Practitioners
Desert Oasis Clinic is proud to offer two high-level medical practitioners, both fully trained and experienced in traditional or conventional medicine, but well-versed and strongly inclined toward more holistic, preventive, natural approaches to medical problems.
About John A. Thompson, DO, Medical Director
A native of Pasadena, California, Dr. John A. Thompson has dedicated his life to helping others achieve optimal health. It wasn’t always this way, however. His interest in health and wellness began with dis-ease and a set of events that proved to be transformative. As a second-year undergraduate music student at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Thompson began experiencing gastrointestinal discomfort, cramping, pain, and fatigue. Medical doctors had no answers and suggested exploratory surgery, but that wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.
“It’s Interesting We Pay All This Money For Tuition And Still Don’t Know How To Feed Ourselves.”
These words changed everything. A respected acquaintance said this to Dr. Thompson upon learning about his medical quandary. This was the “lightbulb moment” – – Dr. Thompson’s first introduction to the idea of healing through nutrition. Intrigued and out of options, he dramatically changed his diet and the unexplained ailments resolved completely within a few weeks. Now empowered and fascinated by the body’s ability to heal itself, he committed himself to studying the connections between diet, lifestyle, symptoms, and disease. He also discovered at this time that he had a natural affinity for science, biology, and chemistry and decided to pursue medicine as a career.
DOs and MDs – What’s The Difference?
Dr. Thomson obtained his osteopathic medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. He chose to train as a DO, or Doctor of Osteopathy, because the core tenets of osteopathic medicine better aligned with his personal views and values. DOs and MDs are similar in education and training, and they’re equally licensed as full physicians who enjoy the broadest scope and highest
level of practice among medical professionals. Osteopathic medicine differs in its emphasis on prevention, view of the body as an interconnected whole rather than separate isolated systems, and respect for the body’s natural tendency to self-regulate and heal itself when given the proper support.
During medical school Dr. Thompson was privileged to do rotations at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles. He then completed an internship in general medicine at Oakland General Hospital in Michigan, followed by a 3-year allopathic residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the Detroit Medical Center Rehabilitation Institute. Upon completing his medical training Dr. Thompson obtained licensure in four states: Michigan, Virginia, California, and Nevada, where he settled and opened Desert Oasis Clinic in 1999.
“For The Last 25 Years, I’ve Made This Practice Connecting The Dots And Helping People Get Better.” – Dr. John A. Thompson
Dr. Thompson is known to spend extra time to fully listen and understand his clients’ health issues. One of the most frequent comments we hear is, “I’ve never had a doctor spend so much time with me!” He is compassionate and encouraging, but also no- nonsense, direct, and honest in his approach. He “walks the talk” and is known to practice what he preaches. He expects his clients be motivated, active participants who place a high value on health and wellness. He strongly believes that good health and well-being are the foundation for everything else you want to do in life.
About Kimberly Blanchard, APRN
Nurse Practitioner Kimberly A. Blanchard is a Las Vegas native who has worked in the medical field since 2003. Her passion for healthcare started from a very young age. Kimberly started her career in the medical field as an emergency medical technician (EMT). In 2009, she graduated with her associate’s degree in nursing from the College of Southern Nevada. While working as an RN in Pediatric Oncology and then in Labor and Delivery, Kimberly earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Nevada State College in 2014. She went on to earn her master’s degree in nursing leadership and management from Western Governors University in 2017. After serving as a bedside nurse, manager, and the Director of Women’s Services for a local hospital, Kimberly decided to leave the hospital-setting to work as a high-risk obstetrics flight nurse while furthering her education to become a nurse practitioner. She graduated from Chamberlian University with a post-graduate degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2024.
Kimberly has experienced her own health challenges that started in her youth and peaked in 2011. As a busy mother of four, full-time nurse, and always in pursuit of another degree, she began to have chronic pain, debilitating fatigue, trigeminal neuralgia, optic neuritis, foot drop, peripheral neuropathy, and tremors. She was seen by many specialists in Nevada and California and was frequently hospitalized during severe flares for rounds of high-dose intravenous steroids. She had a multitude of lab tests, MRIs, nerve conduction studies, EEGs, and muscle biopsies with limited insight into her condition. After a few years of ongoing testing, no meaningful answers, and a misdiagnosis of multiple sclerosis, Kimberly decided to try a different approach and turned her focus to what she could control, which was her stress, sleep, diet, and exercise. With lifestyle changes she began to see improvements in her health and her symptoms began to decrease.
After having a hysterectomy, Kimberly’s health began to decline again. A friend and colleague referred her to Dr. Thompson. Her health began to improve significantly with Dr. Thompson’s guidance, and she knew that she had found her mentor and her ultimate path in healthcare. Since becoming a nurse practitioner, she has completed additional training in hormone replacement therapy, hyperbaric medicine, menopause, and functional medicine. NP Kimberly continues to expand her knowledge through the pursuit of additional education and certifications in order to provide her patients with the highest level of personalized care. She is known for her compassion, patience, and understanding, as well as her skill in combining traditional medical knowledge with her understanding of functional medicine and wellness. Like Dr. Thompson, NP Kimberly “walks the talk” and practices the dietary and lifestyle habits she recommends for optimum wellness.