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For years, Patti Lee searched for answers. Living in the Lewis-Clark Valley for more than two decades, she had seen her share of providers. Some were helpful, many were kind, but none could explain the condition that had followed her since high school. Patti had a mysterious and overwhelming health condition that seemed to grow more complex over time.

Eventually, the frustration almost became too much. “I had just given up,” Patti said. “I really felt like if I was ever going to get answers, I would have to go to a bigger city.”

Like many patients facing complex or undiagnosed conditions, Patti began to believe that the care she needed wasn’t available locally, but then something changed.

One day, while scrolling through social media, Patti came across a post announcing new providers at TriState Health. She specifically recalls that one name stood out, Daniel Ryan, MD. “When I read his bio, which highlighted his desire to help solve long-term senior issues, my heart rose with hope. I thought, maybe…just maybe, this is someone who could help me,” she said.

At her first appointment, that hope was confirmed almost immediately. “The first visit felt like a miracle. Here was a doctor with compassion, intelligence, and a cheerful spirit. He looked me in the eye, listened to everything I had to say, and truly understood what I had been going through.” For the first time in years, Patti felt heard.

Dr. Ryan approached Patti’s condition with curiosity and determination. He asked questions, reviewed her history, and began a process that changed her life. After years of uncertainty, what had been dismissed was finally taken seriously, and Patti received answers.

Over the course of her care, Dr. Ryan not only identified her long-standing condition, but also helped connect the dots between multiple symptoms and concerns that affected her health. “He didn’t give up,” shared Patti. “He kept digging, searching, and working with me until we had the full picture. He solved all the mysteries.” Together, they developed a plan to manage her condition and improve her quality of life.

While Patti’s condition hasn’t completely disappeared, she now has a path forward for her healthcare journey. These days, she fills her time in an art studio, helping writers edit books, and teaching art to children and adults — a life she can fully embrace again. “I am not constantly worried anymore. I feel like I have my life back.” 

Through her experience with Dr. Ryan, Patti and her family have a restored trust in the healthcare system. “The moment he walks into the room, he’s present,” said Patti. “He listens and explains things and makes you feel like you matter.”

For years, Patti believed she would need to leave the Lewis-Clark Valley to find the level of care she needed, but that has now changed. “I no longer feel like I have to go to a larger city to get great medical care,” explained Patti. “It is available right here.”

With trusted local healthcare available, Patti describes TriState Health as both high-quality and deeply personal. “It’s more than just care. It feels like home.”

For patients like Patti, access to care is not only about location, it’s about being seen, heard, and finally finding answers.

“I just want to tell Dr. Ryan, ‘Thank you,’ because you have really given me my life back. In the most wonderful and kindest way. You have set me on a path of hope that even though I am a senior citizen, I can still have a renewed life and future ahead of me.”