Ever since high school, Dr. Allison Dawson has known Sheridan boasts something special. Now, as she begins seeing patients in Sheridan Memorial Hospital’s Internal Medicine Clinic, Dawson said she’s excited to call Sheridan home.
“In high school, I remember coming to Sheridan to compete,” Dawson said, adding that she attended Cheyenne Central High School. “Even back then I always thought Sheridan was the prettiest part of the state.”
Dawson joined the team at Sheridan Memorial Hospital in October. She specializes in internal medicine and is trained in palliative care and hospice medicine. Palliative care aims to treat not only the health condition a person faces, but the symptoms of that condition as well, with the goal of increasing the individual’s quality of life. Similarly, hospice care focuses on the care, comfort and quality of life for a person approaching the end of their life.
Dawson’s family history informed her decision to pursue those specialties. When Dawson was just 9 years old, her mother passed away. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer and died within one year of the diagnosis.
“Watching her suffering and the challenges she faced, it made me believe there has to be a better way,” Dawson said.
While initially Dawson had dreamed of becoming an Olympic diver, an injury late in her high school career prevented that pursuit. Dawson switched gears, spending a few years in Hawaii and Las Vegas before attending undergraduate school in Laramie then joining the WWAMI program for medical school. She completed her residency in Chicago, working at both Cook County Hospital and Rush University Medical Center. Following residency, she completed a fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center for palliative care and hospice.
“I knew I wanted to come back to Wyoming,” Dawson said. “I never thought it was fair that just because we live here, a more rural state, that we don’t have access to every type of healthcare that we need.”
She added that if she can bring her knowledge and experiences to Wyoming and help even one person, the hours of training and traveling for medical school would prove worth it.
WWAMI – a multi-state medical education program that includes Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho – requires its students to return to their home states for at least three years following graduation, boosting the number of primary care physicians in rural states. Dawson interviewed around Wyoming, but said Sheridan stood out for its beauty and sense of community – both inside SMH and more broadly.
“I want community in my workplace and my life,” Dawson said. “Sheridan presented the opportunity to have both and while I was interviewing it was clear the providers at Sheridan Memorial Hospital not only worked well together but enjoyed what they do and the people with whom they work.”
Having worked in large hospitals, Dawson said she looks forward to getting to know the patients in a facility like SMH.
“I hope that in time they see me as somebody they can trust, that they can come to with issues or problems and know that I will do what I can to help them, both medically and just as a person,” she said.
Outside of the office, Dawson enjoys spending time with her husband, Logan, and their 1-year-old son. The family spends time camping, hiking, skiing and snowboarding. In addition, especially in the winter months, Dawson enjoys baking.
To make an appointment with Dr. Dawson or learn more about Sheridan Memorial Hospital’s Internal Medicine, go to https://www.sheridanhospital.org/medical-services/clinics/internal-medicine/ or call 307.675.2650.