Marisa L. Pender, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Marisa is a native Minnesotan, born and raised in the small town of Esko near Duluth, MN. She was homeschooled for her entire K-12 education. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from South Dakota State University while competing in collegiate athletics for four years in NCAA Division I Cross Country & Track. Her years as a bedside nurse included diverse experiences in the cardiac ICU, ICU stepdown, home care, travel nursing, triage/ambulatory care, and serving as an adjunct clinical faculty teaching undergraduate nursing students. After observing the crippling burden of chronic illness and supporting countless patients and families experiencing preventable disease and death, she was inspired to return to school and make a difference by joining the world of primary care.
Marisa graduated as a Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner from Minnesota State University Mankato. During her graduate studies, she was awarded a Becky Taylor DNP Fellowship and Outstanding Graduate Student. Her doctoral expertise centers on youth well-being. Her research has been presented on national and global platforms, with hopes for future journal publication.
As a provider, Marisa believes in building deep relationships founded on trust and mutual respect. It is her goal to empower patients to be in the driver’s seat as active participants in their care, to provide informed, judgement-free patient/family-centered care, and to keep your desires and preferences as the focus. She considers it a great privilege to be part of your wellness journey and finds tremendous joy in seeing her patients thrive throughout all stages of life. She is passionate about lifestyle medicine and holistic/integrative, root-cause focused healthcare and strives to maintain a balanced, thoughtful approach in blending holistic and modern medicine. As a wife and mother herself, her desire is to make health and wellness simple, affordable, and realistic for you and your family.
Marisa’s areas of particular interest include newborn/pediatrics illness and well-child care, women’s health/hormones, metabolic health (metabolism, thyroid, diabetes, etc…), cardiovascular health, mineral balance, gut health, and nutrition/lifestyle medicine.
Outside of work, you will most often find Marisa with her husband Michael chasing their adorable two-year-old son Jackson around. She maintains an active lifestyle by doing CrossFit and anything in the great outdoors. She is an active member in her church and enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, and reading/listening to podcasts to continue to expand her knowledge in health and wellness.
Locations
Specialties
- Primary Care
- Family Medicine