Internist Matthew Checketts joins Greater Regional Health

Matthew Checketts, DO, has joined Greater Regional Health’s Medical Clinic as a primary care internal medicine physician. He graduated from AT Still University of Health Sciences School of Osteopathic Medicine in 2015 and finished his residency at Florida Atlantic University Charles B. Schmidt College of Medicine in June 2018.

Checketts’ expertise is older patients, specifically the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. However, he is accepting adult patients of any age.

Checketts was raised in Arizona and worked in a private practice there after finishing his residency. He said he and his wife, Jina, were drawn to Creston by the slower pace and the beautiful area including the farms. He also has a brother who lives in the area.

Jina is a nurse and plans to work in the nursing field in the Creston area. She has not finalized her plans as the couple has been in Creston less than a month.

Checketts said when he came to visit Creston for an interview, he was impressed with the hospital.

“It seems like the hospital truly is here to meet the needs of the community,” he said. “That’s something you want to be a part of.”

Checketts said he did not decide to become a doctor until he was in community college. His mentor and long-time family friend Jerry Owensby, an internist, encouraged him to enter the medical field. Checketts said he watched the PBS series “Doctors’ Diaries” on VHS tapes from the library.

“That was the first time I felt like this was something I could do,” he said. “Ever since then I wanted to be a physician.”

Greater Regional is hosting an open house for Checketts from noon to 1 p.m. today in the MAP conference room.