When it comes to one’s health, Dr. Rochelle Palmiscno believes that what you get out of life depends largely on what you put into it. That attitude explains a lot about her passionate approach to family medicine. Knowledge, skill, cooperation, relationships—all the ingredients are there. It also reveals a bit about her keen interest in cooking. To hear her tell it, she loves to cook almost as much as she loves to care for her patients. Almost.

“My mom and I cooked together a lot when I was little,” recalls Palmiscno. “I was like her little sous chef. We would measure things and figure out recipes. She would actually use cooking activities to help me out with my math…pretty smart of her, don’t you think?”

However, when it came to agreeing on what to have for dinner, peace and harmony weren’t always on the menu. “I was a super-picky eater,” Palmiscno recalls. “We used to struggle about what to make. Finally, my mom said, ‘Fine, make your own supper!’ So I did!”

Lots of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and macaroni and cheese dinners ensued in those early days of solo cooking, but it was enough to inspire her to a lifelong interest in the culinary arts. These days, she shares that love of cooking with her husband, Kyle, and their precocious 2½-year-old son, Micah, often making meals together as a family.

One of their favorite activities is making homemade pasta, a skill Palmiscno learned from a chef during a cooking class she took in college. “We frequently host pasta dinners with friends,” says Palmiscno. “Kyle and Micah usually make the pasta; I prefer creating the sauces. I make a mean red sauce and white cream sauce, too. They’re actually quite good if you mix them!”

“Of course, finding ways to incorporate a toddler into cooking can be an interesting exercise,” she explains. “We find ways for Micah to participate, though. He likes to hold the measuring cups and pour the four and water. My husband built a little stool so he can stand next to us at the counter and help.”

While it may be messy sometimes, Palmiscno appreciates the impact quality time spent with family can have on the trajectory of a person’s life. Like many health care professionals, she credits her parents for instilling in her a passion for caring for people. Her father, also a family physician, modeled what it means to connect with a community and serve the health care needs of its citizens.

Originally from Grand Forks, Dr. Palmiscno completed medical school at the University of North Dakota before moving to Northern Colorado to complete her residency. A member of the Associates in Family Medicine team since September of 2015, Palmiscno honors her father’s example by carrying on the family doctor tradition from the Foxtrail office in Loveland. She provides a full range of services to patients including obstetrics, women’s health, pediatrics, and dermatology. She also counsels patients on creating and maintaining healthy lifestyles.

Of all the areas in which she practices, Palmiscno says obstetrics is her favorite because of the relationships she forms with families—especially first-time parents. “I get to see them when they are expecting, and then when they become parents, I get to extend that care relationship to their children, as well,” explains Palmiscno. “Now that I’m a parent myself, I feel I have even more relevant, firsthand experiences to offer patients. They become almost like family, and family is very important to me.”