Gundersen Prairie du Chien welcomes new family doctor

Gundersen Prairie du Chien is happy to announce the addition of Patricia Olijnyk, MD, to its staff of caring providers.

Dr. Olijnyk is a veteran physician who has traveled the world but her roots are in East Troy, Wis. She practiced emergency and wilderness medicine in one of the most remote places on Earth—McMurdo and South Pole stations. She also practiced in New Zealand and spent time in the Peace Corps in Morocco prior to becoming a doctor.

She has been caring for Coulee Region patients for about five years. "My husband (Thomas Olijnyk) and I wanted to settle in a more rural area, with water, for this chapter of our lives," she says. "I did my third year of medical school at Gundersen and enjoyed it immensely. I have had been impressed with the care that Gundersen gives patients. The opportunity at Prairie du Chien is a great fit."

Part of that fit is the lifestyle: She and Thomas, a land resources manager, met at McMurdo Station— a place where Dr. Olijnyk says life is connected: fragile yet simple by necessity.

"Life can be complex, but a rural area makes it easier to slow down, make it simple," says Dr. Olijnyk. "We want simple and being more connected. We want the vistas; we can look out our front window and see eagles, hawks, trees and bluffs. We find the Driftless Region beautiful."

When not caring for patients, Dr. Olijnyk enjoys painting, gardening, Tai Chi and hiking.

Dr. Olijnyk joins Walter Boisvert, MD; Chelsea DeMuth, PA-C, Rochelle Neisius, NP; Tammy Plondke, NP; Molly Sandgren, NP; and Thomas Whetston, PA-C.

To schedule with Dr. Olijnyk or another Prairie du Chien provider, call (608) 326-6466.