Doorn is familiar face at MMH

    If the newest family nurse practitioner at Family Practice of Holyoke looks familiar, that’s because he’s not new after all. Last year, while pursuing his doctorate in nursing practice, Derek Doorn, FNP, did clinical rotations at Melissa Memorial Hospital.
    Now, thanks in part to the good experience he had in the clinic and the community last year, Doorn has returned as a full-time employee. He began work May 7 and will be seeing patients of all ages in the clinic.
    Doorn had been living and working in Denver since 2001. Last December he earned his doctorate from University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Now he, his wife, Melissa, and their 10-year-old daughter, Roslynne, are moving to Holyoke, where Doorn is looking forward to being a part of the community. He also noted that his in-laws intend to move to the area as well.
    For the first half of his life, Doorn explained, he lived in rural South Dakota. He grew up around farming and lived in a town even smaller than Holyoke. He received his Bachelor of Science in nursing from South Dakota State University.
    Having been away from the rural setting for many years, he said it feels good to get back to that.
    When he’s not working, Doorn enjoys reading, taking walks and playing guitar.