About Dr. Shanks
Background
Dr. Lorna Shanks grew up in western Colorado and always had her sights set on medicine. As early as elementary school, she would accompany her father, a general surgeon, to the hospital while he did his rounds. By middle school, she was helping with admin work at his office and would soon make the case that joining the family practice would eliminate the need to change the office signage.
In high school, she enrolled in a volunteer program called Amigos de las Américas, raising $3,000 by selling fertilizer in her rural neighborhood to join. She spent seven weeks in Valle, Honduras, living with a host family in a community affected by Hurricane Mitch. She helped build water tanks to prevent mosquito-borne diseases, shaping her ongoing passion for community health and the Spanish language.
Training
Dr. Shanks attended the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, where she swam in long-distance events and completed her pre-med requirements. She studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, and Buenos Aires, Argentina and graduated in 2005 with a major in Spanish and a minor in Chemistry. After college, she worked at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle for two years, assisting in the radiology department.
In 2007, she began medical school at UW, exploring various specialties and spending time in southern India caring for HIV-affected infants and mothers. Dr. Shanks then joined her top residency choice in Vancouver, WA, focusing on pediatric care, labor and delivery, and outpatient surgical procedures. She thrived in this environment.
Career
Upon completing her residency, Dr. Shanks joined Kaiser Permanente in southeast Portland at the Rockwood office. As one of two bilingual physicians, she was supported by Spanish-speaking medical assistants and nurses. She found joy in caring for a panel of over 1,500 patients, many of whom were also Spanish speakers. After six years at Rockwood, Dr. Shanks transitioned to Bridgeport Family Medicine in Tigard, where she expanded her scope to include gender-affirming care and HIV treatment.
Working within the confines of third-party billing (i.e., insurance) time and time again proved to be difficult. Patients could not easily know if their doctor visits or labs or imaging would be covered by insurance. They often received large bills for services they had thought would be covered by their insurance.
From this was born Shanks Primary Care. Using the Direct Primary Care model, Dr. Shanks can offer her patients excellent care while also offering transparency about the cost. Her motto: “your health isn’t simple; your care can be” could not be more true. At Shanks Primary Care, you will receive the time and attention you deserve to meet your health goals, and have a doctor you can trust.