Elizabeth Larson, C-NP

Written by cloakendagger on July 8, 2023. Posted in Mt. Rushmore RD, Providers.

Elizabeth Larson, C-NP

Elizabeth is a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and graduate of South Dakota State University. She has been in practice since 2018, though she started out in a pediatric practice and worked for one year before joining RCMC.

Elizabeth enjoys getting to help people with their gastroenterology needs. She sees general GI, but has a focus on IBD, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn’s.

She enjoys hiking, reading, and traveling – especially when it involves time with her family.

Katie Ingle, DNP, FNP

Written by cloakendagger on July 8, 2023. Posted in Mt. Rushmore RD, Providers.

Katie Ingle, DNP, FNP

Katie Ingle is a board-certified family nurse practitioner who joined the Rapid City Medical Center Gastroenterology Department in 2021. She has been a nurse practitioner since 2005, previously working in family and emergency medicine. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Iowa and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Minnesota. In 2020 she obtained a certification in functional medicine from the Institute of Functional Medicine.

Developing relationships with her patients, looking for the root cause of symptoms, and helping patients work towards an optimal state of health are the things Katie most enjoys about being a nurse practitioner. She appreciates being able to provide holistic care by combining traditional allopathic medicine with functional medicine principles. She believes this approach allows for optimal health.

Katie grew up in Iowa and met her future husband, Zak, who was in the Army, while finishing her undergraduate nursing degree. Zak and Katie spent 21 years living all across the United States and finally settled here in Rapid City when Zak retired from the army. They have three children who keep them busy. As a family they enjoy traveling, skiing, and spending time with their Newfoundland, Rey.

Emily Baertsch, C-NP

Written by cloakendagger on July 8, 2023. Posted in Mt. Rushmore RD, Providers.

Emily Baertsch, C-NP

Emily is a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and graduate of South Dakota State University. She has been in practice since 2020.

Emily was born and raised in Rapid City. She initially attended college at the University of Minnesota where she graduated with honors in Kinesiology and a Coaching Minor. She then went on to receive a BSN from South Dakota State University and later returned to earn her Doctor of Nursing Practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner, graduating in 2019. She spent 11 years as a RN in the acute care setting, caring for patients across the lifespan with a special focus in end-of-life care, organ donation, and hospital operations. She joined Gastroenterology in 2020 where she enjoys seeing general gastroenterology patients and subspecializes in liver disease. Her passion is to help people live their best lives using a personalized approach to medical care. Outside of the office, she spends time with her husband and 2 children enjoying life in the Black Hills. She is also active in high school gymnastics and has been a high school official since 2005.

Blake Jones, MD

Written by cloakendagger on July 8, 2023. Posted in Mt. Rushmore RD, Physicians.

Blake Jones, MD

Dr. Jones is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in Canada. He attended medical school at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, followed by a medical internship at the Toronto General Hospital, and residency training at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. Dr. Jones returned to Mayo for a fellowship in gastroenterology and completed training in 1998. He joined the Gastroenterology Department at Rapid City Medical Center in 2013.

In his spare time, he enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and camping with his wife and children in the Black Hills and beyond. Dr. Jones is also an avid photographer and dog lover.

Board Status

Certified American Board of Gastroenterology

Nathan Jaqua, MD

Written by cloakendagger on July 8, 2023. Posted in Mt. Rushmore RD, Physicians.

Nathan Jaqua, MD

Dr. Nathan T. Jaqua is a native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He received his bachelor’s of science degree in Chemistry with a minor in Psychology from South Dakota State University (SDSU). After completing some graduate-level work in Chemistry at SDSU, he attended the University of South Dakota Sandford School of Medicine where he received his Medical Doctorate degree in 2010.

Dr. Jaqua completed both his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. This was followed by his fellowship in Gastroenterology at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. During his fellowship, he participated in a phase-2 clinical trial for an investigative medication for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) as well as in research on the infectious triggers of Crohn’s disease. He spent almost nine years as an active duty Army physician.

Dr. Jaqua enjoys practicing general gastroenterology including the treatment of liver diseases, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis), Barrett’s Esophagus, GERD, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. His passion is preventing colon cancer with screening colonoscopy and the removal of large polyps with endoscopic methods. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American College of Gastroenterology. He is a dual board-certified diplomate in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

In his spare time, Dr. Jaqua enjoys hiking, camping, music, and spending time with his wife and three children.

Board Status
Certified American Board of Gastroenterology and American Board of Internal Medicine

Oksana Anand, MD

Written by cloakendagger on July 6, 2023. Posted in Mt. Rushmore RD, Physicians.

Oksana Anand, MD

Dr. Anand became fascinated with Gastroenterology as a specialty as a fourth-year medical student. She felt it was a perfect blend of intellectual stimulation and procedural skill. Her choice was reaffirmed after her father received the diagnosis of metastatic esophageal cancer. After successfully completing Internal Medicine Residency, followed by Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, KS and prior to joining RCMC in 2016, she worked as a general gastroenterologist in rural Kansas and North Dakota.

Although she cares for patients with all gastrointestinal conditions, her special clinical interest includes diagnosis and management of Celiac disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis), women’s GI health (chronic constipation, pelvic floor dysfunction, accidental bowel leakage), colon cancer screening and treatment of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea utilizing pharmacological options and fecal microbiota transplant. In addition to being proficient in general endoscopic procedures such as upper endoscopy (aka EGD), colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, she is also trained in interpreting wireless capsule endoscopy (aka PillCam), wireless SmartPill (the study of the gut’s motility), esophageal manometry and in performance of a non-surgical treatment of hemorrhoids using CRH O’Regan system.

She is Board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and has been a member of the American College of Gastroenterology since 2008.

In her practice as a general gastroenterologist, she combines evidence-based principles of western allopathic medicine with functional (aka integrative) approach in order to achieve optimal, life-long lasting results for her patients. She works in close collaboration with Kathleen Ingle, DNP.

Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, once said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Dr. Anand strongly believes this to be true and has made it her mission to help patients heal their bodies by healing their gut.

Board Status

Certified American Board of Gastroenterology and American Board of Internal Medicine

Paeton Moyle, PA-C

Written by cloakendagger on July 6, 2023. Posted in Mt. Rushmore RD, Providers.

Paeton Moyle, PA-C

Paeton Moyle, PA-C returned to her hometown of Rapid City after graduating from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE in 2018. She joined the Rapid City Medical Center dermatology team in 2020. Paeton is passionate about providing personalized care to individuals of all ages.

Paeton is a member of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants and the South Dakota Academy of Physicians Assistants. Paeton enjoys hiking, downhill skiing, and spending time in the Black Hills with her husband and both of their extended families.

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(605) 721-3376

Schedule Appointment

2820 Mt. Rushmore Rd.
2nd Floor (Main Entrance)

44.05715085,-103.23122799191563

Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Clinic

Map to this Location

Gregory Wittenberg, MD, FAAD

Written by cloakendagger on July 6, 2023. Posted in Mt. Rushmore RD, Physicians.

Gregory Wittenberg, MD, FAAD

Gregory P. Wittenberg, MD, FAAD, FACMS, is a native of Hot Springs, South Dakota. He attended the University of South Dakota School of Medicine where he graduated magna cum laude in 1994. Dr. Wittenberg then completed his internship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and trained in dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. He also completed a fellowship in Mohs Micrographic Surgery at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Wittenberg is board-certified in dermatology and dermatologic surgery, a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and of the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology, and a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honorary Society.

Dr. Wittenberg has practiced in Rapid City for 25 years and performed thousands of surgeries for both malignant and pre-malignant skin lesions. He values most the physician/patient relationship and the best outcome for the patient is always his primary objective. He considers his patients part of his family and strives so that each patient has access to the highest quality care. He acknowledges and appreciates his outstanding staff and partners in providing the best quality care in Rapid City and the surrounding area.

[brb_collection id=”1770″]

(605) 721-3376

Schedule Appointment

2820 Mt. Rushmore Rd.
2nd Floor (Main Entrance)

44.05715085,-103.23122799191563

Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Clinic

Map to this Location

Lycia Thornburg, MD, FAAD

Written by cloakendagger on July 6, 2023. Posted in Mt. Rushmore RD, Physicians.

Lycia Thornburg, MD, FAAD

Dr. Thornburg was born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Wyoming, attended medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed her residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She joined The Skin Institute at Rapid City Medical Center in 2004.

Dr. Thornburg specializes in general and pediatric dermatology, surgical dermatology, laser surgery, and cosmetics, including Botox and Juvéderm. She also focuses on the early detection of skin cancers.

Dr. Thornburg has been elevating her cosmetic craft, showcasing her passion for aesthetics by earning Master Expert status at AMI Master Training in Washington, D.C. in 2023. She was selected as faculty for the National Skincare Advisory Board and Filler Advisory Board for Allergan, the world’s leading scientific-backed manufacturer of aesthetic products. Dr. Thornburg has welcomed a national role for Allergan as speaker, consultant, and instructor to other dermatology groups throughout the United States.

Dr. Thornburg has been selected to be a media expert for the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) on all topics regarding skin. This is a national position, and she has had opportunities to represent dermatologists throughout the United States.

Made for Shade is the heart and soul of Dr. Lycia Thornburg, who founded this in 2006, along with her partners at Rapid City Medical Center Skin Institute. Dedicated to sheltering children from the damaging effects of the sun while fostering a love of outdoor play, Dr. Thornburg, and her team of volunteers, with the Made for Shade Foundation, have funded and supported over 34 shade structures in the Black Hills. Along with prevention of skin cancer, Dr. Thornburg is focused on research and development with her partner Dr. Melody Eide and Dr. Blake Jones, on a study to evaluate biomarkers in patients with cancer. This is an area of her practice that she is very passionate about and is attentive to her patients and community on the prevention and early detection of skin cancer.

Her favorite quote is by Maya Angelou: “At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” She draws on this philosophy daily in how she cares for her patients – providing the best treatment available, educating patients on the tools necessary to achieve and maintain healthy skin, and never forgetting the medical importance of the skin to overall patient-health. At the end of the day, Dr. Thornburg makes her patients, whether medical or cosmetic, feel like red carpet guests, as she honors their inner beauty.

[brb_collection id=”1767″]

(605) 721-3376

Schedule Appointment

2820 Mt. Rushmore Rd.
2nd Floor (Main Entrance)

44.05715085,-103.23122799191563

Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Clinic

Map to this Location

Robert Sage, MD, FAAD

Written by cloakendagger on July 6, 2023. Posted in Mt. Rushmore RD, Physicians.

Robert Sage, MD, FAAD

Dr. Sage practices dermatology at The Skin Institute at Rapid City Medical Center, with a fellowship training in Mohs micrographic surgery and cutaneous oncology. He also has a special interest in skin cancer and facial reconstruction. He is originally from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and joined The Skin Institute in 2012. He is board certified in Dermatology and Mohs Micrographic Surgery.

He attended medical school at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, followed by an internship at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls. He was trained in dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and completed a fellowship in Procedural Dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.

Dr. Sage believes in providing the highest quality care in a patient-centered practice and tailors each patient’s treatment plan to their unique needs. He strives to ensure that patients are educated about their condition and empowers them to be an integral member of the care team. Patients are encouraged to ask questions about their diagnosis, the surgical process, and their expected results.

When he is not at work, he can be found with his family enjoying the many outdoor activities in the Black Hills. They enjoy playing at local parks, golfing, swimming, hiking, bike riding, downhill skiing and playing in the yard at home. They also spend their free time visiting state parks and monuments, tourist attractions and their family farm.

[brb_collection id=”1765″]

(605) 721-3376

Schedule Appointment

2820 Mt. Rushmore Rd.
2nd Floor (Main Entrance)

44.05715085,-103.23122799191563

Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Clinic

Map to this Location