Pediatrician Staff

Meet our friendly, experienced pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners at the Child and Adolescent Clinic! Our entire team is dedicated to helping you and your child feel at home from the moment your walk through the door. We're proud to be members of our community and serve the needs of children.

We pride ourselves in being an exceptional clinic where children come first. Our child-focused practice works hard to meet the needs of children from infancy through adolescence. Compassionate, knowledgeable and supportive staff members are the cornerstone of Child and Adolescent Clinic's quality care. All of our pediatricians are highly trained professionals, and maintain the highest level of accreditation in pediatrics to address the special needs of infants, children, and teens.

We strive to treat each and every patient as we would want our own children to be treated. Our pediatricians look forward to building a relationship with you and your family.

Phyllis Cavens, MD

Medical Director
MD Degree - Oregon Health and Science University
Pediatric Residency - Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Oregon Health and Science University
Fellowship in Child Development - Oregon Health and Science University
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Longview Office

Dr. Cavens founded the Child and Adolescent Clinic in 1978, and is now the Medical Director. After 38 years of caring for children as a pediatrician, she retired from the active practice of pediatrics. She is married to fellow pediatrician, Travis Cavens, who is already retired from the Child and Adolescent Clinic. They have two children who are now grown, and three grandchildren. Her recreational activities include reading female authors, fishing, gardening, and exciting adventures of curiousity with her grandchildren. She is active in church.

Dr. Cavens was the founding pediatrician volunteer for NW Medical Teams in 1978, now called Medical Teams International. She has served as a volunteer pediatrician for international disaster medical aid and refugee care in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uzbekestan, Jamaica, Honduras, Mexico, Moldova, and the Navajo nation. She was a physician member of the Disaster Medical Assistant Team at the 1994 Olympics in Atlanta. She was the founder of Children's Community Resources, a non-profit organization devoted to helping children in our area with unmet medical needs. She also was the founder and leads the Child Psychiatry Coalition to improve mental health services for children. She is a Trustee for the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and serves on the Legislative Committee.

Blaine Tolby, MD, PhD

PhD Degree - University of Oregon in Genetics
MD Degree - Oregon Health and Science University
Pediatric Residency -Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Oregon Health and Science University
Genetics Fellowship - Oregon Health and Science University
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Longview Office

Patients often hear Dr. Tolby before they actually see him, since his jolly laugh often echoes through the halls of the clinic. In addition to providing well child and illness care to thousands of patients, he has given many children special attention for their mental health and ADHD problems. Dr. Tolby was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, but grew up in Beaverton, Oregon, where he was a high school biology student of Dr. Travis Cavens. He is married to Joan Tolby and together they have seven children.

He has volunteered his services to many local organizations including Progress Center, Child Protective Services, Headstart, Kelso Public School Foundation, A Child's Place, and the Child Justice and Advocacy Center. In 1991, he received from the Washington state governor, Booth Gardner, the "Governor's Volunteer of the Year" award. He and his wife enjoy hiking in the Northwest and international travel.

Randy Copeland, MD

MD Degree - University of Tennessee
Pediatric Residency - University of Alabama School of Medicine
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatricians
Vancouver Office

Dr. Copeland enjoys seeing patients for pediatric care, including for well child care and illness care, but he also has a special interest in helping children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He was the founding pediatrician in our Vancouver office.

Having lived in Tennessee and Alabama, Dr. Copeland still maintains a soft southern drawl. He is interested in salt water aquariums, boating, fishing, water skiing, and his dog. He has two grown boys.

Anne Mette Smeenk, MD

MD Degree - University of North Dakota
Pediatric Residency - Boston Floating Hospital for Infants and Children
Fellowship in Developmental Pediatrics - Oregon Health Sciences University
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Longview Office

When Dr. Smeenk finished her training in pediatrics, she joined a pediatric clinic in Bremerton, Washington, where she met her husband, a US Army officer. She traveled with him, spending two years practicing pediatrics in a NATO clinic in Belgium. They settled here in July of 2002 with their two youngest children. Their children are now grown. Dr. Smeenk's hobbies are reading mystery novels, cross stitching, hiking, and gardening. She is also active in church and in her community.

Ken Wu, MD

MD Degree - New Jersey Medical School
Pediatric Residency - Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Oregon Health and Science University
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Longview Office

Dr. Wu is a proud native of the Garden State, New Jersey. While completing his pediatric residency training in Portland, Oregon, he became attracted to the Pacific Northwest. He now enjoys active sports such as hiking, basketball, and tennis. Dr. Wu also enjoys playing the piano and gardening, taking on the challenge of getting tomatoes to grow in this cooler climate.

Rebecca Hutfilz, MD

MD Degree - Pennsylvania State College of Medicine
Pediatric Internship - Naval Medical Center, San Diego
Pediatric Residency - Naval Medical Center, San Diego
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Longview Office

Dr. Rebecca Hutfilz is a native of Ohio, but has practiced medicine in Texas, Florida, California, Oregon, and Washington while in the military. Dr. Hutfilz has many interests, but perhaps her favorite involves traveling to agility training meets with her Spaniel.

Tsering Lhewa, MD

MD Degree - University of Washington School of Medicine
Pediatric Internship - Oregon Health and Science University
Pediatric Residency - Oregon Health and Science University
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Vancouver Office

Dr. Lhewa enjoys being part of a team dedicated to serving children and families in our area. He moved to SW Washington during his childhood and has since called the Evergreen State home. During the years of his medical training, he enjoyed serving various populations in urban and rural areas of the Pacific Northwest, North Slopes of Alaska, Northern California, Migrant Farm Workers, Swinomish and Yakima Indians. He also completed a Global Health Pathway in Tibetan communities, India, and Australia, as well as a National Institutes of Health Academy fellowship in Bethesda, MD. He is interested in quality improvement projects, international health, and increasing access for our underserved children. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading, movies, and listening to public radio.

Wes Henricksen, MD, MPH

MD Degree - Emory University
MPH Degree - Emory University in Health Policy
Pediatric Residency - University of Washington
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Longview Office

Dr. Henricksen grew up in the Seattle area, but gained a love for pediatrics while caring for kids in rural Georgia during medical school. He loves all aspects of general pediatrics, but takes special joy in working with families of newborns, and working with families whose children have behavioral issues. He and his wife have twins at home, and they enjoy bicycle riding, fishing, backpacking, reading, and growing their own vegetables. They are active in their church when not attending to their growing children. Dr. Henricksen is excited to engage with the many ways that kids' health interacts with community institutions and activities.

Amrita Stark, MD

MD Degree - Ross University School of Medicine
Pediatric Residency - Case Western Reserves' Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Vancouver Office

Dr. Stark is interested in working with kids of all ages, but has a special place in her heart for tweens, teens, and sassy 4 year olds. Her goal is to work with families as a team to navigate the challenging but normal impasses of childhood and adolescence, as well as the unexpected health problems that can arise. Though she hails from the California coast, she has strong ties to the Northwest from her college days in Portland. In her spare time she loves to run, travel, read novels and children's literature, plus explore the Northwest with her two daughters and husband, and find new, creative ways to hide vegetables in meals.

Jenn Chu-Smith, MD

MD Degree - Drexel University College of Medicine
Pediatric Residency - University of California, Davis
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Vancouver office

Dr. Chu-Smith is originally from California, and has spent a decade living on the East Coast and a decade living in Taiwan. She and her husband moved to the Northwest to be closer to family, and they have a young daughter. In her spare time, she loves cooking, traveling, and listening to podcasts. She enjoys partnering with families and the community to care for children of all developmental stages, in both preventive care and during illnesses. She is fluent in mandarin Chinese.

Meredith Grover, MD

Grover

MD Degree -University of Maryland
Pediatric Residency - University of Texas Dell Medical School
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Vancouver office

Beginning her career as a teacher, Dr. Grover’s passion for serving children and helping them live their happiest lives ultimately led her to pediatric medicine. Dr. Grover was raised in Virginia and worked as a high school Spanish teacher in Washington DC prior to attending medical school at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. She completed her residency training in Austin, TX, where she focused on preventative care and was able to utilize her teaching skills to help children and families better understand their care. Dr. Grover loves to read, cook, and travel, and is enjoying exploring the Portland/Vancouver area with her husband and young daughter. Dr. Grover’s background in teaching Spanish helps her provide support and care to families who need or prefer a Spanish-speaking Doctor.

Mark Banks, MD

Banks

MD Degree - St. George's School of Medicine
Pediatric Residency - Stony Brook University
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Vancouver office

Growing up an Army brat, Dr. Banks has lived all over this country. He worked at Colorado Children’s Hospital before deciding to experience all the beauty that the Pacific Northwest has to offer – and he has not been disappointed! Dr. Banks previously worked as an intensivist at Randall Children’s Hospital and a hospitalist at OHSU, and more recently was the Medical Director of Zoom+ Care in Portland, Oregon. He has a special interest and experience in pulmonary medicine and providing personal and compassionate care to children and their families. Dr. Banks and his wife enjoy their beautiful, bustling, blended family of eight children and embrace such simple joys as delicious meals, jogging, biking, skiing, and exploring.

Annette Ville, MD

Ville

MD Degree - University of Florida
Pediatric Residency - University of Texas
Board Certified - American Board of Pediatrics
Fellow - American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)
Longview office

Dr. Ville was born in Florida, where she completed medical school before moving to Texas for her pediatric residency. She had always dreamed of living in the Pacific Northwest and is very happy to now call SW Washington home. Dr. Ville loves getting to know and provide care and support for children of all ages, from infancy through adolescence. In her free time, Dr. Ville loves exploring the beautiful outdoors, reading, baking, and playing board games.

PEDIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER

Our pediatric nurse practitioner works alongside the pediatricians. Not only did she graduate with a Master's in Nursing, she also became certified in pediatrics after years of training and testing in that field. She is licensed by the State of Washington and can diagnose, treat illnesses, and prescribe medications. She is an important part of our Clinician Care Team.

Mary Alice McCubbins, CPNP-PC

BSN – Washington State University, Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education
MSN – University of Nebraska Medical Center
Certified - Pediatric Nurses Certification Board
Member - National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners
Longview Office

MaryAlice was born and raised in Kelso, graduating from KHS, Washington State University and the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education. She then entered the Air Force and served for 22 years. While in the service, she participated in and directed the care of wounded soldiers and host country nationals. After obtaining her Advanced Practice degree, she provided direct care to thousands of military children and managed military base pediatric clinics. After retiring from the military, she became a Trauma Nurse Practitioner at St Louis Children's Hospital. There she managed and coordinated multiservice and rehabilitative care for polytrauma patients, provided directed patient care in their wounds clinic, and directed trauma and post-concussion clinics to guide patients and families through the transitions to wellness. In addition, she is a recognized speaker lecturing on various pediatric topics at conferences nationwide.

Mary Alice is the proud mother of nine grown children who are scattered across the country, and has eleven grandchildren. She is thrilled to have returned to the Pacific Northwest and to primary care.