Veteran PA Kristen Olenic Joins the AFM Team

May 11, 2016 | Staff Stories | 0 comments

Kristen Olenic may be new to Associates in Family Medicine, but she’s no stranger to the Northern Colorado health care community. A Certified Physician Assistant, Olenic comes to Associates in Family Medicine after 23 years of caring for patients from every walk of life—first in an emergency room setting, then in an urgent care capacity, and finally at a family medicine practice at a well-known medical group in Loveland.

“Kristen’s reputation in the community is exceptional,” commented Dr. James Sprowell, CEO of Associates in Family Medicine. “We’re excited to have her join our team.”

Although she found caring for people came naturally as a youth, Olenic says she has her mother to thank for guiding her to medicine as a career. “Early on, I had considered becoming a doctor, but my mother—an emergency room nurse—introduced me to a physician’s assistant she knew. It seemed like a really great fit for me. Turns out I was right!”

Originally from the Pittsburgh area, Olenic also lived in West Virginia for a while before determining she was ready for a change of scenery—the kind you find in a thriving and outdoor activity-loving community like Northern Colorado. “My parents and family are still in Pennsylvania, but I always found myself looking west,” she comments. “It’s like that famous quote: ’The mountains are calling, and I must go.’

“I’m a big proponent of active lifestyles. Here in Loveland and Fort Collins, it’s easy to find like-minded, active people to hang out with. And I really enjoy spending time outside with Zeke, my yellow lab mix that I adopted when he was five years old”

“I’m a big proponent of active lifestyles. Here in Loveland and Fort Collins, it’s easy to find like-minded, active people to hang out with,” she remarks. “And I really enjoy spending time outside with Zeke, my yellow lab mix that I adopted when he was five years old. My vet thinks he has some Basset hound in his lineage—not only because of his extremely expressive face, but because he often takes off in hot pursuit when he catches a whiff of some forest critter. Labs tend to stick close to their owners, but Zeke definitely keeps me on the run!”

Fortunately for Olenic, running—along with biking and swimming—is something at which she is quite adept, having once completed an impressive 13 triathlons over a four-year span. “The funny thing is, I was never really a runner at all until I did my first race,” she reflects. “I’m a big fan of activities that require great stamina. Frankly, I’ve never been in better shape than when I was doing triathlons.”

Olenic finds Northern Colorado quite accommodating in her pursuit of diverse interests and activities, citing traveling, dog-walking, hiking, camping, moose-watching near Cameron Pass, cycling, taking in the local live music scene, and tending to her backyard chicken among her favorite things to do outside of work.

“Oh, and reading,” she adds. “I love books, and I love to read. In fact, my chicken is actually named Hilda after the famous short story and poetry author, Hilda Doolittle.”

It’s quite an honor to have a chicken named after you. We doubt John Steinbeck ever had poultry named after him!

Kristen Olenic is accepting new patients at our Harmony office in Fort Collins

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