Dr. Katie Sprinkel is a board-certified emergency medicine physician who comes to St. Vincent through physician-owned CarePoint Health. Dr. Sprinkel grew up in rural Virginia and earned her bachelor’s from The College of William and Mary, then attended medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in emergency medicine at Carolinas Medical Center. 

Dr. Sprinkel moved to Colorado in 2013 and hasn’t looked back. She has a special interest in wilderness medicine, a rapidly evolving field that focuses on vital emergency care in remote settings. It’s a field that’s becoming increasingly important as more people engage in hiking, climbing, kayaking and other potentially hazardous activities in the backcountry.

What drives Dr. Sprinkel’s patient care philosophy? “I love the challenge of handling literally anything that comes through our doors, and the opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life,” says Dr. Sprinkel. “We have the privilege of helping people on the worst days of their lives. I also try to put myself in the patient’s and family’s shoes.”

Dr. Sprinkel values her role on the team at SVH. “It’s inspiring to work with people who are so engaged, who are interesting and driven individuals, and who care so deeply about the community,” she says. “And also, I suspect I’m in good company, too, when I say that I love being in the mountains!”

When Dr. Sprinkel isn’t caring for patients, her life centers around family and motherhood. She and her husband and toddler get outside as much as they can. “My favorite things to do on my days off are to climb rocks and ride my mountain bike, and travel when I get the chance!”