Return to Archived Stories

Specializing in family medicine, Oster-haus will care for patients from infancy through geriatrics, including prenatal care. She has a special interest in chronic health problems like asthma, diabetes, and heart failure, and particularly likes the patient-education part of treating chronic illnesses, she said. In fact, she is looking forward to starting a heart-failure clinic with another PAHCS physician.

Osterhaus, a graduate of Augsburg College, chose PAHCS because she has a passion for rural medicine. She learned about PAHCS in 2000 when she was nominated for the Minnesota Rural Health Provider of the Year by the Minnesota Rural Health Conference for her work in Little Fork, Minn. That same year PAHCS received a rural health award. Osterhaus decided then that PAHCS would be ideal for her, she said.

She believes that PAHCS is impressive because it has almost everything that health care systems in large cities have. "I love it here," she said. "It's perfect."

Osterhaus has two children, and is temporarily living on Lake Koronis, though she hopes to find a home in Paynesville soon. She's impressed with the city and wants her children in the Paynesville schools.

As a member of the Army Reserves, Osterhaus spent ten months in Kuwait and Iraq as a physician assistant, processing troops who were being sent home for medical reasons. She returned in May. She is now the acting commander of the 367th Engineering Battalion.

In her free time, she enjoys snowmobiling, running, camping, and playing on the lake.