Andy Lovato has experience as a physician assistant that literally spans the nation. Prior to joining Desert Orthopedic Center in 2003, he was a surgery first assistant at Virginia Mason Orthopedics in Federal Way, WA. He also has worked in Rhode Island.
“My wife is active-duty Navy, so it gives me a chance to experience life in different areas of the country,” says Lovato, himself a Navy veteran.
Andy currently works with Dr. Sam Reber, director of sports medicine at DOC.
“Working with Dr. Reber in sports medicine I get to see a variety of injuries. We see a lot of golf pros, some tennis pros. We also see some celebrity patients,” comments Lovato.
A Denver native, Andy received an associate’s degree from Columbia College in Treasure Island, CA in 1992, and also became a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) that same year. To become a physician assistant he attended the Stanford Primary Care Associate Program in Palo Alto which he completed in 1995.
He has served in the U.S. Navy and the Naval Reserve. While in the reserves he also worked as a civilian physician assistant at the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego before going across country to join the Occupational Health and Rehabilitation urgent care clinic in Pawtucket, R.I.
Andy is a fellow member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and California Academy of Physician Assistants.
“I’ve been working in different areas of medicine both military and civilian for 20 years. I think my work as a physician assistant in orthopedics has been the most rewarding.”
