New PA-C Jeni Wert joins Oaklawn Medical Group Tekonsha office

Jeniece “Jeni” Wert, is Oaklawn’s newest PA-C (Physician Assistant- Certified) and is working out of the Oaklawn Medical Group’s Tekonsha office

The Tekonsha office is located at 2218 Old US27 North, Tekonsha, MI 49092 and can be reached by calling 517-767-4038. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wert was born in Texas, and grew up in southern New Mexico, but ended up going to college at Western Michigan University.

“I thought Kalamazoo was a good place to go to college,” she said.” It worked out.”

Wert earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and also minored in Biology at WMU.

During her time in Kalamazoo, she met her husband Mitch, and after getting married, the couple moved to New Mexico.

Wert earned a Master of Education in Special Education from Easter New Mexico State University and then became a teacher for four years.

“Teaching was the hardest job I ever had,” she said. “I loved teaching, but it was tough. I had a lot of students who had more basic needs outside the classroom, and I always felt like I could be doing more, and so I went back to school to become a PA… I had always been interested in medicine, but I didn’t think I could do it. My mom really encouraged me. She said,  ‘You can do it –  go for it.’”

Wert then went on to earn a Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Yale University in 2020.

She is no stranger to Marshall, however, as she did most of her rotations at Oaklawn during 2019-2020.

“I and my oldest daughter moved in with my in-laws and did Surgery, Psych, Internal Medicine, ER, Endocrinology,” said Wert. “When the pandemic hit in March 2020, I had just finished up at Oaklawn.”

Mitch was born in Oaklawn and grew up in Union City.

“My husband always wanted to move back to Michigan, quit his government job and buy some land and start his own business,” she said. “We are finally making it happen.”

Mitch and Jeni will be living in Tekonsha with their three kids – Emery, 8, Finley, 3 and Beau, who is almost 2.

“We call them the chaos crew,” joked Wert.

She recently left Frontier Direct Care in McAllen, Texas where she was on call 24/7 for her patient panel for all questions, concerns and emergencies that might arise, providing recommendations on how patients should proceed.

Wert medically managed various chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and asthma and acute conditions such as COVID-19, influenza, urinary tract infections and abscesses

She also performed  well-woman exams with pelvic exam and screenings and performed minor in-office procedures such as sutures, biopsies and incision and drainage.

At Trinity Health, also in southern Texas, Wert acted as a primary care provider for two shelters, providing care for undocumented minors, performing child wellness exams for up to 30 minors a day in accordance with federal requirements and standards and managed acute and chronic childhood conditions.

“I’m conversational in medical Spanish,” said Wert. “And I am getting better.”

When she is not on the job or spending time with her family, Wert says she is an avid runner.

“I just ran my first marathon in January,” she said. “I do half marathons and plan on running one in Michigan this summer. I did one in Grand Cayman, did the Disney World half marathon, and I want to do the Dopey Challenge where you do a 5k, a 10k, half marathon and a full marathon all in one weekend. My husband and I are going to try and do that together.”

Wert said she  is “so excited” to be working at Oaklawn.

 “I loved doing my rotations there – it was my favorite place to do rotations,” she said. “Oaklawn is a very organized and well-connected community, so I know my patients will get what they need. I’m ready to get started.”