The Dawn of a New Day
If I think of everything we've built so far as a single day, then what a long and beautiful day it has been. The first light broke back in December 2023, when we opened our doors to telehealth patients here in Idaho. The sun climbed higher in March 2024, when we welcomed our very first patients in person. Early in 2025, Rebekah G. Fayette joined us part-time, and by that October she had come on full-time, bringing a whole new depth of care to our patients. And about a year ago, after weeks of construction dust, taped-up boxes, and more than a few deep breaths, we moved into our home on Ustick in August 2025, a space we reached for because we had already outgrown the last one. When I look around now at a waiting room of familiar faces and a team I adore, I can still feel the warmth of how far that light has traveled.
But here's the thing about a day this good: it doesn't end. It simply gives way to the next one. And I can't be more excited about the morning that's breaking now.
When we designed our space on Ustick, we did it on purpose. We didn't build for the practice we were, we built for the practice we were becoming. More exam rooms. A dedicated procedure space. Room for more providers, and for more of the care women in our community have had to go elsewhere, or wait, to receive. At the time, some of that was simply a hope written into a floor plan. Thank you, every one of you who has walked through our doors and trusted us with your care, for being the reason that hope is becoming real.
So here is the news I've been so eager to share. Not long ago, a wonderful opportunity came our way, one I never could have scripted.
I am thrilled to tell you that Dr. Karissa Keenan, MD, a board-certified OBGYN, is joining Illumination Women's Health.
This is a meaningful step for us. For the first time, our practice will have a physician and surgeon on the team. So much of women's health lives just past the edge of what we've been able to offer, the evaluations, procedures, and surgical care that, until now, has meant a referral out. With Karissa here, more of that care can stay right where it belongs: with the team that already knows you, in a home that, as it happens, had just the right room for her.
Karissa and I worked side by side during my time at Saint Alphonsus, and she has been in my corner ever since, genuinely supportive of me and of this practice every step of the way. So when the chance came to bring her onto our team, it felt less like recruiting a new provider and more like a long-awaited reunion.
And I want you to know the kind of person who's joining us, because to me that matters every bit as much as her credentials. Karissa is one of the most gifted providers I've ever worked with, and somehow that isn't even the best thing about her. She is down to earth, deeply caring, and truly humble. She meets every patient as an equal and never once carries herself as though she's above anyone, and she has a quiet way of simply doing the right thing, every time. Above all, she values good, collaborative care and real relationships far more than titles or ego. We are excited, grateful, and more than a little honored to have her with us.
A few honest, practical notes. Welcoming a physician onto the team takes some behind-the-scenes work, insurance credentialing chief among it, so it's a process we want to get right rather than rush. Dr. Keenan will begin seeing patients this October, and her availability will open gradually as that credentialing wraps up. Keep an eye on our website in the coming months for scheduling details as they become available. We can't wait to introduce you.
A year ago, our home on Ustick was a floor plan and a lot of faith. Today it's a thriving practice, a growing team, and a clear sense of where we're headed. Thank you for walking this road with us. The horizon ahead has never looked brighter.
— Kandiss
