SHELTON, WA – Mason Clinic’s Linda Cook, MA-C, a medical assistant in Primary Care, is often the person other employees turn to when they have a question. She can always be counted on to help explain a process or address a concern that other medical assistants might have. Cook’s dependability and knowledge are a huge factor why Mason Health employees have nominated and selected her as the March 2024 Employee of the Month.

Cook grew up in Matlock as one of six children and graduated from Mary M. Knight High School in 2012. She worked odd jobs as a park aide and a stocker for Little Creek Casino Resort before she heard an advertisement on the radio about going to school to become a radiology technician. She moved to Las Vegas, where her sister lived, and attended Pima Medical Institute, though early on pivoted to train to become a medical assistant.

“I always believed I would have a blue-collar job and did not consider jobs in health care,” Cook recalled. “I thought I would be a road flagger or maybe work in housekeeping, like my mother. When someone at Pima encouraged me to look into medical assisting, I realized I can help people.”

Cook graduated in 2015 and right away came to work in Shelton — she started in December 2015 as a medical assistant at the former Olympic Physicians for six months, before transitioning to work for Mason Clinic-Hoodsport for five years. Later, she worked at the former Family Health Clinic until it transitioned into the Mason Clinic building in December 2020.

“I do like the small clinics because of how much responsibility you have, but at Mason Clinic, more of your team is around you to help you and support you,” she said. “I enjoy helping patients find solutions.”

Cook has been involved in campaigns like the Healthy Heart Initiative in Hoodsport to help patients lower their high cholesterol and high blood pressure. She also worked on a project to improve the referrals process and she currently works closely with her provider, Jennifer Kummerfeldt, ARNP, on managing schedules and resources for the Medicare Wellness program. She has spent the majority of her Mason Health career working in Primary Care but did have one month as a floating medical assistant in orthopedics.

When she is not working, Cook helps her family out, fixing tractors and other equipment, on their 80-acre farm in Matlock.

Mason Health, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County is ISO 9001 Quality Management System certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. Mason General Hospital and Mason Clinic are ENERGY STAR® certified and Mason Health is the recipient of three Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change Awards and a Greening the OR Environmental Excellence Award. There are more than 100 physicians on staff in 19 specialties. For more information or to find a health care provider, visit www.masongeneral.com. To learn more about DNV, visit www.dnv.com/healthcare.

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