POCATELLO — In 2013, Dr. Lance Longmore was a cardiologist working at local hospitals, certain that’s how he would spend the rest of his career. Thirteen years later, he opened his own clinic and is giving back to his hometown the best way he knows how.

Longmore was born and raised in Pocatello just a few blocks from the old Bannock Memorial Hospital. He embarked on an extensive journey through medical school, residencies and positions across multiple cities before returning home to make a lasting impact.

In November 2020, Longmore opened Longmore Clinic, his own cardiovascular practice, to provide specialized care to the community that holds a special place in his heart.

Longmore earned his Bachelor of Science in zoology from Idaho State University, then completed medical school at the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. He went on to complete residencies at St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute at the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Between his residencies, Longmore returned to Idaho and worked as a general cardiologist for local hospitals. In 2018, he returned to Kansas City for his final residency at the University of Kansas before coming back to Pocatello in 2019, and it was then that the idea of opening his own clinic began to take shape.

“I started noticing I wanted to build out other programs, for example, the autonomic clinic,” Longmore said. “It takes being independent. I’m more able to guide those kinds of things. I like being able to pick and choose... Over the years I’ve seen who seem to have the best outcomes, where people have a great patient experience, and we try to direct our patients to those places.”

Longmore Clinic draws on Longmore’s expertise in cardiovascular medicine and electrophysiology to serve patients requiring specialized care for their heart or blood vessels. Nearly six years in, the clinic has grown significantly.

“We’re almost at six years, and it’s been great,” Longmore said. “We take care of about 4,600 patients and growing, we have three total providers right now… and now officially this week we have the only full autonomics clinic in the state of Idaho.”

From the beginning, Longmore’s mission has been to bring quality heart care to everyone, so that patients dealing with heart issues can receive treatment locally without having to travel elsewhere.

To further that mission, Longmore and his staff conduct outreach in surrounding communities including Blackfoot, Idaho Falls, Burley, Malad and Bear Lake, with plans to expand throughout the state.

Longmore Clinic’s director of communications, Kristine Fenstermaker, echoes that mission.

“We’re not a corporation. We care about the individual. We want to help our community,” Fenstermaker said. “We want to make sure people know they still have options within the community, and that there’s a great local option from somebody who truly wants to help and serve his fellow man around Pocatello.”

What started as a dream to give back has grown into a clinic that serves thousands, and Longmore has no plans of slowing down or leaving.

“When we came back here in 2013, I just figured I’d be employed by the hospital my entire career,” Longmore said. “I’m from here. I don’t plan on going anywhere. My wife’s from Idaho, she’s an Idaho girl, and we have five kids. It’s been a great place to raise our family and practice medicine.”