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. Amid her graduate studies, she was awarded a prestigious Becky Taylor DNP Fellowship and named Outstanding Graduate Student. Her doctoral expertise centers on childhood wellness. She is fiercely committed to advocacy for improving America’s food system and championing the health and well-being of the upcoming generations. 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 her patients/parents to feel confident in healthcare decisions. She strives to provide informed, judgement-free, pressure-free, patient and family-centered care. Most importantly, she is committed to creating a care plan centered around your preferences and values. She considers it a great privilege to partner with you on your wellness journey and finds tremendous joy in seeing her patients thrive throughout all stages of life. She is deeply passionate about lifestyle medicine, metabolic health, and holistic, integrative, root-cause focused healthcare. Marisa strives to maintain a balanced, thoughtful approach in blending holistic and modern medicine. As a wife and mother herself, her desire is to meet you where you are at 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, metabolic health, thyroid optimization/Hashimoto’s management, cardiovascular health, gut health, and nutrition/lifestyle medicine.
Outside of work, you will most often find Marisa with her husband Michael chasing around their children, Jackson and Kiara. 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