Board of trustees
Annette Bohnsack, BSN
District School Nurse
Dassel-Cokato School District
Annette joined the Board of Trustees in September 2016. She is a District School Nurse at Dassel-Cokato School District since July 2011. She oversees district health services, assesses student health needs and maintains student health and immunization records. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing she received from The College of Scholastica in Duluth and a Bachelor of Science in Biology received from Concordia College, Moorhead. She is also a Certified Public Health Nurse. She is a BLS, Heartsaver CPR and First Aid instructor. She is Chairperson of the Miss Cokato Scholarship Program. She is also a church council member and Sunday school teacher.
Gretchen Frederick
Retired
Gretchen joined the Board of Trustees in January 2022. Gretchen has worked in various capacities in healthcare since 1979. She served as a Nurse Surveyor for MN Department of Health from 2020-2021 prior to retiring. Prior to MN Department of Health, she served as the Chief Nursing Officer at Buffalo Hospital, part of Allina Health from 2005-2020. She received certification as a Parish Nurse in 2003 from the College of St. Benedict’s in St. Joseph, MN. She earned her Master of Arts – Health and Human Service Administration in 1988 from St. Mary’s College, Winona, MN and Bachelor of Arts – Nursing in 1979 from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. Gretchen resides in Monticello with her husband and has two sons.
Karla Heeter
Retired
Karla joined the Board of Trustees in September 2019. She served as the Buffalo Hospital Fund Director for 10 years and accepted a new position with Chloe’s Courage Fund in June 2019. Not only does Karla share the same passion for horses that Chloe did, she too has endured and survived a cancer diagnosis. With a long history in philanthropy, Karla has a track record of raising significant money for a number of nonprofit and community organizations. Karla is now enjoying retirement with her husband Ron.
Mark Kraemer, MD, FACC
Cardiologist
Metropolitan Heart & Vascular Institute
Dr. Kraemer joined the Board of Trustees for a second time in 2017. He is originally from Yorba Linda, California. He graduated from the University of California-Irvine, College of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Kraemer has been in private practice at Metropolitan Heart & Vascular Institute (FKA Metropolitan Cardiology Consultants) since 1995 and is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Diseases. Dr. Kraemer sees new patients as well as those with chronic cardiovascular conditions. He has a particular interest in heart failure, research, and diagnostic imaging. His professional memberships include the Hennepin County Medical Society, the Ramsey County Medical Society and the American College of Cardiology.
Mark Fluharty
Contractor, Controls Specialist & Project Manager Consultant
NRG Energy Center, Minneapolis, MN and San Juan Station, Farmington, MN
Board Patient Representative
Mark joins the Board of Trustees in September 2016 as the new patient representative. He is currently a Contractor, Controls Specialist and Project Manager. He received his certification from St. Could Technical College and completed the Xcel Energy Leadership Pipeline training. Mark is a past member of the St. Cloud Technical & Community College Energy & Electronics Advisory Board. He is a member of NICET (National Industrial Certified Engineering Technicians). His hobbies include travel, motorcycles, reading and history.
Catherine Main, RN, PHN
Public Health Nurse,
Wright County Human Services
Catherine joined the Board of Trustees in February 2015. She is a Public Health Nurse at Wright County Human Services specializing in Disease Prevention & Control. She attended Bemidji State University in Bemidji, MN earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Public Health Certification. She attended Hibbing Community College in Hibbing, MN from 1995 to 1997 earning an Associate’s degree in Nursing.
Chris McClory
President, Insurance Broker
Milestone Medicare
Chris joined the Board of Trustees in January 2022. Chris is the co-founder and President of Milestone Medicare, LLC. He has over 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry. As an independent insurance agent specializing in Medicare insurance, Chris provides his clients with unbiased expert advice on enrolling in Medicare benefits as well as selecting Medicare insurance coverage based on individual client needs. His passion for working with and helping others is what drives him, which is also reflected in his ten years as a volunteer fire fighter and EMT on the Maple Lake Fire Department. Chris and his wife Natalie live in Maple Lake, and they have three children and two grandchildren.
Michael McNelis, MD
OB/Gyn Physician
Allina Health Clinic-St. Michael
Dr. McNelis is a board-certified physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. He has professional interests in pelvic organ prolapse, abnormal menses, infertility, intrauterine insemination, artificial insemination, general and high risk obstetrics, urinary incontinence and vaginal birth and cesarean (VBAC). Dr. McNelis grew up in Excelsior, MN. He loves helping women deliver healthy babies and live healthier lives. He also loves doing surgeries that improve women’s lives. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games with his kids, golfing, swimming, running, rollerblading and biking.
Chad Vitzthum
First National Bank of Elk River, NA
Senior Vice President/Lead Market President
Board of Trustees Chair
Chad joined the Board of Trustees in September 2016. He has been the Senior Vice President/Lead Market President at First National Bank of Elk River, NA since May 2010. He received his Bachelors of Business Administration Degree from Iowa State University where he majored in Finance. He is a member of the Finance Committee for the City of Elk River and the I94 West Chamber of Commerce.
Ex-Officio Members
Dr. Laura Contreras
Emergency Physician and Vice Chief of Staff, Buffalo Hospital
Dr. Laura Contreras joined the board as Vice Chief of Staff in July 2022. She attended the University of Minnesota Medical School and completed her emergency medicine residency at Wayne State University/Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. She is board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Contreras joined EPPA in 2001. Her clinical practice has been primarily at Mercy Hospital, but she has worked at Buffalo, Unity and the Eagan and Woodbury UR’s. In additional to her clinical practice, she has served in numerous administrative roles, including Chair/Vice-Chair of Mercy Emergency Department (2013-2020), ED Mercy Trauma Director (2012-2020) Assistant Medical Director at Mercy Hospital (2012-2020), Mercy Quality Performance (2004-2012) and as an EPPA Board member. Dr. Contreras has been an active member in Allina administrative serving on Mercy Medical Executive Committee (2017-2020) and Mercy Credentials Committee (2013-2017). She served on the ED Split Flow Committee and COVID Incident Command at Mercy. She served as a member of the Allina EMS Advisory Council member (2004-2013). Dr. Contreras has been involved in trauma education for both nurses and EMS providers. In 2020, Dr. Contreras as named as the Medical Director and Chief of Emergency Medicine at Buffalo Hospital.
Angela Oster, MD
Ophthalmologist, West Metro Ophthalmology, PA
Chief of Staff, Buffalo Hospital
Dr. Angela Oster joined the Buffalo Hospital Board of Trustees in January 2019 as Vice Chief of Staff and moved to the Chief of Staff role in January 2021. She grew up in Apple Valley, Minnesota. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Miami, after receiving an academic scholarship. She stayed in Miami and earned her M.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine. She proudly joined the Navy and worked for three years as Senior Medical Officer at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California. Dr. Oster then went back to Miami and completed her Ophthalmology residency at the renowned Bascom-Palmer Eye Institute. Dr. Oster decided to move back to San Diego where she worked at the private Scripps Clinic and served as the ophthalmologist for the San Diego Padres baseball team. In 2004, the draw of family and quality of life brought her back to Minnesota, joining West Metro Ophthalmology. She found a practice that matched her goals of providing excellent eye care in a comfortable, patient-oriented setting. She is board certified in Ophthalmology and her interests include comprehensive ophthalmology, advanced cataract surgical techniques and glaucoma treatment.