CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Treating chronic pain is a difficult undertaking, especially for people with limited access to the quality care they need. Desert Pain Specialists is on a mission to serve rural communities throughout southern and central Utah as they help more and more patients navigate the complexities of pain management.
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Desert Pain was established in St. George in 2007 and has since grown to include locations in Hurricane, Hildale, Cedar City, Kanab, Beaver, Panguitch, Delta and Fillmore, as well as Mesquite and Overton, Nevada. Recently, the clinic expanded into Richfield to better serve patients across the Sevier Valley.
“The Richfield community has really embraced us with open arms,” said Heidi Turnbeaugh, Desert Pain’s Cedar City office manager. “The hospital, primary care clinics and other offices have been so great to work with, as well as the Richfield Chamber of Commerce and local business owners. We’re excited to get to know and grow with this community.”
With many central Utah patients commuting to the Cedar City office for treatment, Desert Pain identified Richfield as an area in need of access to specialty care. The new location will be led by Megan Shepherd, an experienced nurse practitioner and Richfield local.
Shepherd grew up in central Utah and graduated from Weber State University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She later earned a master’s degree through the family nurse practitioner program offered by United States University in San Diego, California. Additionally, she holds certifications in wound care and oncology nursing.
Throughout her 23 years of nursing experience, Shepherd has had the privilege of working with every patient population, including pediatric, adult and geriatric patients. She spent 16 years in critical care, six years in oncology and wound care, and a year and a half in family practice. She’s also passionate about women’s health.
Nurse practitioner Megan Shepherd, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of Desert Pain Specialists, St. George News
When she’s not busy taking care of patients, Shepherd loves to travel, garden, tackle DIY projects, ski, play the violin and piano, and spend time with her family.
Shepherd enjoys working closely with patients and getting to know their stories and backgrounds. She’s excited to begin her journey in pain management with Desert Pain in Richfield.
Currently, Desert Pain sees Richfield patients at the Sevier Valley Hospital three Fridays per month. Available services include trigger point injections, simple joint injections and Botox injections for migraine. Patients who have undergone more intensive procedures at another Desert Pain location can also take care of their follow-up visits close to home.
Desert Pain plans to open a full-time office in the near future that will allow patients to benefit from additional services like epidurals, kyphoplasty and radiofrequency ablation. The addition of Shepherd, who already lives and works in Richfield, brings them closer to their goal of mitigating patient travel to Cedar City.
“Richfield is a community that we felt Desert Pain could really help,” Turnbeaugh said. “We’ve loved going out to Delta, Fillmore and our other satellite clinics, so it seemed like the perfect next step.”
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“Desert Pain is so excited to be in Richfield,” said Dr. Ryan Workman, an interventional pain management specialist at Desert Pain’s Cedar City office. “We’re impressed with the close-knit feeling of the area and are excited to have Richfield’s own Megan Shepherd working with us to bring health and vitality to the community in the hopes that we can help all residents of Richfield live their best life.”
Desert Pain is a team of highly skilled specialists seeking to improve patient quality of life through innovative pain management solutions. The clinic stands at the forefront of treating acute and chronic pain in Southern Utah by offering patients shorter wait times and more one-on-one attention from compassionate physicians and advanced practitioners trained in the latest procedures.
At Desert Pain, patients aren’t simply treated. They’re seen, heard, understood and supported throughout their pain management journey. Call 435-216-7000 or visit DesertPainSpecialists.com to schedule an appointment today.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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Resources
Desert Pain Specialists | Telephone: 435-216-7000 | Email: contact@desertpainspecialists.com | Website.
Locations:
St. George: 617 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 301.
Hurricane: 48 S. 2500 West, Suite 110.
Hildale: 1040 Utah Ave.
Cedar City: 1760 N. Main St., Suite 220.
Beaver: 68 N. Main St.
Panguitch: 200 N. 400 East.
Kanab: 348 N. 300 West.
Delta: 126 S. White Sage Ave.
Fillmore: 700 S. Highway 99, Suite 3.
Richfield: 1000 N. Main St., Suite C.
Mesquite, Nevada: 340 Falcon Ridge Parkway, Suite 603.
Overton, Nevada: 475 N. Moapa Valley Blvd.
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