SHERIDAN – Dr. James Ulibarri alongside physician assistants Sean Schoonover and Katie Mischke will launch Spine Center of the Bighorns at Sheridan Memorial Hospital in July, offering advanced spine surgery options to individuals across the region.
“Our mission to provide excellent, patient-centered care close to home means providing access to advanced specialties,” said Mike McCafferty, hospital CEO. “We’re thrilled to add a team of well-respected providers with deep Wyoming roots to the Sheridan Memorial Hospital team as part of that mission.”
Dr. Ulibarri grew up on a ranch outside of Douglas and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Wyoming before attending medical school at the University of Wisconsin. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Wisconsin and a fellowship in spine surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. He returned to practice medicine in Wyoming in 2009, specializing in surgery of cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, including degenerative disease, trauma and tumors.
Sean Schoonover, a certified physician assistant, grew up in Cody and attended the University of Wyoming, where he met his future wife, Toni, a registered nurse originally from Sheridan. He earned an associate degree in surgical technology before completing the physician assistant program at Northern Arizona University. After earning his master’s degree, he worked at Mayo Clinic’s Phoenix Campus Neurosurgical Department, with a focus on spine surgery. Schoonover and his wife returned to Wyoming after the birth of their first child, and the couple now lives in Sheridan with their three children.
Katie Mischke is a Sheridan native returning to her hometown after spending seven years working in neurosurgery at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings. Mischke graduated from Carroll College in 2014 before attending the physician assistant program at Rocky Mountain College. She has worked in orthopedics and spine care for more than 10 years and said she enjoys helping individuals regain a higher level of functionality and more enjoyment in their day-to-day lives.
The Spine Center of the Bighorns at Sheridan Memorial Hospital will begin seeing patients July 14.