Emergency Department Providers

Dominic Ayer, PA-C

As a certified physician assistant in the Emergency Department, Dominic provides care for patients of all ages with a variety of conditions.

A veteran of the U.S. military, he previously served as a medic in the United States and internationally, including in Afghanistan and Iraq. His philosophy of patient care is centered on shared decision-making. “I am here to advise and guide a patient in making the right decision about their health care and emergency testing that’s available,” he says. “I am not in charge of a patient’s care. The patient is in charge.”

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Oliver Barnyak, MD

Oliver is very excited to be at Gifford. There’s a variety of patients who come through the emergency room doors, which is what first peaked his interest in emergency medicine.

“It is still my favorite aspect of medicine and nowhere gives you more of that than a small, rural ED.”

Point of care ultrasound and delivering palliative care from within the Emergency Department are Oliver’s passions.

When he’s not in the ED, Oliver enjoys hiking, cooking, sailing, and skiing with his wife and two dogs.

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Jared Blum, MD

Dr. Blum arrived at Gifford Health Care in 2016. While his specialty is Emergency Medicine, Dr. Blum’s passion is toxicology. “I enjoy the challenge of trying to make the diagnosis to help critically ill and sick patients in the ED,” Dr. Blum says. Certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Blum received his MD from UVM’s College of Medicine. He attended Brown University for his residency.

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Matthew Bouteiller, PA-C

Physician Assistant, Matthew Bouteiller, joined Gifford’s staff in 2019 in the Emergency Medicine department. He has extensive knowledge of working with critically ill patients, having worked in the field for most of his twenty-year career. Before coming to Gifford, Matthew spent the majority of his emergency medicine career working at Mercy hospital in Springfield, Mass. with emergency medicine solutions. Nationally Certified, he received his PA at Springfield College in 2002. While he has stayed mostly in New England, Matthew has traveled to Peru and India for expedition and leadership training.

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Warren Fenner, PA-C

As a certified physician assistant in the Emergency Department, Warren “Ren” Fenner provides care for patients of all ages with a variety of conditions.

Ren brings 12 years of experience as a physician assistant at Critical Access Hospitals like Gifford. His philosophy of care is collaborative. “Open lines of communication with patients is always important, including all facts to make decisions together,” he says. “Being kind and respectful is also always important.”

Ren’s ties to Gifford run deep—he was born here—and his relationships with members of our medical team brought him back.

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Sarah Johansen, MD

Dr. Sarah Johansen is an emergency medicine physician and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area. She received her medical degree from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

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Joseph Sicard, PA-C

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Joshua White, MD

Dr. White, who serves as Gifford’s chief medical officer, is a strong advocate for his patients. “I believe that every patient wants to know, first and foremost, that you have their best interests at heart,” he said. “That you care about them and are their advocate.” Dr. White particularly enjoys critical care and orthopedics in his work at Gifford, and believes his work with Community Health Initiative (CHI) Haiti, a nonprofit he co-founded, has made him a “vastly better clinician.” He also is influenced by his wife, Kim, a personal trainer and gym owner who has increased his understanding of health, the root causes of disease, and the challenges we face with traditional approaches to medicine.

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