DALLAS FAMILY CARE - Key Persons
Brenda is a long-time resident of Dallas and graduated high school with the class of 1993. She is married to Jon Hess, who is a practicing attorney in Salem. Together they have four growing boys. Their eldest is a midshipman at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Their second is a cadet at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. The two younger boys are actively playing high school sports with aspirations to play baseball in college.
Brenda is very active in the community. She supports Dallas Football by leading the parent's group, sports photography, and feeding the community at Friday night games. Outside work, she enjoys fellowship with her church community, hiking and exploring Oregon, water sports, gardening, and reading.
She has over 20 years of experience working as a registered nurse in diverse healthcare settings. Her background in nursing ranges from emergency room, medical-surgical, community health, and pediatrics. With that experience, she advanced her career and completed a Master of Science in Nursing at Gonzaga University. Since 2018, Brenda has been working as a Family Nurse Practitioner in Urgent Care, providing crucial same-day access to medical care. She's excited to be part of the team and provide care for the families in the community.
Dr. Edwardson is a family medicine physician, who has been practicing in Dallas Oregon since 1983. He received his medical Training at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, with a term in Christchurch Public Hospital, New Zealand, and is a diplomat with the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Edwardson and his wife Jeanne, a native Oregonian, just celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary, with two daughters and seven grandchildren keeping them busy. In his off time, other interests include scuba diving, beach combing, real estate, vintage cars, and a lot of special affection for their labradoodle Barley!
During the past 38 years of practice Dr. Edwardson has served as president of the local medical society, lead numerous medical missions trips to Africa, Central America and South America, was appointed for 20 years as the Polk County medical examiner and 15 years as the county health officer; he has served on the hospital board in Dallas, and as a proctor for nurse practitioner and PA training for Oregon Health & Science University.
Dr. Edwardson enjoys the full scope of family medicine, caring for patients of all ages. He is committed to the principles of holistic medicine and encompassing the physical, social, mental, and spiritual aspects of each individual's care. Dr. Edwardson considers it a great privilege to care for entire families in the community that is his home.
Faith Shinn attended Gonzaga University where she graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing in 2017. She has been certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Faith spent all of her career in Family Practice and has a special interest in women's health and family care.
Faith started her medical career as a medical assistant 30 years ago, continuing her education throughout her career to Nurse Practitioner. She has worked in family medicine her entire career and thoroughly enjoys helping others to achieve their best health.
Faith has completed many medical mission trips in several different countries. She is active in the community and has done volunteer medical work with the homeless in Portland, Oregon, and actively works in the local church group. Faith served during Hurricane Katrina with The American Red Cross, providing relief to those in impacted areas.
When Faith is not at work, she enjoys family time, spending time with her seven grandchildren, camping and knitting. She resides in Dallas with her husband who was born in the original Dallas Hospital.
Job Titles:
- Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Julia Balcom is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with a focus in integrative individualized preventative care, rural health, family medicine, and underprivileged populations. She completed her Doctorate of Nursing Practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner through Oregon Health & Science University with an emphasis on rural health. Since 2013, Julia has worked as a Primary Care Provider in the Dallas community, helping people maximize their health potential and quality of life. Before then, Julia worked as a nurse in the Salem Hospital Emergency Department.
When she was young, Julia lived in Romania for 7 years doing volunteer work with local communities and churches. While living overseas, she had the opportunity to volunteer and travel extensively, which fostered her love for helping people and sparked her interest in medicine. Julia decided to become a Nurse Practitioner specifically because she believes in the nursing model of medical care, which emphasizes the need for holistic, individualized health interventions.
Julia continues to be active in local church work with various programs and helps run summer camps for underprivileged youth in rural Romania. Julia lives in Dallas with her husband and child. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, fly fishing, gardening, traveling, knitting, and reading.
A graduate of Des Moines University Medical School (1988) and the University of Iowa residency program, Dr. Chaffee is board certified in family practice. Originally from the Willamette Valley, he returned to Oregon and, in July 2001, began working at Dallas Family Medicine. The focus of his medical practice is serving patients with excellence and compassion. Providing up-to-date personalized care and helping patients navigate the health care system to their benefit is of utmost importance to him. "It has been a blessing for our family to be a part of Dallas for these past 20 years- to continue serving the people and families of this community is truly a privilege." Free time hobbies include: driving old sports cars, working in the woods, and playing board games with friends and family.