Helena

Elaine Samuel, MD

Dr. Samuel is a graduate of Montana State University and the University of Washington School of Medicine. She completed her training in Internal Medicine at University of Washington as a board-certified internist. Dr. Samuel practiced medicine in Idaho and Washington state until 1988 when she moved to Billings to practice at the Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare. In 2006, Dr. Samuel moved to Helena to work at St. Peter’s Hospital and then joined Fort Harrison VA as a hospitalist from 2008 until her retirement in 2017. She returned to work in the fall of 2018 as a locum physician at Bozeman Deaconess Healthcare and is very happy to be back in Helena to practice at the Montana Health Center.

Dr. Samuel has three adult children; Kari, Becca, and Jameson, who are all University of Montana graduates. She enjoys spending time in the Montana outdoors with her family and two dogs, Emma, and Bingley.

Joe Gassenberg, MD

Dr. Gassenberg is a family physician raised in Butte, Montana. He attended Carroll College for his undergraduate work, and later Creighton University School of Medicine. After completing residency in Spokane, Dr. Gassenberg worked in Helena at the Leo Pocha Clinic. He has been in Missoula the last five years and is happy to be back in Helena. Dr. Gassenberg enjoys all aspects of family medicine, but particularly pediatrics, chronic disease management, and psychiatry. Preventive care is an important emphasis for family medicine.

As a native Montanan, Dr. Gassenberg loves the outdoors. He particularly enjoys hiking and fly fishing. When not working, you may see him at Carroll College Athletic events, or floating the Blackfoot. He is looking forward to being involved in the Helena Community.

Ed Leas, PA

Ed has over 20 years of medical experience practicing as a Physician Assistant. After high school, he enlisted in the US Coast Guard as a Corpsman working on the Great Lakes and at an air station in Port Angeles, WA. Upon leaving the Coast Guard, he attended the University of Washington and completed his undergraduate degree at UW and attended the Physician Assistant program at Oregon Health Science University where he graduated with top honors in 1999. Since then, Ed has been working in family medicine, occupational medicine, and emergency medicine.

Ed continues to pursue his passion for the outdoors whenever time will allow. During the summer, he is usually found outdoors hiking, camping, biking, or running. During the winter, he is hunting or backcountry skiing with his son, Daniel and wife, Melinda.

Cassie Searle, PA-C

Cassie recieved her Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, and completed her undergraduate work at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho.  She holds a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) for Emergency Medicine through the Nation Commission on Certification of Physicians Assistants and is a member of the Society of Emergeny Medicine Physican Assistants.  Cassie spent the past 10 years employed by Lewis and Clark Emergency Room Physicians working in both the St. Peter's Health urgent care facilities and the emergency room.

In her free time, Cassie enjoys mountain biking, camping, gardening, hiking, and spending time with her wife and daughter.

Stephen Ziegler, PA

Steven worked as a paramedic for 15 years prior to attending The George Washington University Physician Assistant Program in Washington, D.C. He has worked in urgent care, emergency medicine, and primary care.

Steven lives in Helena with his wife and daughter. He and his family love the Helena community and enjoy all things outdoors in Montana, especially boating, fishing, hiking, camping, and skiing.

Tiffany Lamping, PA

Tiffany is a Helena native who earned her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from South University in Savannah, GA. She earned her B.S. in Biology from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT while also playing soccer for the Battlin’ Bears. Tiffany has experience in urgent care, family practice and women’s health.

Tiffany enjoys spending time with her family camping and exploring Montana.

Cheyene Kroll, PA

Cheyene Kroll is a Montana native from the Helena area. She graduated from Carroll College with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and earned her Master of Clinical Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine-MEDEX Northwest PA program in Seattle, Washington. She is excited to return to Helena and promote overall health and wellness to help members of the community live healthy and active lifestyles.

In her free time, Cheyenne enjoys hiking, mountain biking, camping, and taking advantage of all that Montana has to offer.

Anneli Dolmseth, PA-C

Anneli is a recent graduate of the Physician Assistant program at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. She received her undergraduate degree from Montana State University - Bozeman, and pursued postbaccalaureate premedical studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. She has experience working in pediatric emergency departments and senior living facilities. While growing up in Sidney, MT, Anneli made frequent visits to friends and family in Helena. She has developed a love for this area over the years and is excited to be joining the healthcare community here. She and her husband have two young children who keep her busy, and she enjoys balancing hockey mom duties with trips to Aunt Bonnie's and the Broadwater.