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White Mountains, Arizona

Regional Healthcare Guide

Doctors in the White Mountains

Doctors in the White Mountains

114 providers found

The White Mountains function as a unified healthcare region across Show Low (population ~13,000), Pinetop-Lakeside (~4,500), Springerville/Eagar (~5,000 combined), and surrounding unincorporated communities in southern Navajo and Apache counties. At elevations of 6,000 to 6,800 feet with summer highs rarely exceeding 80 degrees, the region is Arizona's primary escape from Valley heat, and Pinetop-Lakeside's population surges from 4,200 to over 30,000 in summer. Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Show Low is the anchor: 101 beds, Level IV Trauma Center, certified Primary Stroke Center, and a Mayo Clinic Care Network member serving 90,000 or more permanent and seasonal residents across 3,000 square miles. White Mountain Regional Medical Center in Springerville adds 21 beds as a Critical Access Hospital with its own Level IV Trauma Center and 24/7 emergency department, serving the eastern corridor. The Fort Apache Indian Reservation borders the region to the south. The White Mountain Apache Tribe has roughly 15,000 enrolled members, and Show Low is the nearest commercial healthcare hub for tribal members seeking off-reservation care. Whiteriver Indian Hospital (IHS) is being replaced with a $680 million facility that will expand specialty, surgical, and emergency capacity by 2030. Telehealth is not a convenience here. It is the only access to multiple specialties. No neurologists, psychiatrists, or endocrinologists practice locally. Summit's telestroke, teleneurology, and teleconcussion programs provide 24/7 specialist access via video. Field EMS vehicles carry mobile routers for real-time physician consultation during transport across the region's long distances. For subspecialties that telehealth cannot cover (neurosurgery, advanced oncology, pediatric subspecialties), the drive is 3 hours to Phoenix or 2.5 hours to Flagstaff. Summit Healthcare is one of fewer than half of rural Arizona hospitals that still offer labor and delivery. The OB unit, certified as a Level II Perinatal Care Center, means women across the entire White Mountains can deliver locally rather than making a 3-hour drive to Phoenix. Prenatal care is available through Summit OB-GYN, midwifery providers, and North Country HealthCare's FQHC for uninsured patients.

Popular Specialties in White Mountains

Cities in This Area

Healthcare in White Mountains

Summit Healthcare in Show Low handles the bulk of hospital, surgical, cardiac, and oncology care for the region. White Mountain Regional in Springerville covers the eastern corridor. North Country HealthCare provides FQHC safety-net care. Subspecialties unavailable locally (endocrinology, rheumatology, neurosurgery) require a 3-hour drive to Phoenix. Telehealth bridges the gap for neurology, stroke, concussion, and behavioral health. Navajo County carries HPSA designations across primary care, mental health, and dental.

Summit Healthcare: 101 beds, Level IV Trauma, Mayo Clinic Care Network, serves 90K+ residents
White Mountain Regional Medical Center (Springerville): 21-bed Critical Access Hospital
Population surges from ~22,000 year-round to 90,000+ in summer months
Fort Apache Reservation borders the region; Show Low is the nearest commercial healthcare hub
Telehealth is critical infrastructure: no local neurologists, psychiatrists, or endocrinologists
Summit OB unit (Level II Perinatal Center): one of fewer than half of rural AZ hospitals with L&D
3 hours to Phoenix, 2.5 hours to Flagstaff for advanced subspecialty care
$680M Whiteriver Indian Hospital replacement under construction, expanding by 2030
Sunrise Park Resort + 50 lakes drive year-round orthopedic and emergency demand

Providers in the White Mountains Area

Becky Ortiz, WHNP-BC

Becky Ortiz, WHNP-BC

Featured Provider
Nurse Practitioner
Accepting PatientsVideo Visits
SHOW LOW, AZ 85901

Becky's career in women's health spans over four decades, a timeline that says less about longevity and more about a provider who has never stopped finding meaning in the work. She started in nursing in the early 1980s, earned her Women's Health Nurse Practitioner certification in 1994, and has since practiced across a wide range of clinical settings in Arizona, from large OB/GYN groups to community-focused practices. Along the way, she became a dedicated educator, precepting nurse practitioner students from universities across the country and serving as an Adjunct Professor at Arizona State University. Her teaching was recognized with ASU's Preceptor of the Year Award in 2008. Becky is also a sought-after speaker on menopause management, HRT, HPV vaccination, and contraceptive care, and she works as a legal consultant in women's health. What drives her, after all these years, is the privilege of caring for women across every phase of life. She and her family recently moved to the White Mountains, and she is thrilled to bring her experience to the Show Low community.

Spanish
Well-Woman ExamPrenatal CareContraception Consult
Diondria Ingram, CNM

Diondria Ingram, CNM

Featured Provider
Accepting PatientsVideo Visits
SHOW LOW, AZ 85901

Diondria's road to midwifery started in the Navy, where she learned the kind of discipline and adaptability that would define her career. After her service, she earned her nursing degree in Richmond, Virginia, and quickly discovered that maternity care was where she belonged. She went on to complete her Master of Science in Nursing Midwifery at Shenandoah University, then spent years practicing in settings most providers never experience: Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, and a community OB/GYN practice in rural Georgia. That range of experience, from a military hospital in Hawaii to the Navajo Nation, gave her a rare ability to meet patients wherever they are, both literally and figuratively. Diondria is a certified Centering Pregnancy facilitator who believes in the power of group prenatal care to build community among expectant mothers. She brings full-scope midwifery skills and a calm, steady presence to the Show Low community.

Dr. Brittany Stam, MD

Dr. Brittany Stam, MD

Featured Provider
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Video Visits
SHOW LOW, AZ 85901

Dr. Brittany Stam grew up in Arizona and studied physiology at the University of Arizona before she and her husband moved to the tropical island of St. Maarten, where she earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean. While it was difficult to leave paradise, it was time for the next step. Dr. Stam spent the next four years in Brooklyn, completing her residency at Staten Island University Hospital, where her peers and the nursing staff recognized her with multiple awards for patient care and service. She also served as Chairman of the Perinatal Collaborative Care Council. Eager to return to their Arizona roots, Dr. Stam joined MomDoc and happily left her winter clothing in New York. She describes herself as a "true generalist at heart", she loves both obstetrics and gynecology and has a strong interest in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.

Prenatal CareWell-Woman ExamPostpartum Visit+2 more
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ALISON IVERSON, NP

Nurse Practitioner
Accepting Patients
SHOW LOW, AZ 85901
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AMBER HUNT, PA-C

Physician Assistant
Accepting Patients
SHOW LOW, AZ 85901
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ALENA THOMPSON, FNP-C

Nurse Practitioner
Accepting Patients
SPRINGERVILLE, AZ 85938
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ASHLEE NICOLL, NP

Nurse Practitioner
Accepting Patients
SPRINGERVILLE, AZ 85938
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CARTER ANDERSON, P.A.

Physician Assistant
Accepting Patients
SPRINGERVILLE, AZ 85938
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Dr. HAL RICHINS, MD

Family Medicine
Accepting Patients
SPRINGERVILLE, AZ 85938
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Dr. ROBERT SHUPAK, M.D.

Anesthesiology
Accepting Patients
SPRINGERVILLE, AZ 85938

Health Guides for White Mountains Residents

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Frequently Asked Questions

What hospitals serve the White Mountains?

Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Show Low (101 beds, Level IV Trauma, certified Primary Stroke Center) is the regional anchor. White Mountain Regional Medical Center in Springerville (21 beds, Critical Access Hospital) covers the eastern corridor with a 24/7 emergency department. Whiteriver Indian Hospital (IHS) serves White Mountain Apache tribal members.

Can women deliver babies in the White Mountains?

Yes. Summit Healthcare's OB unit is a certified Level II Perinatal Care Center with 24-hour physician and neonatal nurse practitioner coverage, handling births at 35+ weeks. It is one of fewer than half of rural Arizona hospitals that still offer labor and delivery. High-risk pregnancies requiring a Level III NICU transfer to Phoenix.

What specialists are available via telehealth?

Summit Healthcare operates telestroke (24/7 board-certified neurologists), teleneurology, and teleconcussion programs, plus partnerships for telebehavioral health. Field EMS vehicles carry mobile routers for real-time physician consultation during transport. Tele-ICU, tele-pain, tele-burn, and tele-cardiology programs are in development.

How does the summer population surge affect healthcare?

The White Mountains population grows from roughly 22,000 year-round residents to over 90,000 in summer as Valley residents escape the heat. About half of Pinetop-Lakeside homes are seasonal properties. This creates significant spikes in urgent care, primary care, and emergency demand from May through September, compounded by recreation injuries from skiing, ATV riding, hiking, and fishing.

Where can uninsured patients get care?

North Country HealthCare in Show Low is a federally qualified health center with sliding-fee-scale primary care, behavioral health, and lab services. They accept AHCCCS, Medicare, and commercial insurance, and treat patients regardless of ability to pay.