Desert Pain Specialists wins Best Pain Clinic in Iron County, reflecting years of local commitment

Desert Pain Specialists is closing out 2025 with meaningful recognition from the community it serves. Voters in the Best of Iron County contest recently awarded the practice gold for Pain Clinic, an honor that Dr. Ryan Workman, who leads the Cedar City office, described as both humbling and inspirational.

For Workman, these accolades aren’t just a career milestone, but also a reminder of what it means to live and work in a community he truly cares about.

“I just feel blessed to be able to treat and help the people of Iron County,” he said. “I’ve raised my family here, and for me, this is my favorite place I’ve ever lived. It has everything that you would want from a big city, but it’s got a small-town feel.”

Desert Pain also earned silver medals for Place to Work and Doctor in this year’s contest. Since the establishment of Best of Iron County in 2020, the practice has earned a total of 14 medals.

Desert Pain’s presence in Iron County dates back to 2017. Workman was living and working in Las Vegas when he was approached by Dr. Court Empey and Dr. Spencer Wells, the practice’s co-founders, about opening a new office to expand pain care in Cedar City. Sensing the opportunity, he jumped at the chance.

When the office, located in Fiddlers Plaza at 1760 N. Main St., first opened, it was a modest operation consisting only of Workman and three other employees. Two of those team members are still with him today, advancing in their roles from medical assistants to administrators. The location now employs 35 Iron County residents, a number expected to grow as patient needs expand and services evolve.

The current staff includes three advanced care practitioners – Daniel Corry, PA-C; Hayden Worwood, PA-C; and Josh Williams, PA-C – who see patients not only in Cedar City but also at satellite offices in Beaver, Panguitch, Richfield and Fillmore. Megan Shepherd, NP, provides additional support to these rural clinics.

While some nearby specialists travel to Iron County periodically, Desert Pain’s providers live and work in the community full-time. Being on the ground every day, they’ve built long-term relationships with local patients and their families. This constant presence forms the backbone of the patient experience.

“We have, uniquely for a community of this size, a full-service pain practice,” Workman said. “And we pride ourselves in taking care of not just our patients, but our employees as well.”

The Cedar City clinic treats a wide range of conditions, including headaches, spine pain, joint pain and chronic pain. Treatment options span from medication to advanced interventional procedures and even regenerative medicine solutions like platelet-rich plasma injections.

Patients can expect a consistent standard of care from the moment they walk in. The clinic’s team-based environment allows patients to move smoothly through evaluation, imaging, treatment and follow-up, all within a coordinated system. Desert Pain is a place where people are treated like neighbors, not numbers.

“From our front desk to our medical assistants to our procedure staff and our nurses, our X-ray techs, our administrators – they’re all the best at what they do and absolutely top-notch,” Workman said.

As the community’s premier pain management provider, Desert Pain continues to expand to better serve the needs of Iron County patients. Last month, the practice celebrated the groundbreaking of Endurance Medical, a state-of-the-art health care facility located directly across the street from Intermountain Health Cedar City Hospital.

The building, a collaborative partnership between Desert Pain, St. George Orthopedic Spine and St. George Eye Center, has been designed to provide a more comfortable, accessible and technologically advanced experience for every patient. The aim? Delivering world-class care from board-certified physicians and surgeons to Iron County residents for generations to come.

With this new project underway, a growing team of skilled providers and continued outreach to surrounding communities, Desert Pain is preparing for the next chapter in its service to greater Cedar City. For Workman, the road ahead remains grounded in the same mission he started with: providing exceptional pain care close to home, delivered by people who belong to the community they serve. Learn more at desertpainspecialists.com.

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