Our Providers
Our Team Of Providers
Dr. Richard Paris, Medical Director
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Although originally seen on a wall of the General Post Office in New York City, this motto is uniquely appropriate for Challis Area Health Centers Medical Director, Dr. Richard Paris. A familiar and welcoming sight in Challis, Dr. Paris always arrives at the Clinic with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. Dr. Paris was named Medical Director for the Challis Clinic in 1999. Since then he flies, or drives, the 2+ hours to Challis twice a month to see his ob/gyn patients, complete administrative duties and confer with other Challis healthcare providers about local patients.
Dr. Richard Paris was born in Minnesota but grew up in North Dakota. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. However, his need to help others drove him to attend Medical School, which he did in Rochester, New York. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, Arizona. He then worked for a year as an Emergency Department physician in Missoula, Montana before starting his Family Medicine Practice in Hailey, Idaho in 1981. He and his wife, Dr. Kathy Woods, are well established in the Hailey area. They have three young adult sons.
Dr. Katheryn Woods, MD
Kathryn Woods, M.D. has served as the Assistant Medical Director of the Challis Area Health Center since 1999. Her long span of service to this medically underserved rural Idaho community is just one part of her career-long commitment to rural healthcare. Her main practice is at St. Luke’s Wood River Family Medicine where she has practiced since 1988. She has served as an instructor to the Rural Underserved Opportunity Program (RUOP) since 1990, and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine for the University of Washington Department of Family Medicine. She has been an instructor in the WAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience (WRITE) since 1996 and a Rural Clerkship Instructor for the Family Practice Residency of Idaho since 1989.
After growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and being inspired to live in the mountains, she went to college in Fort Collins, Colorado, at Colorado State University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1979. Determined to be a family doctor in a small town in the mountains, she stayed in Denver for her Family Medicine residency at Mercy Medical Center. After completing the residency in 1986, she thought she would stay in Colorado to practice. However, after meeting Dr. Richard Paris, she decided to settle in Idaho instead.
She loves living in the mountains and caring for her patients, including multiple generations of family members- some for 30 years. She is Board certified in Family Medicine and a member of the Idaho Academy of Family Medicine, Idaho Medical Association, and American Academy of Family Practice. She loves all aspects of rural family medicine and is particularly committed to women’s wellness and health care. In addition, Kathryn has been the Medical Director of the Hospice and Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley for 20 years and is remains committed to serving the community in that role.
Dr. Woods is married to Dr. Richard Paris, the CAHC’s Medical Director and they have three grown sons. They reside in Hailey with their black lab, and two cats where they love to spend time together in the mountains-hiking, skiing, biking, fishing, rafting, and just enjoying life.
M. Chad Banks, PA-C
Matthew “Chad” Banks is an Idaho native raised in Shelley, Idaho. After graduation from High School Chad went on a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to Tulsa, Oklahoma. After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from BYU-Idaho in Rexburg, Chad went on to pursue his medical training at Touro University Nevada in Las Vegas and received his Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies in 2011. Chad has spent the majority of his career working in Primary Care in Northern Nevada and has a passion for Rural Medicine.
Chad and his wife Lisa have 6 beautiful children, three boys and three girls. Outside of work Chad enjoys spending time with his family, especially exploring the outdoors. Chad is thrilled to be back in primary care.
Miles Haeberle, PA
Miles Haeberle was born and raised in Idaho. While completing a Bachelor’s of science degree in human biology, he worked as a medical scribe and then a CNA on many different specialty floors including the medical/oncology, telemetry, surgery, psychiatric and rehabilitation centers. After finishing his Bachelor’s degree, he pursued a career as a PA and received his Masters of Physician Assistant studies degree at Rocky Mountain College in Billings Montana.
He is very excited about the opportunity to work with an excellent healthcare team here at CAHC and desires to take good care of the people of Challis. Miles enjoys the outdoors, playing guitar, and especially spending time with his wife and son. He and his family love the Challis area and have poured their hearts into the community here.
S. Max Smith, PA-C
Max Smith is a Physician Assistant who joined our practice in May 2018. Max relocated here from Las Vegas, Nevada where he spent over 6 years working in a busy family practice office. Max’s post-secondary education began at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where he earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. Upon completing his Bachelor’s Max attended Touro University Nevada in Henderson, where he earned his Master’s of Physician Assistant Studies. He is currently certified by The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
Max also served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for two years in Mexico City. He is fluent in Spanish and loves Mexican Cuisine. Max loves helping his wife raise their three children. He enjoys past times of camping, fly fishing, fixing and driving remote control cars, swimming, and watching college football.
Gay Miremont, LCSW
Gay Miremont was born, raised, and lived most of her life in Louisiana. She graduated with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and Master in Social Work from Louisiana State University. She worked in both fields until 2008, at which time her focus became Behavioral Health. Gay and her husband, George Martin, DVM, moved to Bellevue, ID in 2000, and have loved living in the mountains of south-central Idaho. Gay has extensive social work experience in both hospital and clinical settings, completing internships at CPC Meadow Wood Hospital and Baton Rouge General Hospital in Louisiana and working for St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center for 14 years. Knowing and working with Dr. Paris lead Gay to the Challis Area Health Center to integrate Behavioral Health into the primary care practice.
Gay and George enjoy skiing, hiking, four-wheeling, and fishing with their “dog family”. In 2017 they bought a home on the Salmon River, making work at CAHC a reality. They have one adult son, James Miremont, who lives and works in Colorado. “The staff at CAHC are wonderful and the Challis community has been so welcoming! I am very happy to be here and look forward to developing this resource for Challis.”
Marla Andrews, LPC
Marla Andrews grew up in the Challis area and graduated from Challis High School. She attended the University of Idaho, majoring in Psychology, where she received a Bachelor of Science. In 2008 she received a Master of Counseling from Idaho State University. Since 2008 she has worked in the Idaho Falls school district with middle school and high school students as a school counselor. She has a passion for working with teens and supporting them as they navigate through adolescence. Marla and her husband Craig are excited to return to the Challis area to raise their two boys. The family loves to get outside and go hunting, fishing, and camping.
Sharon Rotax, LMSC
Sharon Rotax grew up and lived in rural Vermont before moving to Boise in 2018. She attended the University of Vermont where she studied Human Development and Family Studies. After graduating, she went on to work with survivors of intimate partner abuse before moving to Idaho. She worked with service members transitioning out of the military before beginning the Masters of Social Work program at Boise State University. Sharon is passionate about providing trauma-informed, inclusive, client centered services and is thrilled to be moving back to a small town community. She lives in Challis with her partner, Lance, and spends her time gardening, biking, and camping.