For Dr. Lance Hansen, medicine has always been about relationships: finding meaning in caring for patients throughout every phase of their lives and building trust that lasts. A proud Idaho WWAMI alum, Dr. Hansen has spent his career practicing and teaching full-spectrum family medicine in rural Idaho, helping ensure that communities like Preston continue to have access to comprehensive, high-quality care.
What keeps Dr. Hansen passionate about his work is the incredible variety and challenge of full-spectrum family medicine.
“From shadowing various doctors and reflecting on my life experiences, I find fulfillment in meaningful long-term relationships, which is what attracted me to medicine (family medicine specifically),” he said. “I also love being challenged and making a difference in people’s lives.”
On any given day, he may help a patient through a mental health crisis, diagnose and treat complex conditions in the emergency room, deliver a baby, perform procedures such as C-sections or colonoscopies, guide families through end-of-life care, manage chronic diseases with evidence-based medicine, or build rapport with a seven-year-old during a wellness visit. For Dr. Hansen, that breadth isn’t overwhelming; it’s deeply fulfilling.
He credits his Idaho WWAMI training with preparing him for exactly this kind of work.
“The program’s emphasis on rural medicine and primary care,” he said, “is not something commonly found at many medical schools.”
Dr. Hansen has been teaching Idaho WWAMI students for more than a decade. He spent 11 years teaching during required and elective family medicine rotations in Montpelier before moving to Preston. At Franklin County Medical Center, he has continued precepting for the past three years. Passing on knowledge to the next generation of physicians is something he views as essential to keeping Idaho-trained doctors in Idaho.
“I had great role models in medical school and residency, which I believe is very important,” he said. “Students need to see firsthand what is challenging and fulfilling about rural medicine. They need to accurately envision themselves in that environment. Responsive and immersive experiences are likely the best way to gain that perspective.”
Dr. Hansen said Idaho WWAMI provides future physicians with the training and experience needed to practice in more isolated, rural environments.
“I enjoy seeing students’ transformation of knowledge, skills and confidence over time as they become autonomous,” he added.
In his free time, Dr. Hansen enjoys spending time with his wife and children, traveling, hiking, trail running, playing basketball, and serving others.