Idaho WWAMI is celebrating Assistant Clinical Dean Dr. Mary Barinaga, named to the Idaho Business Review’s Idaho 500, a statewide honor recognizing visionary leaders shaping Idaho’s future. Dr. Barinaga was selected for her years of service to rural communities, her deep commitment to medical education, and her leadership in strengthening Idaho’s physician workforce pipeline. Her statewide influence is also reflected in her service across major professional organizations. She served as president of the Idaho Medical Association, the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, and the Idaho Rural Health Association.
For Dr. Barinaga, the recognition reflects work that has always been rooted in personal experience. Growing up in rural Cambridge, Idaho (population 350), she remembers long drives for even basic medical attention. Those early challenges shaped her career path and ultimately her passion for expanding rural health care.
Her desire to be part of the solution led her to pursue medical education through Idaho WWAMI, which trains physicians for the region’s rural and underserved communities. Following residency, she spent twelve years practicing rural medicine on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation, work she describes as profoundly influential to her career.
“I quickly caught the fire for teaching and mentorship, realizing that medical education was a powerful way to magnify my impact and help grow our own physician workforce,” she said
Today, that passion fuels her leadership within Idaho WWAMI, where she continues to champion rural physician workforce development. Dr. Barinaga finds deep fulfillment in both clinical care and medical education, particularly when it comes to supporting patients and students facing the steepest barriers.
“I find immense satisfaction in my role within family medicine, where I can build trust and long-term
relationships with patients facing significant socioeconomic barriers, helping them navigate complex challenges both in and beyond the exam room,” she said.
She is equally proud of the rural training experiences Idaho WWAMI has cultivated for medical students.
“Nothing makes me prouder than seeing medical students fall in love with rural medicine through the clerkship experiences we’ve developed in Idaho, knowing we are simultaneously building a sustainable physician workforce for Idaho — truly a ‘grow our own’ success story,” she said.
Whether in the clinic, the classroom, or her leadership role, Dr. Barinaga continues to advance WWAMI’s mission by educating compassionate physicians and expanding access to care for Idaho’s most underserved communities. Her recognition in the Idaho 500 reflects what many in WWAMI already know: her work is reshaping health care in Idaho for generations to come.