be Sea Mar family medicine physician Dr. Patrick Gemperline, also a Lopez homeowner, who will see patients part-time beginning June 29, providing care the first week of each month. To fill out the team, respected Physician Associate Sam Rich has accepted an offer from Sea Mar to continue serving Lopezians full-time. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Sharon Gill as our primary physician at the Lopez Clinic,” said Jim Orcutt, chair of the Lopez Island Hospital District, who is a retired physician and medical school professor. “Dr. Patrick Gemperline is an experienced physician who will be an excellent complement to Dr. Gill. As part-time Lopez residents for many years, Dr. Gill and Dr. Gemperline deeply understand our rural, remote community. I’m delighted that PA Sam Rich, who is widely praised for providing compassionate and diligent care, will remain at the clinic.” 

Dr. Sharon Gill’s first role at the VA was as medical director of the American Lake Women’s Health Clinic, providing comprehensive women’s primary care to veterans there and for patients of all genders at the Seattle VA Primary Care Clinic. For the last eight years, she has continued care for this complex patient panel in Seattle, while overseeing the VA Puget Sound transition to a new electronic health record system. 

Dr. Patrick Gemperline is a Sea Mar family medicine physician with a special interest in pediatrics. During his 36-year career, Dr. Gemperline supervised the Sea Mar family medicine residency program and obstetrics training, delivering more than 1,000 babies himself. 

Lopez Clinic Physician Associate Sam Rich will continue to provide patient care as a full-time member of the primary care team.  PA Rich has seen patients at the Lopez Clinic since 2023, consistently earning strong positive reviews from patients.   

“Retaining Sam Rich and recruiting Dr. Sharon Gill are important steps for a smooth transition to Sea Mar operation of the Lopez Clinic,” said Katherine Bryant Ingman, chair of the Catherine Washburn Medical Association, which owns the clinic building and equipment. “We are looking forward to a fully-staffed clinic and the delivery of quality health care for Lopezians.” 

Dr. Sharon Gill received her undergraduate degree from Cal Poly and then graduated from Yale Medical School. Dr. Gill was a volunteer Spanish interpreter in medical school and worked in Quito, Ecuador interviewing mothers for a research project, and looks forward to regaining her fluency in Spanish. She enjoys baking, boating, and her two “unruly and spoiled” rescue dogs, Bailey and Savo.  

Dr. Patrick Gemperline and his wife Jan Dwight, who is a gynecological ARNP, live and work in Seattle, where they raised their three grown sons. They are moving toward retirement next May. Dr. Gemperline is conversational in Spanish. He enjoys bicycling, tennis, pickleball, and Lopez potlucks!  

Physician Associate Sam Rich earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and his masters degree from the University of Iowa Carver Medical School.  Physician Associates serve as fully qualified medical providers who deliver patient care under the clinical supervision of a licensed physician. PA Rich, his wife Brianna, and their golden retriever Zeus enjoy the outdoors and dreamed of living in the San Juans for years before joining the clinic staff. 

In another positive step toward a smooth transition, Sea Mar has offered to retain all existing Lopez Clinic staff at their current salaries. “We are encouraged by Sea Mar’s focus on fully staffing the Lopez Clinic. As we receive news about additional staffing decisions, we will share them with the community,” said LIHD Superintendent Edee Scriven. Updates will be posted at https://lopezislandhd.org/