My practice is in the same area where
my family and I live. It is very important that I
remain active in the community. I’ve known
many of my patients for years before they visited
my office.
Our family has been very involved in 4-H programs,
particularly the equine, dog and shooting programs.
I helped coach the Beltrami County Horse Knowledge
Bowl team to win the National Championship in 2004.
I have been involved with the Go & Whoa Harness
Club. My draft horses and I participate in several
parades and community activities each year. We have
carried many newly weds away from their wedding in
a carriage.
Amateur (“ham”) Radio has been a life-long
passion. All of my family members are licensed operators.
We are active in SkyWarn, disaster preparedness activities
and the Paul Bunyan Amateur Radio Club.
For almost 10 years, I have been the local liaison
Volunteer Examiner Coordinator for the Federal Communications
Commission for amateur radio licensing. We have licensed
literally hundreds of people in northern Minnesota
during this time. I was honored in 2003 to have been
inducted into the Amateur Radio Hall of Fame.
These activities have introduced me to many local
and area families in the communities we serve. This
has allowed me to gain a better understanding of
the area’s medical needs. We have thus expanded
our area of coverage beyond Bemidji to include specialized
care for minimally invasive surgery for northern
Minnesota.
I have also volunteered for providing medical
care and training overseas. I have spent several
months working in a crippled children’s hospital
in Bethlehem, Israel. I have spent several months
over the past few years teaching orthopedics in
the Kingdom
of Bhutan, a remote little country
in the Himalayan Mountains of Asia. While I was
there, I also taught a ham radio course and helped
set up three ham radio club stations. The
ARRL honored me for this work in 2004 with the
ARRL
International Humanitarian Award.
