Cory Richardson MD, FACS, FAFS, FASMBS

Dr. Richardson grew up in Mammoth Lakes, CA. He completed medical school and General Surgery Residency at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He then went on to complete an advanced surgical fellowship at the Minnesota Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery, the only fellowship program in the United States or Canada accredited in Advanced Gastrointestinal/Minimally Invasive/Bariatric Surgery and Flexible Endoscopy.

In addition to performing the entire spectrum of general surgical procedures, Dr. Richardson has extensive advanced training in foregut (esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, spleen) surgery, bariatric and metabolic surgery, colorectal surgery, and advanced hernia surgery. He also performs complex revisional anti-reflux and bariatric surgeries and was the first surgeon in North Idaho certified to perform magnetic sphincter augmentation as a treatment for GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Dr. Richardson’s unique combination of advanced laparoscopic and endoscopic training allows him to diagnose and treat a wide array of medical conditions. He is one of only a handful of surgeons that perform ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography), an advanced endoscopic procedure used to diagnose and treat diseases of the bile ducts, liver, and pancreas. Dr. Richardson has conducted years of research dedicated to the development of techniques that combine conventional laparoscopic surgeries with ERCP, and he has given numerous national presentations on the topic. These techniques allow patients to have multiple procedures performed simultaneously, which results in earlier discharge from the hospital and a quicker recovery. These combined procedures also allow patients with altered gastrointestinal anatomy (i.e. gastric bypass) to have an ERCP if needed, which was previously not possible due to the changes in their anatomy.

Dr. Richardson is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and American Foregut Society. He is also a member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. In addition to his elective surgical practice, Dr. Richardson also serves as the Trauma Medical Director and Surgical ICU Co-Director at Kootenai Health, which under his leadership was awarded verification from the American College of Surgeons as a Level 2 Trauma Center in 2023.

Ethan Ferrel, MD

Dr. Ferrel is a board-certified general surgeon who returned home to the Inland Northwest to join North Idaho Endoscopy and Surgical Specialists (NIESS) in the fall of 2025. He grew up in Spokane, Washington, where he earned his undergraduate degree at Gonzaga University and attended medical school at the University of Washington in Spokane. Dr. Ferrel then completed his general
surgery internship and residency through Creighton University at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and Maricopa County Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. After residency, Dr. Ferrel completed a fellowship in Robotic Minimally Invasive and Advanced Gastrointestinal Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, the nation’s first fully-accredited robotic general surgical fellowship, in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Dr. Ferrel came to NIESS from St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, where he provided elective general surgical care and acute care surgical coverage throughout the Treasure Valley. Dr. Ferrel was one of the first surgeons to offer comprehensive robotic general surgery to acute care patients in the Treasure Valley and served as the Chair of Robotic Surgery for St. Luke’s Health System.

As the first fellowship-trained robotic general surgeon in the state of Idaho, Dr. Ferrel brings a unique skillset and experience to the Inland Northwest. He is proficient in a wide variety of robotic surgical techniques, including minimally invasive complex abdominal wall reconstruction for repair of recurrent hernias, combined endoscopic and robotic procedures, and minimally invasive bowel resection with intracorporeal anastomoses. Dr. Ferrel is committed to advancing robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery in the region to provide better outcomes, shorter hospital stays, less post-operative pain, and quicker recovery times for patients.

Having trained at two Level I trauma centers in Phoenix, Dr. Ferrel is experienced in trauma and critical care and is an Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) instructor. Dr. Ferrel is published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and a medical textbook on a multitude of topics including hernia management, novel uses of robotics in acute care surgery, improving outcomes of trauma patients, and minimizing post-operative narcotic use. He is an associate fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the American Hernia Society, and a member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. Dr. Ferrel also serves as a proctor for Intuitive Surgical, training other surgeons
on the use of the da Vinci robotic platform.