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Specialties

Rheumatology

Rheumatologists specialize in diagnosis, treatment, and pain management for conditions affecting joints, muscles, and bones, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Our team will work closely with your primary care provider to coordinate a personalized care plan to help reduce your pain, increase your mobility, and improve your quality of life. We also offer you access to national clinical research trials focused on the advancement of arthritis treatment.

Highlights & Resources

  • Blog Post

    Patients’ Advocates Receive Everyday Angels Surprise Visit from Dr. Pate

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  • Blog Post

    St. Luke's Doing Trailblazing Work in Treatment of Juvenile and Adult Arthritis

    Read More

  • Article

    Arthritis: Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Read More

  • Article

    Coping With Osteoarthritis

    Read More

Providers

  • Marcy S. Bauer, NP

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Marcy Bauer, NP earned her bachelor’s degrees in business administration from the University of Puget Sound and in nursing from Boise State University. She earned her master’s degree in nursing (family nurse practitioner) from Gonzaga University.

    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.

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  • Achini P. Dingman, MD

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Achini P. Dingman, MD specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory autoimmune disease. She has a passion for treating and managing rheumatic disease, and actively participates in research trials to further develop her field.

    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.

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  • Clayton W. Hawks, NP

    Clayton W. Hawks, NP

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Clayton Hawks, NP-C is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Clay worked as a registered nurse at St. Luke's before earning his nurse practitioner's degree.

    Clay earned his BSN from Boise State University and his master's degree from Northwest Nazarene University.

    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.

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  • Michelle L. Hicks, NP

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Michelle Hicks, NP earned bachelor's degrees in biomedical science from Texas A&M University and nursing from the University of Texas. She earned her master's degree in nursing, family nurse practitioner, at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She has completed the Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology Training Program sponsored by the American College of Rheumatology.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients

  • W. Patrick Knibbe, MD

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    W. Patrick Knibbe, MD, FACR specializes in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, osteoporosis, and pediatric rheumatologic diseases. He also cares for conditions such as hypermobility syndromes and periodic fever syndromes in adults. He is dedicated to putting his patients' needs first and particularly enjoys working with pediatric patients, who keep him young at heart. 

    Dr. Knibbe is a fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and president of the Association of Idaho Rheumatologists. For almost two decades, he has arranged annual continuing medical education opportunities for his colleagues. He has also been an active investigator in clinical trials at St. Luke’s for many years, focusing on rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, osteoporosis, and lupus.

    Dr. Knibbe earned his medical degree in the internal medicine honors program at University of Utah School of Medicine and served as an internal medicine resident at the University of Iowa. He then completed a fellowship back at the University of Utah, where an elective month at Children's Hospital Los Angeles set the stage for his specialization in pediatric rheumatology in Utah and Idaho, where he initiated the pediatric rheumatology programs at both Primary Children's Hospital and St. Luke's Children's.

    In his free time, Dr. Knibbe enjoys skiing, cycling, and running the Salmon River with his family (including his son who is a professional river guide in McCall). Now in the sunset of his athletic career, he's concentrating on golf and shooting his age for 18 holes. He and his wife are both avid patrons of the arts and are active in the community supporting the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Boise Art Museum, and LED.

    Availability

    Accepting new patients

  • Mikael D. Lagwinski, MD

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Mikael Lagwinski, MD has a passion for volunteerism. During his medical school and residency training, he volunteered at the Open-M Clinic in Akron, OH, which provides free health care for impoverished patients. He continues his volunteer activities through the Volunteer Physician Network in Boise and at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho. Dr. Lagwinski is the clinical research director for Idaho Arthritis Center and a principal investigator involved in several clinical trials investigating new medications for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

    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.

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  • James E. Loveless, MD

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    James E. Loveless, MD, FACR is fellow of the American College of Rheumatology. He specializes in the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and Sjögren's syndrome. He has extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and is the medical director of St. Luke's Osteoporosis and Bone Health program. He is actively involved in clinical trials investigating new treatments for arthritis and osteoporosis. Dr. Loveless completed his internal medicine residency and rheumatology fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

    • 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.

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  • Teri Meadows, NP

    Teri A. Meadows, NP

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Teri Meadows, DNP earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Boise State University, and her doctor of nursing practice degree from Idaho State University. She is a member of the American College of Rheumatology and has completed advanced courses from ACR.

    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.

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  • Svetlana Meier, MD

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Svetlana Meier, MD was born in Resekne, Latvia, and she completed medical school at Riga Stradins University in Riga, Latvia. Dr. Meier was attracted to the quality of life and opportunities for outdoor recreation that the Boise community provides. She and her husband have two sons.

    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.

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  • Eric J. Palfreyman, MD

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Eric Palfreyman, MD is originally from Boise and is excited to practice rheumatology in his hometown community. He received his bachelor's degree in microbiology from Brigham Young University. During his internal medicine internship and residency at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Dr. Palfreyman received the Norman Gordon Award, an award presented to one medical resident for their demonstration of humanism in medicine. Additionally, Dr. Palfreyman served as the chief rheumatology fellow. Dr. Palfreyman has interpreted hundreds of DXA scans, attended a bone densitometry course and became a certified clinical densitometrist. 

    Dr. Palfreyman enjoys serving his community and his church. He spent two years serving as a missionary in northeastern Brazil, where he strengthened his leadership skills and became fluent in Portuguese. Dr. Palfreyman enjoys outdoor recreation with his wife and two 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.

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  • Akavaram N. Reddy, MD

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Akavaram N. Reddy, MD, FACR is a fellow in the American College of Rheumatology.

    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.

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  • Peggy Ann F. Rupp, MD

    Rheumatology

    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.

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  • Cody J. Scrivner, PA-C

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Cody Scrivner, PA is an experienced physician assistant with a background in family medicine. He has professional interest in osteoporosis and sees patients as part of the St. Luke's Osteoporosis and Bone Health program.

    Cody earned his physician assistant degree from Idaho State University.

    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.

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  • Chara J. Solich, MD

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Chara J. Solich, MD, FACR is a fellow of the American College of Rheumatology. She specializes in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, systemic lupus erythematosus, and osteoporosis. Dr. Solich completed her internal medicine residency and rheumatology fellowship at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.

    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.

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  • Gregory J. Wilson, DO

    Rheumatology

    Biography

    Gregory J. Wilson, DO specializes in a wide range of rheumatic conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, gout, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and vasculitis. He practiced as an internist for five years before pursuing rheumatology fellowship training.

    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.

      see full profile

    • Specialties, Conditions & Treatments

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Take Care, Someone Needs You.

You take care of others, so take care of yourself. Let us be your partner in health, whether you're recovering from an injury, checking in for your annual exam, or enjoying an online class.

Because when you take care of yourself, everyone around you benefits.

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