Internist joining Watertown practice

The private medical practice Watertown Internists, 53-59 Public Square, has grown so much that it will add an internist next month and is looking for another.

Dr. Laura E. Boggs, who will join the practice July 1, will be the fourth physician on staff. After a fifth one is recruited, practice founder Dr. Collins F. Kellogg said, Watertown Internists will need a larger home.

"We've got room for one more physician, and then we'd have to build more, so we're getting to outgrow our space," Dr. Kellogg said. "Our patient load is always almost overwhelming."

Recognizing the need for more primary care physicians, Samaritan Medical Center spokeswoman Krista A. Kittle said, the Watertown hospital is working with five primary care practice candidates.

Guessing his practice has nearly 10,000 patients, Dr. Kellogg said the busyness of Watertown Internists stems from the north country's not having enough primary care physicians.

"We take care of a lot of people," he said. "About two-thirds of our people are from Jefferson County, but we have a lot from St. Lawrence and Lewis counties, a lot from as far south as well below Pulaski."

Dr. Kellogg said the 21-year-old practice is focused on preventive medicine and keeping people healthy. Dr. Boggs, a Queens native, said she's a good fit for the practice because she wants to do just that.

"It has a lot of variability," she said. "You have to know a little bit about everything, and you have to know a lot about pathophysiology, the cause of the different disease processes."

The former physician's assistant said she went to medical school to become a physician because she liked being more involved with her patients. She said she's come a long way since she wanted to be a veterinarian when she was a little girl.

"I decided I didn't want to put animals to sleep, so I went into medicine instead," Dr. Boggs said. "I was a PA first and decided I didn't feel I knew enough, and that I didn't feel I was giving my patients the best that I could, so I decided I wanted to go into medical school."

The May 2006 graduate of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg, W.Va., recently completed her residency at Samaritan Medical Center. Dr. Boggs was accepted at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, N.H., but chose to do her residency in Watertown because it's close to family in Vermont, she likes the country life and Samaritan has friendly workers.

She enjoys her koi pond and spending time outdoors or with her 15-month-old German shepherd, Kavik, and 2-year-old yellow Lab, Mr. Buddy.

Dr. Boggs's husband, William, is deployed to Afghanistan with the 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood. He is expected to transfer to Fort Drum when he returns from deployment in the fall.

Dr. Boggs can be reached at Watertown Internists after June 30 by calling the practice at 786-8700.