Susanne Crane, PA-C

I grew up in Lander, WY and spent much of her time outdoors and backpacking with my family in the Wind River mountains. I have always been drawn to nature, science, and medicine, in part due to my upbringing and my family. I earned a major in Biology and minors in Spanish and Biomedical Science in 2004 from Colorado State University before moving to Portland OR on a whim, which turned out to be one of my best decisions! While working as a research assistant at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center at OHSU I eventually discovered the PA profession and attended OHSU for PA school, graduating in 2012.

My now husband, Rob, and I had been backpacking in the Wallowas over the years and I dreamed of moving there. I spent the first 3 years of my career at Winding Waters before moving to Livingston, MT in 2016 to be closer to family. There I worked at Community Health Partners where I served as a PCP in family medicine for 6 years, but I continued to miss the warmth of the community, the diversity of the land, and my former job in Wallowa county. I realized that Wallowa county and Winding Waters just fit my nature. So I am thrilled to rejoin the Winding Waters team!

I truly enjoy working closely and connecting with patients and families to help them achieve their best overall wellness. This means meeting patients where they are, prioritizing what matters most to them, providing education to help them make the best decisions for themselves, being there through life’s difficult times, and celebrating successes together. It also means learning, researching, and collaborating with colleagues and specialists to find solutions to challenging problems. I am inspired by and excited to join my mentors and colleagues who are eager to learn. I look forward to working with this community that I care about to help us all lead happier and healthier lives.

In my free time, I thrive in the outdoors and I especially love trail running, soccer, backpacking, hiking, skiing, and floating rivers. I’m enjoying learning to become a better cook and birder, and I absolutely love spending time with my husband and watching our young daughter discover her world.