PA Brings Decades of Experience to Topaz

Carson Valley Health Primary Care Topaz Ranch is delighted to have a new, but very experienced Physician’s Assistant. Andy Guppy, PA-C joined the team in October 2023 following more than 30 years as a PA in New England.

Guppy chose Carson Valley Health (CVH) when he and his wife decided to move to the area to be closer to family. After interviewing with Carson Valley Health, it was an easy choice to make.

On choosing to work in family practice, “I think it was decided for me,” Guppy says, “because I had an EMS background.” He was inspired by a colleague back in Maine who successfully transitioned from the emergency department (ED) to family practice. Guppy was an emergency medical technician (EMT) with the fire department at the time and admired how his friend applied his skills from the ED to his family practice, so that patients didn’t have to go to the ED.

Guppy did a preceptorship in family medicine in the early 1990s during his PA training. He describes that as much longer than the typical rotations that PAs do today, and it laid the formative groundwork for him to specialize in family medicine.

Outside of work, Guppy enjoys woodworking, particularly repurposing things. “If people have heard of Maine, then they’ve heard of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park,” he says. “My wife and I were down there one day, and we saw this project where someone had taken a three-pane cellar window, removed the glass pieces, and put in mirrors.” Guppy had just removed some similar windows from their house and thought to himself “I could do something like that!” This was the beginning of his woodworking hobby.

The local walking tracks are another favorite pastime for Guppy and his wife - he remarks that he enjoys the fact that the Carson Valley doesn’t have the humidity that they had living in New England.

How does the PA role fit at Topaz Ranch? Guppy aims to provide a familiar, friendly face and quality care. “If you ask me, will I still be around in a year, the answer is yes,” he says. “I’ve been doing this for a while, and I really want to establish a true sense of community. One of my goals is that we reach a point where we know each other by name. Call me by my first name!” he says.

Patients with all sorts of needs are welcome. “The role of a PA is to be a collaborative part of the team, and this is something I have always embraced,” says Guppy. He describes how it doesn’t matter what a patient’s question or diagnosis is, if it’s outside of his knowledge, he always has someone he works with collaboratively and can refer the patient to them.

Guppy describes developing rapport between patients and providers as very important to him. “This will be the third community I have interacted with in my career. Working out of Topaz is like going back to my roots.”

Carson Valley Health Primary Care Topaz Ranch welcomes patients, call 775.783.3096.