Delivering Patient Care for a Lifetime

At Kalispell OB/GYN, we work hard every day to help promote and protect the health, safety and quality of life for all women. All our providers are strong advocates for women’s health care. It is our mission to provide the best care for women in all stages of life through a professional and compassionate health model, a conversational approach with our patients and a supportive team consisting of our outstanding physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistant. Assisting them is our excellent support staff of RNs, LPNs and Medical Assistants, as well as the rest of our helpful, friendly office staff.

Established in 1962 by Dr. Van Kirke Nelson and later adding Drs. Heine and Sowell, Kalispell OB/GYN has provided quality OB/GYN care longer than any other OB/GYN practice in the Flathead Valley. We’ve grown and changed with the times and the area we serve has spread outside the Flathead Valley to include many surrounding communities, such as Libby, Eureka, Cut Bank and Shelby.

Drs. Nelson, Jonas, Lavin and deHoop took stewardship of Kalispell OB/GYN and enjoy the practice of general obstetrics and gynecology, with a combined total of over 75 years of delivering babies and caring for women’s health. With continued growth of the practice, we have just added a fifth physician, Dr. Jenna Huff, so we are better able to offer our patients the best possible care.

All our physicians are board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, are accomplished laparoscopic surgeons, offer minimally invasive and robotic surgery, vaginal surgery and prolapse repair. They participate in teaching the University of Washington medical students during their rotations at Kalispell Regional Medical Center and help train the residents of the Family Medicine Residency Program.

Our providers enjoy caring for women who are either pregnant or hoping to become pregnant. They are strong advocates of offering women the option of having a vaginal delivery after a prior cesarean section and, along with Kalispell Regional Medical Center, offer this service to their patients. Kalispell OB/GYN is also happy to collaborate with certified nurse midwives for women who desire midwifery care. We look forward to helping women make the best health care decisions for their families and themselves.

Dr. Kathleen Nelson began practicing with her father, Dr. Van Kirke Nelson, in 1995.

Having grown up in Kalispell, she attended undergraduate school at Stanford University, received her medical degree from the University of Washington and completed her residency at the University of Wisconsin.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Gwenda Jonas moved to the Flathead Valley in 2001 to practice with Kalispell OB/GYN.

Prior to that she spent four years in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona and was an Associate Clinical Professor for the University of Arizona School of Medicine.

She received her undergraduate degree from University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, her medical degree from the University of Alabama and completed her residency at Good Samaritan in Phoenix.

 

Dr. John Lavin started his career in family practice 33 years ago.

He received his medical degree from the University of Nevada Medical School and in 1989 he returned to University of Colorado to pursue his OB/GYN specialty training.

He was in solo OB/GYN practice in Kalispell before joining Kalispell OB/GYN in 2004.

He continues to practice at this location, but is currently employed by Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

 

 

Dr. Thomas deHoop moved to Kalispell from Cincinnati, Ohio in 2011 to join Kalispell Regional Medical Center and practice with Kalispell OB/GYN.

He attended medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he also completed his internship.

His residency was at the University of Cincinna Medical Center, where he remained for 16 years as an Associate Professor of OB/GYN before moving to the Flathead Valley.