Banner Medical Clinic welcomes new family practice physician
Norma Cantu, MD
TORRINGTON, Wyo. (July 8, 2009) - What brought a native of San Antonio, Texas, population 1 million, to Torrington, Wyo.?
“I’ve been interested in medicine from a young age,” says Norma Cantu, MD, a family practice physician who moved to Torrington in May to practice at Banner Medical Clinic. “My grandparents used to live in a small town and drive hundreds of miles for medical care. I always wanted to practice medicine in a small town, where you can really help people and make a difference.”
Dr. Cantu was born and raised in San Antonio, the only girl with three brothers. As a child in elementary school, she completed a project on the human heart, and became interested in the human body. In middle school she completed a project about DNA, and began taking classes in science and medicine. She started volunteering in medical-related areas, like taking vital signs at local hospitals.
Dr. Cantu went on to the University of Texas in San Antonio, and then to medical school at St. George’s University School of Medicine in the Caribbean for two and a half years. She completed her medical training in England, and then returned to San Antonio. At a military facility there, she conducted research about Hepatitis C on thousands of patients nationwide for six years. She then completed her residency in Evansville, Ind.
While having gained extensive experience in the research field, Dr. Cantu has a special interest in family medicine. “I’m excited to take care of families--focusing on the family as a unit and caring for them from the cradle through their elder years,” she says. “I want to influence patients to live healthy lifestyles and make healthy choices.”
Dr. Cantu will be seeing patients of all ages at Banner Medical Clinic, performing wellness and preventative exams, as well as seeing residents at Goshen Care Center and the Alzheimer’s Unit, and being on call for Community Hospital. “I’m looking forward to working with a team of experienced physicians at Banner Medical Clinic,” she says.
It won’t be all work though. Dr. Cantu enjoys reading, gardening, and is an able do-it-yourselfer. She also loves crocheting. “When my maternal grandmother passed away, she left behind a lot of crocheting supplies,” she explains, “My paternal grandmother also had lots of books about it, and so I thought I might like to learn how,” she says, “So my mother taught me. It’s something I can have in common with them all.” Another passion she developed growing up in Texas is following the Dallas Cowboys. “I’m a huge fan and have lots of gear!” she says. Dr. Cantu is also fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Cantu says she looks forward to living and practicing in Torrington, meeting and getting to know people. Her parents still live in San Antonio, but will travel to Torrington and visit for several months at a time.
For an appointment with Dr. Cantu, call Banner Medical Clinic at (307) 532-2107.
About Banner Medical Clinic
Banner Medical Clinic professionals pride themselves on providing excellent medical care to residents in southeast Wyoming and bordering Nebraska communities. We strive to care for our patients, their families and friends as neighbors would, with thoughtfulness and respect. Banner Health, a nonprofit hospital system based in Phoenix, owns and operates 22 hospitals and health care facilities in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.
