In the small, rural community of Randle, a new healthcare provider is making a big difference. Emma Dames, PA-C, joined Arbor Health in 2024, working at the Randle Clinic and the Rapid Care Clinic at Morton Hospital. What makes Dames special isn’t just her education or medical skills—it’s her deep commitment to being a voice for those who often go unheard in healthcare.
“I advocate for people who do not have much of a voice,” Dames says, sharing a belief that has guided her throughout her career from forensic chemistry to rural healthcare.
Finding Her Way to Patient Care
Born in Missouri and raised in Kentucky, Dames is familiar with rural communities, though she says Randle is even more rural than her hometown. Her path to becoming a Physician Associate (PA) wasn’t direct. She first studied forensic chemistry, hoping to become a medical examiner.
When medical school proved hard to get into, Dames switched to Public Health, where her first project involved collecting data on transgender health. This experience changed how she thought about her career.
“That’s when I first decided that I wanted to work with patients,” she recalls.
Her first venture into patient care was as a bystander, really. She worked as an emergency room scribe, essentially writing down everything that happened during patient care. This job taught her a lot about healthcare and especially about what PAs do.
“PAs do everything a doctor does, with very few exceptions,” Dames explains. She mentions that the profession is moving from the title “Physician Assistant” to “Physician Associate,” which better describes their actual work with patients.
Inspired by the “super confident and super smart PAs” she watched at work, Dames went back to school at the University of Mount Union in Ohio. The program took 27 months—15 months of classes and 12 months of hands-on training with patients.
Choosing Primary Care
Although emergency medicine introduced her to being a PA, Dames found her true calling in primary care. “You get to know your patients,” she explains. “You get to see their progress, be a part of their lives.”
Seeing patients over time allows her to fulfill one of her main goals: helping people take control of their health. “I love being a resource for people,” she says.
Caring for Underserved Communities
Dames brings special skills to Arbor Health, particularly in caring for LGBTQ+ patients of all ages. During PA school, she studied how to make primary care more welcoming for transgender, gender-diverse, and intersex individuals.
About 1% of the population identifies as transgender, gender-diverse, or intersex, but Dames believes their healthcare needs often aren’t met because many don’t feel safe talking openly with doctors. At Arbor Health, she works hard to create a comfortable and safe place for all patients.
Her experience includes working with support groups for families dealing with transgender issues. While there, she spent time leading sessions with teenagers, which helped develop her interest in adolescent care. “We have as much to learn from teens as they do from us,” she reflects.
Dames also specializes in medication-assisted treatment for substance abuse. Her approach is based on kindness: “This is a safe place, there is no judgment. My job is to keep you safe and to work together to find a path toward better health that we can both agree on.”
Working Together for Community Health
At the Randle Clinic, Dames works with Dr. Travis Podbilski, who practices full-range family medicine with a special interest in pediatrics. Together, they provide complete care for patients of all ages in the community.
Currently living in Tacoma with her partner Seth, Dames is looking to buy a home somewhere in between to balance both of their careers. Her commitment to rural healthcare shows she understands the challenges these communities face in getting quality medical care.
A Voice for Those Who Need One
What stands out most about Emma Dames is her dedication to being a healthcare provider who truly listens. Whether working with LGBTQ+ patients, helping people overcome substance abuse, or simply providing primary care to rural residents, she focuses on creating safe spaces where all patients feel valued and heard.
In a healthcare system where many can feel overlooked or misunderstood, Dames represents a new kind of provider committed to caring for everyone, no matter their background or needs.
“I advocate for people who do not have much of a voice” isn’t just something she says—it’s the principle that guides her work every day at Arbor Health.
She can be reached for appointment at 360.497.3333. The clinic is located at 108 Kindle Road in Randle.
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