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St. Luke's Children's Surgery

St. Luke’s Children’s Surgery provides the most advanced pediatric surgery and trauma care in the region. Our surgeons treat children of all ages—including newborns, infants, school age and adolescents—alongside dedicated pediatric specialists at St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital, the only children’s hospital in Idaho. Our focus on the unique needs of younger patients sets us apart, and our specially trained care team of pediatric anesthesiologists, radiologists, and nurses work closely with our surgeons in dedicated pediatric facilities and surgery suites where kids get specialized, compassionate care. When additional support is required during recovery, St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital also has the region’s largest and most experienced pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Our surgeons offer expertise in both general and highly specialized areas of pediatric surgery, from common procedures to manage conditions such as hernias, appendicitis, and pyloric stenosis to more complex surgeries. Often, even our most complex procedures can be performed through minimally invasive techniques that can decrease post-operative pain, increase the speed of recovery, and improve cosmetic results. Our decisions on how to approach each surgery are always made with the child's best interest in mind. 

Our team has extensive experience managing and performing surgery to treat and correct:

  • Chest and abdominal tumors such as Wilms tumor, neuroblastoma, and sarcomas 
  • Congenital defects of the chest and abdomen such as tracheoesophageal fistula, congenital pulmonary airway malformations, duodenal and jejunal atresia, imperforate anus, gastroschisis and omphalocele
  • Chest wall deformities such as pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum
  • Gastrointestinal diseases like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, severe constipation, biliary atresia, short bowel syndrome, gastroparesis, and gastroesophageal reflux
  • Skin and soft tissue diagnoses such as dermoids, sebaceous cysts, lipomas, and pilonidal disease 
We also place and help manage catheters such as ports, broviacs, feeding tubes and tubes for colon flushes (appendicostomy, cecostomy). 

Providers

  • Biography

    Tricia Beveridge-Choo, MSN, APRN, NP-C is a nurse practitioner with the St. Luke’s Children's Caldwell Pediatrics. She strives to treat families and pediatric patients with a trusting holistic approach to care. She has worked within the children’s hospital at St. Luke's and has expertise in managing a diverse collection of pediatric conditions, including gastrostomy tube care, chest wall deformities, wound management, traumatic injuries, and neonatal diagnosis and promoting wellness of all children. 

    Tricia is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of Idaho, graduating with honors. She earned both a second bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's degree as a family nurse practitioner from Idaho State University. 

    Originally from Idaho, Tricia has a strong desire to provide quality care to our rural pediatric patients, and has dedicated her career to the children and families of our region. In her free time, Tricia enjoys spending time with her family in the outdoors. 

    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

  • Biography

    Kimberly A. DeMark, MSN, APRN, NP-C is a nurse practitioner with St. Luke’s Children’s Surgery and pediatric trauma service. She has experience in managing gastrostomy tubes, burns, pre- and post-operative care for chest and abdominal tumors, chest wall deformities, gastrointestinal disorders/diseases and skin and soft tissue diagnoses. She is also an experienced pediatric registered nurse, having worked on the pediatric floor at St. Luke’s prior to obtaining her master's degree.

    Kimberly is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Oregon Health and Science University and received her master’s degree in nursing as a family nurse practitioner from Gonzaga University.   

    Kimberly's hobbies include camping, hiking, fishing, boating, and snow skiing, especially with her husband and children. 

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
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      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

  • Biography

    Jacob Gere, NP is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner. He earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Boise State University and a master’s degree in nursing from Oregon Health & Science University. He completed training as a surgical first assist through the National Institute of First Assisting.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

  • Pediatric Surgery

    Biography

    Katherine Gonzalez, MD specializes in pediatric surgery, and has additional interest in surgical care for critical newborn and trauma patients. Her professional goals include expanding regional access to care, fostering multidisciplinary/interprofessional education, and promoting high-quality outcomes research to better serve the pediatric surgical needs of our region.

    Dr. Gonzalez received a bachelor's degree in biology and medical humanities from Baylor University, where she also competed on the water polo team. She earned her medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine and subsequently completed her general surgical residency at the Texas A&M/Scott and White Memorial Hospital program, a highly specialized referral center focused on treating a diverse spectrum of surgical disease in children, adults and veterans from a broad geographical region. 

    During a two-year dedicated research fellowship at Children’s Mercy Hospital, Dr. Gonzalez performed robust prospective and retrospective clinical research. These efforts resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications in key areas of surgical care including postoperative pain management, appropriate imaging utilization, improvement of quality metrics such as wound classification, and improvement of neonatal outcomes. While in Kansas City, she also completed a surgical critical care fellowship in bowel rehabilitation, neonatal surgical management and trauma care. Next, Dr. Gonzalez completed a fellowship in pediatric surgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital where she received extensive training in congenital diaphragmatic hernia management and minimally invasive resection of benign and malignant tumors, as well as broad exposure to general surgical techniques for children of all ages. 

    In her spare time, Dr. Gonzalez enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two sons. 

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
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      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

    • Specialties, Conditions & Treatments

  • Pediatric Surgery

    Biography

    Sarah Hirsch, MD specializes in a broad range of neonatal and pediatric general surgery, and has extensive experience with complex laparoscopic and thorascopic procedures. She enjoys the broad range of minimally-invasive surgery, including complex foregut surgery, hernias, biliary surgery, and intestinal procedures for neonatal and pediatric patients. She also has special interest in prenatal consultation for thoracic and abdominal anomalies. 

    Dr. Hirsch feels fortunate to care for patients from all over Idaho, as well as surrounding states. She is also passionate about helping St. Luke's Children's Hospital become recognized as a nationally-accredited children's hospital.

    Dr. Hirsch earned a bachelor's degree in psychology at Purdue University. After medical school and her general surgery residency, she participated in an NIH research fellowship in genetics at Indiana University and completed her fellowship training in pediatric surgery at Riley Hospital for Children.

    Outside of work, Dr. Hirsch enjoys biking, yoga, tennis, and spending time outdoors with her husband and two daughters.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

    • Specialties, Conditions & Treatments

  • Pediatric Surgery

    Biography

    David A. Klima, MD is a pediatric surgeon who performs a wide range of surgeries involving the chest, abdomen, skin, and soft tissues. He has extensive experience with chest wall deformities (including pectus excavatum and the Nuss procedure), lung and colorectal surgery, as well as esophageal, gastric, hepatobiliary, hernia and cancer surgery. Dr. Klima has particular interest in applying minimally invasive techniques with newborns, as well as with children and adolescents through single incision laparoscopic surgery. He currently serves as medical director for pediatric surgery at St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital. 

    Dr. Klima completed his bachelor's degree in biochemistry with a minor in psychology at the University of Kansas, where he also attended medical school. During this time, he was elected president of the Alpha Omega Alpha Society, named Doctor’s Doctor by his classmates, and awarded the Gold Humanism Award. Next, he trained at Carolinas Medical Center, learning from some of the world's leaders in laparoscopy and hernia repair, and completing a research fellowship in minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Klima won numerous awards for his research throughout the United States and Europe. He also received the Surgical Professionalism Award four times, was named Resident Teacher of the Year, and is still the only surgery resident to be named Intern of the Year at Carolinas Medical Center. His subsequent fellowship at Children’s of Alabama focused on advanced techniques in minimally invasive surgery for newborns and single incision laparoscopic surgery.

    Since his arrival in Boise, Dr. Klima has helped lead quality improvement initiatives, working to standardize pediatric surgical care at St. Luke’s while advancing the quality of care throughout Idaho. He is the current co-chair of the blood community of practice for St. Luke’s and the co-founder and director of the lymphovascular malformation group, bringing specialized care to these complex pediatric patients. Dr. Klima also travels regularly to Twin Falls and sees patients virtually in McCall to serve the local population. 

    In his free time, Dr. Klima enjoys spending time with his wife and children, skiing, biking, and running.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
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      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

    • Specialties, Conditions & Treatments

  • Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

  • Biography

    Jason Overocker MMS, PA-C is dedicated to providing specialized care to children requiring surgery. His interests include managing and caring for pediatric trauma patients as well as improving care and access for all pediatric surgery patients in our region.

    Jason was born and raised in Idaho, and earned his bachelor's degree in zoology with special interest in immunology from Idaho State University, where he published papers on immunological research focused on cellular oxidative stress and autoimmune disease. After college, he worked as a wildland firefighter and crewmember of the Snake River Hotshots, fighting fire in some of the most austere and rugged environments. He then attended Red Rocks Community College PA program in Colorado. 

    After PA school, Jason worked in the burn ICU at Swedish Medical Center in Denver. He cared for patients of all ages requiring burn and reconstructive plastic surgery and published results on research evaluating MRI compatibility with wound dressings containing silver. He then moved back to Idaho where he has worked in general, acute care, trauma, and orthopedic trauma surgery, as well as surgical critical care, which has helped him train to continue to provide exceptional trauma care to Idahoans of all ages. 

    In his spare time, Jason enjoys being outside, exploring all that Idaho has to offer with his wife, daughter, and son.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

  • Biography

    Allyson Reynolds, NP is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Her professional interests include pediatric short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure. Several years ago, she started the pediatric intestinal rehabilitation clinic in conjunction with pediatric gastroenterology and continues to co-manage the clinic today. Allyson is passionate about advancing St. Luke's pediatric enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program, the first pediatric program of its kind in Idaho. As part of this initiative, she developed a protocol to improve surgical outcomes, decrease the need for pain medications, and decrease length of stay. 

    Allyson works closely with patients and their families to understand the physical and emotional stress that a surgery or hospitalization can cause on the family system. She often talks with parents about coping skills, mindfulness, and emotional support and helps to arrange counseling for families after hospital discharge.

    Allyson earned bachelor's degrees in nursing from Idaho State University and zoology and psychology from the University of Idaho. She received a master's degree in nursing from Idaho State University. Allyson has also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia working in rural health and nutrition. She continues to travel annually to developing nations (Peru, Bolivia, Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Liberia, Ghana, etc.) to work in communities with limited access to primary care. 

    In her free time, Allyson loves spending time in the Idaho wilderness with her family. 

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

  • Pediatric Surgery

    Biography

    Morgan Richards, MD, MPH is a pediatric surgeon with a broad range of interests including neonatal congenital anomalies, pediatric oncology, hepatobiliary problems, and congenital lung anomalies. She also manages general pediatric disorders such as hernias, appendicitis, pyloric stenosis, feeding disorders, and gallbladder problems.

    Dr. Richards is the medical director of pediatric trauma at St. Luke’s, which has the only level II pediatric trauma center in Idaho. She has also acted as the pediatric surgeon champion for the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and has a strong interest in quality improvement in pediatric care. She serves on many national committees including the Surgical Quality and Safety, Nominating, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees of the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA).

    Dr. Richards earned her bachelor’s degree in history of science and medicine from Yale University, where she graduated with honors and played varsity basketball. She attended Case Western Reserve University for medical school where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society. Dr. Richards completed her residency at the University of Washington where she devoted three additional years to research at Seattle Children’s Hospital and obtained a master’s degree of public health in epidemiology at the University of Washington. Her research included surgical oncology, examining adult tumors in children using the National Cancer Data Base, and the standardization of care for medically complex children. This work led to numerous publications and presentations. 

    Dr. Richards completed her pediatric surgical training at Emory University, which is internationally known for its innovative approach to advanced minimally invasive surgery in children. She trained with world experts in neonatal minimally invasive surgical techniques that included thoracoscopic congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair, tracheoesophageal fistula ligation and esophageal atresia repair, and laparoscopic duodenal atresia repair. She also gained experience with minimally invasive treatment of Hirschsprung disease and anorectal malformations. 

    In her free time, Dr. Richards enjoys cooking, cycling, watching movies and exploring the outdoors with her family.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

    • Specialties, Conditions & Treatments

  • Pediatric Surgery

    Biography

    James Saltsman, MD, MPH specializes in pediatric surgery with special interests in pediatric cancer and public health. In addition to providing excellent care to his patients, Dr. Saltsman’s professional goals include improving the quality of care for surgical patients through multidisciplinary collaborative quality improvement projects, promoting research to improve outcomes for children with cancer, and improving access to high quality pediatric surgical care in rural areas. 

    Dr. Saltsman received a bachelor’s degree in health and social science from the University of Michigan, where he was involved in cancer research and was active in several musical groups including the University of Michigan Jazz Ensemble. He then went on to work on the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) project, and then on to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where he completed a master’s degree in public health. During his master’s studies, Dr. Saltsman realized he wanted to be a physician and after a short stint as a special assistant in the Baltimore City Health Department he attended Tufts University School of Medicine, where he graduated as a member of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society.

    After medical school Dr. Saltsman completed his general surgery residency training in New York City at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  During this time, he also completed a two-year research fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Rockefeller University where he was engaged in clinical and laboratory research into pediatric cancer.

    In addition to publications and presentations at national and international conferences, Dr. Saltsman’s work was awarded the Rosenkrantz Award for Clinical Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Surgery.

    In his spare time, Dr. Saltsman enjoys cooking, cycling, and adventures with his wife and children.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients
     
    • St. Luke's Health Partner
      St. Luke's Health Partner

      These providers work together to achieve patient-centered care, using proven best practices to offer better care to you and your family.

    • Specialties, Conditions & Treatments

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