Dr. Kristina Shurtleff is the “Mother Theresa” of Water Street. A native of Belgium, Dr. Shurtleff moved to New York City in 1997 for a residency at The Brooklyn Hospital Center (founded in 1845) when new combination antiretroviral therapies emerged for HIV and AIDS patients. There, her skills were put to the test and her signature compassion flourished, as she lovingly cared for the most critically ill patients.

She moved to Henderson in 2000 with her husband, still carrying a deep desire to treat underserved populations in need of medical care. Dr. Shurtleff initially practiced family medicine in North Las Vegas near Nellis Air Force Base where she continued to lovingly care for everyone who walked in her door. After saving her hard-earned dollars for many years, Dr. Shurtleff decided Water Street was the place she wanted to put down roots and build her own clinic.

Working with the City of Henderson and architect Kevin Wright, she built the magnificent three-story Shurtleff Medical Building in keeping with the area’s art-deco-inspired architecture. Today, Shurtleff Family Practice occupies the building’s second floor, where she and Nurse Practitioner Katie Bass, a graduate of nearby Touro University Nevada, treat patients of all ages, including many families from the area where Dr. Shurtleff first practiced medicine in Southern Nevada.

Katie, who has interned with many medical practices in town, continues to be inspired by the attentive and thorough care Dr. Shurtleff provides each and every patient. “I have never seen anyone so thorough in their patient assessments,” said Bass of Dr. Shurtleff. She relishes the opportunity to continue to learn from the very best.

Shurtleff Family Practice has expanded to become a family affair as Dr. Shurtleff’s son now runs the office. “He is always urging me to pick up the pace with my patients,” laughs Dr. Shurtleff, whose preference is to take her time. “But I get that it’s a delicate balance,” she says with a wink.