Rocky Mountain Vein Clinic billings montana and cody wyoming

Dr. James L. "Bo" Johnson II, MD, FACS

Dr. Johnson, founder of the Rocky Mountain Vein Clinic, is a board-certified general surgeon and was the first physician in Montana and Wyoming to have gained his accreditation as a board-certified phlebologist (click here to view a press release). He began performing Endovenous Laser Therapy in 2004, and has successfully performed over 4,000 of these endovenous ablation procedures. Dr. Johnson, a third-generation physician, is known for his dedicated and compassionate care of patients and for his medical professionalism. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and member of the American College of Phlebology. Dr. Johnson believes strongly in giving back and dedicates two weeks out of each year to travel to third-world countries to provide a full range of medical care. To learn more about his latest venture with Amiga de Salud, where he traveled with his son to Ecuador, please read the press release (click here to view the release). Dr. Johnson and his wife Deborah, a pharmacist, have four children and reside in Cody, Wyoming.

Dr. Travis Stratford, MD

Dr. Stratford is a Montana native, having grown up in Missoula. He played football at the University of Utah where he graduated with honors in 1994. He graduated from Oregon Health Sciences University medical school in 2000. He has a passion for third-world medicine. He spent nearly a year in Nepal performing surgeries in Kathmandu and setting up clinics in mountain villages. After his Radiology Residency at OHSU, he completed an Interventional Radiology fellowship at the Dotter Institute in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Stratford began treating venous diseases in 2005 where he learned techniques and therapies from some of the world's Interventional Radiology pioneers. He is board-certified in Radiology and is a member of the American College of Radiology, as well as the Society of Interventional Radiology. A dedicated husband and family man, his hobbies Include snow skiing, water skiing, and packing into Montana's backcountry on horseback.

Dr. Robert T. Ruble, MD

Dr. Ruble has lived in Billings since 1974. Originally from Denver, Colorado, he attended Stanford University on a National Merit Scholarship, receiving a B.S. degree with honors. He then attended the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where he was selected for the Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society. Dr Ruble's internship and residency were in anesthesiology at the University of Oregon. Board-certified in anesthesiology, the majority of his career specialized in cardiac and thoracic anesthesia, at both Billings hospitals. He served terms as chairman of the anesthesia department and as chief of staff at Deaconess Hospital, and as head of the subsection of cardiac anesthesia at St. Vincent. He joined the RMVC in January 2010, finding the new vein treatments to be a natural extension of skills developed during his practice of anesthesiology. He and his wife Sheila live out-of-town with a small pack of dogs, two horses, a beleaguered cat, and a goldfish in the stock tank. They have two daughters, one teaching art at a New York university, and the other practicing law part-time while being a mom full-time. His interests include hunting, photography, and genealogy.

Dr. Jonie Hines, MD

Dr. Hines is a Board-certified family physician who grew up in Gillette and Lander Wyoming; Dr. Hines attended the University of Iowa, where she received her B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering in 1995 and her M.D. in 1999. Dr. Hines embodies our philosophy of compassionate treatment – putting the patient first and building a long-term health plan to achieve the best results possible. Dr. Hines was most recently the Department Chair at the Billings Clinic in Cody, Wyoming. Her career rewards include medical missionary work in Ecuador and Africa, and acting as the medical director at the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana. When she is not practicing medicine, Dr. Hines enjoys spending time with her children, family and friends. She enjoys reading, while her hobbies include crafting and outdoor recreational activities.

Dr. Philip Seu, MD

Philip Seu, M.D., is a UCLA-trained transplant surgeon and a Board-certified general surgeon who has recently focused his practice entirely on the treatment of patients with vein disease. He started this work in a vein clinic in Northern California and then joined RMVC in October 2011. Dr. Seu graduated from medical school with Highest Honors from the University of Texas and then trained at UCLA in general and transplant surgery. He subsequently held faculty positions at the UCLA School of Medicine and Baylor College of Medicine. In addition to performing liver transplants, Dr. Seu taught medical students, trained residents and other surgeons, and published over fifty medical papers. Dr. Seu moved to Montana with his wife Missy and their two dogs, where they share a love of outdoor activities, including cycling, skiing, and hiking. Dr. Seu is also a published wildlife photographer.

Valerie Wilson, Office Administrator – Billings Office

Valerie is a Billings native. She spent 11 years living in Eagle, Idaho, where she managed a physical therapy office. She joined RMVC when she moved back to Billings in 2006. She is also the manager of our sister company, Avri Laser Aesthetics, in addition to a Certified Laser Specialist and Obagi Skin Care Consultant. In her off-hours, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons.

Deborah Johnson , Pharm D, Clinical Specialist

Deborah graduated from Creighton University in 1992 with a Ph.D. in Pharmacy. She has practiced in a variety of settings, including Retail Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy, and as a Clinical Pharmacist on the Renal Transplant Team at the University of Wisconsin. Most recently, she was an Adjunct Professor/Clinical Consultant at the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy. Deborah was involved in the establishment of Rocky Mountain Vein Clinic and is involved in patient care. Much of her time is spent raising four children.

Sarah Ryan, Registered Nurse, ASN – Billings Office

Sarah attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Montana before completing her studies and graduating from Montana State University – Billings in 2005, with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing (LPN). A member of the American College of Phlebology, Sarah is a native of Billings, and has been with RMVC since August 2006. She returned to school in 2008 to become a Registered Nurse, and graduated in 2010 with an Associate of Science degree in Nursing. She is our resident expert in ensuring the proper selection, sizing, and fit of our compression stockings. She also performs sclerotherapy and assists with RF ablation, Endovenous Laser therapy, and microphlebectomy procedures. She also helps head up our sister company, Avri Laser Aesthetics, in Billings and is a Certified Laser Specialist and Obagi Skin Care Consultant. Sarah enjoys traveling, camping, and spending time with her family.

Mary Derbyshire, Medical Assistant

Mary has worked for RMVC since December 2007, and brings with her 38 years of working in the medical field—both in patient care and billing. She assists in the front office on clinic days, and is part of the surgical team on procedure days. A Montana native, Mary grew up in Havre. She and her husband have lived in Billings most of their married life. Her son and daughter-in-law also live in Billings, along with two wonderful grandchildren.

Michelle Dillon, RVT RDMS RDCS RT(R)

Michelle is a native of Billings. She attended ultrasound school in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has been registered in ultrasound since 1991 and holds registries in Vascular Ultrasound, Adult Echocardiography, Abdomen, and OB/Gyn. She lives in Billings with her husband Jerry and their four boys. Michelle is the owner of Big Sky Ultrasound LLC, which specializes in vascular ultrasound screening and provides all the ultrasound services for Rocky Mountain Vein Clinic in both Montana and Wyoming.

Ben Hoffman, PA-C, Physician Assistant

Ben was raised in Eastern Montana, and has lived in Billings since 1991. He has worked in healthcare for over 30 years as a Registered Nurse and Physician Assistant. Certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Ben is also a member of the American Association of Physician Assistants. He joined RMVC in 2009 and assists with initial patient evaluations, VNUS, EVLT, Microphlebectomy, and Sclerotherapy procedures. While Ben finds his work at RMVC rewarding and challenging, he enjoys a rich life with his wife Julie, hunting buddy Sage (English Setter), many kids, and grandchildren. When not at work, he's generally out hunting, fishing, skiing, or exploring the backcountry of Montana and Wyoming.

Cindy Gifford, Office Administrator, Cody Office

A Wyoming native, Cindy moved from Casper to Cody in 1998. She began working with Dr. Johnson in his surgical practice in 1999, and has worked for Rocky Mountain Vein Clinic since its inception. When not at the office, Cindy enjoys fly-fishing and spending time with family and friends.

Sandra Nicola, Reception, Cody Office

Sandra began working with Dr. Johnson in his surgical practice in 2003. She has an extensive marketing background and was instrumental in the formation of the Rocky Mountain Vein Clinic. Sandra is the person who will cheerfully greet you at the Cody office. In her off-time, Sandra enjoys recreating in Wyoming's great outdoors with her two sons and husband.

Jo Anne McBride, R.N.

Jo Anne has an Associate of Applied Sciences degree from Northwest Community College in Powell, Wyoming. She is currently working towards her BSN through the University of Wyoming. Her nursing experience includes Outpatient Surgery, PACU, OR, Endoscopy and Phlebology. Jo Anne assists with Endovenous Laser Therapy, Radiofrequency Ablation, Ambulatory Microphlebectomy, and is the onsite compression stocking specialist. Jo Anne is a Certified Laser Specialist. Her hobbies include watercolor painting, mountain biking, rollerblading, and hiking with her teenage son, Nicholas.

Colleen Schmidt, Reception - Billings Office

Colleen is a native of Billings, MT. Prior to joining RMVC in June 2010, she spent many years working in retail sales and brings a great amount of customer service experience to our team. In her spare time, Colleen enjoys spending time with her husband and son who is attending MSU, and reading. She also enjoys visiting her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter in Portland, OR.

Shana Weiss, Medical Assistant

Shana is a native of Muskegon, Michigan where she graduated from Ross Medical Education Center as a Medical Assistant in 2010. She moved to Cody shortly after and joined our team. Shana is a Certified Laser Specialist and also assists Dr. Johnson with Endovenous Laser Therapy and Radiofrequency Ablation. Her hobbies include hiking, photographing wildlife, and spending time with her husband, family, and friends.

Suzie Warner, Office Coordinator

Suzie is a native of Cody, Wyoming. Prior to joining RMVC in April 2011, she spent many years working in other medical practices. In her spare time, Suzie enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, going to car shows, and if there is time, working on her stained glass hobby.