Ellen Bando PA-C has joined Gifford’s Pediatrics team, bringing 15-years of experience with pediatric and adolescent patients.
She most recently worked at the Winslow Indian Health Care Center in AZ, where she spent 5 years as part of a medical team providing outpatient care for Native American patients, and working a mobile medical van that brought preventive and screening services to remote communities on the Navajo Reservation.
Bando knew when she graduated from college that she wanted to help underserved rural communities, and first worked in hospital administration.
“I was disturbed by the inequality I saw in access to medical care, and decided that I wanted to make a difference by taking care of patients directly,” said Bando. “I began as a lab technician, and then at age 30 decided to train to be a physician assistant.”
She received a master of Medical Science from the Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program, completing rotations in pediatrics, family medicine, ob/gyn, inpatient and outpatient internal medicine, emergency medicine, and surgery. She also completed elective clinical service in rheumatology, newborn medicine, and pediatrics, and worked on the Navajo Reservation.
An NCCPA-certified physician assistant, Bando has provided a wide spectrum of primary care services to children and their families, and she has a special interest in pediatric and adolescent care. Other clinical interests include pediatric obesity, adolescent health, and cross-cultural medicine.
Bando practiced at Upper Valley Pediatrics in Bradford VT before accepting her most recent position in Arizona. Wanting to be closer to family in Hartford, VT, she began to look for a position in a rural Vermont community where she could settle with her family. The position at Gifford was a good fit, and she has already purchased a home nearby.
“Patient-centered care is the heart of medicine—I’ve always practiced in a small community where people can get to know you and you can get to know them,” says Bando. “My work with Navajos taught me to be a good listener. I listen to what my patients say and then try to be their advocate.”
To schedule an appointment please call 802-728-2777.
