Following a successful career in Emergency and Family Medicine in Canada, Dr. Mark Lonquist was recruited by Samaritan Health Systems and headed to the United States to discover what opportunities awaited him in the Southwest region. One such opportunity for Dr. Mark Lonquist was taking over a challenging practice in rural Buckeye Az. He then moved on a took a leading position at Estrella Mountain Medical Group, located in Goodyear, Arizona. At Estrella Mountain Medical Group, Dr. Mark Lonquist holds two positions that are vital to the company: Physician and Medical Director. Dr. Mark Lonquist’s duties at Estrella include overseeing three clinics, EMMG and IMS activities, family practice care, and direct patient care, as well as managing the budgets, human resources, and physician education. During Dr. Lonquist’s time at Estrella Mountain Medical Group, its number of providers increased from two to eight, and Dr. Mark Lonquist continually demonstrates that when it comes to medicine he is definitely hands-on. Mark Lonquist’s other career opportunity in Arizona was a membership to the Board of Directors at West Valley National Bank, a community bank located in the city of Avondale. Dr. Mark R. Lonquist and the other directors took two years to plan for the bank’s opening, which took place in winter 2006.

Dr. Lonquist, who also serves on the WVNB Board’s Compliance/ALCOA Committee, helps overseeing the bank’s budget, promotion, raising capital, and recruiting shareholders, among other tasks, proving he is more than capable of handling several positions at once. When he is not at the hospital or meeting with his fellow West Valley National Bank Directors, Mark Lonquist likes to read novels such as “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “Twilight,” and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, penned by celebrated writer J.R.R. Tolkien. Additionally, Dr. Mark R. Lonquist stays healthy by playing hockey, running, and playing tennis.

Mark Lonquist, spring training doctor

For lovers of baseball, the mere words “spring training” conjure a thrill. Baseball fans hear those words and immediately their minds leap to thoughts of new beginnings, their hearts fill with hopes and expectations about young or new players and the full season that lies ahead. Most fans are preoccupied with the athletes themselves, sizing up their potential as they watch how the players are performing in this initial, crucial period. It is easy to forget that a lot of people behind the scenes play a vital role in ensuring the game goes on. A crucial player in the spring training session is the physician who supports the team. Dr. Mark Lonquist, a well-established local physician in Arizona, provides medical care for the Cleveland Indians in their spring training workout at the new Goodyear Stadium. Mark Lonquist possesses the rare combination of experience in both emergency room care as well as comprehensive family practice, which makes him particularly valuable to the team. In addition, Dr. Lonquist is a long-time sports fan and an amateur athlete himself. Mark Lonquist loves to combine his love of sports with his expertise as a physician. Dr. Lonquist treats the players and the staff, and he also coordinates care for their families. Baseball players undergoing the rigors of spring training are prone to certain injuries and conditions, and, as the supporting doctor, Dr. Mark Lonquist has experience treating and helping to prevent these common ailments, as well as any medical emergency that may occur. It is important that the spring training physician possess familiarity with each player’s medical history and injury tendencies, as well as experience with the general stresses of the sport in addition to the common injuries associated with each player’s position. Even seemingly mild injuries can affect the players’ performances for the season. An experienced doctor like Mark Lonquist knows how to support the healing of the athletes to ensure that the best season is had by players and fans alike. Rogers Hornsby described the importance of spring training very aptly when he said, “People ask me what I do in the winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”