Nancy Pesta Walsh, DNP

Professional headshot of a woman.Nancy grew up in Long Prairie and became interested in health care when she worked in the kitchen at the local hospital and nursing home. She experienced how patients and residents could be taken care of, leading her to pursue a career in health care. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the College of St. Benedict and has worked as an RN in several small-town hospitals. She earned her family nurse practitioner master’s and doctorate degrees at Frontier Nursing University in Kentucky. Nancy has extensive experience as a family nurse practitioner in primary care and urgent care treatment. She worked at Hutchinson Health in Hutchinson, Minnesota, and is an assistant professor at Frontier Nursing University.

She approaches caring for patients as a team player, using shared decision-making to keep patients active members in their own health care. She explains options and helps the patient decide the best path for them. Some of her special medical interests include women’s health, mental health, and urgent care.

Nancy and her husband have six children and two grandchildren. Since they both grew up in west-central Minnesota, they knew they would eventually settle in this area and are enjoying the experience. She joined the Glacial Ridge Health System medical team and began seeing patients at Brooten Medical Center in March 2020.

Nancy’s hobbies include exercise, running, volleyball, traveling, home renovation, and attending her children’s activities.