Dr. Hansen is happy to find himself in Haxtun because he enjoys primary care and geriatrics, and he especially likes rural healthcare.

“Here you get to advocate for your patients a little more,” Dr. Hansen said. “You have the opportunity to help patients with more things, knowing it’s often not necessary to send them two hours away to see a specialist. It makes you a more well-rounded physician.”

A Denver-area native, Dr. Hansen appreciates getting to know his patients better than he could in a large-city practice. “Your patients end up being people you know,” he said. “You see them in the clinic and in the community. The community has been very welcoming to me. People treat you like family. It’s pretty cool.”

In addition to providing primary care at both the Haxtun and Fleming clinics, Dr. Hansen covers on-call shifts in the Emergency Department, too. And he is also glad to serve as Medical Director for Extended Care at Haxtun Health, a skilled nursing facility for 20 residents.

Since his arrival in February, Dr. Hansen has been impressed by the quality of care at Haxtun Health. “There’s a really good team here,” he said. “It’s a very positive environment to work in. Everybody’s always doing their best for the patient.”