Instructor Spotlight

Laura loved math and science in high school, which led to an interest in the natural world and a medicine career. Though born and bred in the city, Laura developed a love of the outdoors while attending summer camp where she took canoe, inspiring a lifelong love of moving water.  While attending Barnard College at Columbia University, her mother underwent treatment for breast cancer which instilled in her a desire to not only become a healer but also to do so with compassion.  Love of the outdoors brought her to Fresno, California for a medical internship in 1985. After a brief gap to care for her mother, she chose a career in Emergency Medicine which seemed the best path to allow for a lifetime of exciting adventures while still practicing medicine. She finished her residency in Emergency Medicine in 1993 in Queens, New York. 

Toward the end of medical school, Laura discovered the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, North Carolina where she met her first WMA mentors, Nancy Doherty and Dennis Kerrigan who were river guides at the center and teaching for WMA there. They thought she would be a good fit for WMA.  So in 1997 Laura took the instructor training course in Maine followed almost immediately by bilateral hip replacement.  She taught her first course while still using crutches with Jamie Butler, an incredible mentor and friend who guided her through the art of teaching to an outdoor audience and proved that anything is possible. 

Laura’s love of western North Carolina is fueled by the beauty of the Southern Appalachian landscape and whitewater sports.  Eventually, Laura became a whitewater river guide leading trips on rivers including the Nantahala, Ocoee, French Broad, and out west on the Arkansas. She has served as medical director for several river companies and college outdoor programs. She has also previously served on the Board of Directors of the Appalachian Center for Wilderness Medicine.   

Laura recently began teaching WMA courses at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC where the USA Canoe & Kayak team trains. She teaches paramedics at her local community college specializing in Pediatric Emergencies and is part of the Tennessee Disaster Management Assistance Team that deploys in times of natural disasters and other major incidents. She is co-chair of the American Women’s Hospital Service which is a charitable organization supporting clinics in Nepal and Uganda as well providing opportunities for student travel.  

Laura lives with her husband and two black cats in North Carolina just north of Ashville along the French Broad River. Her primary ER work is at Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City, Tennessee. She travels to national parks and other scenic locations when she is not working to partake in hiking and kayaking adventures, including spending Christmas breaks sea kayaking in Florida’s Everglades. 

WMA: What do you enjoy most about being a WMA instructor? 

Laura: Every time I interact with someone whether they are patients, students, or a river guest, I gain something out of the interaction. These are all meaningful connections. When you are teaching, you are always learning. 

WMA: What makes a successful wilderness medical professional? 

Laura: An inquisitive mind that keeps you learning and a willingness to trust your knowledge. This idea applies to doctors, instructors, and whitewater rafting guides. You can put knowledge in your mind, but you must be willing and able to put that knowledge to use, knowing that you may make a mistake, but that you will learn from it too. 

WMA: What is the most important lesson you hope your students learn in your courses? 

Laura: I teach my students to be calm and have a structured way of dealing with medical emergencies, so they can perform solid assessments, make sound decisions, and produce a successful result.