Dr. Knaak is Board Certified in Family Medicine. He earned his undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College with dual majors in Chemistry and Psychology. He graduated from the University Of MN Duluth/Minneapolis School Of Medicine in 1990. He served as the chief resident during his Family Medicine Residency in Marquette, Michigan. He has worked in primary care in International Falls, Nett Lake and briefly in South Australia serving the indigenous Aboriginals. He has also done Occupational Medicine at Boise Inc. For the past 8 years, he has primarily focused on Emergency Medicine, serving as the ER Medical Director at Rainy Lake Medical Center. His skill set is strongest in the areas of acute care, end of life care, cultural care, Internal medicine, and occupational medicine. His hobbies include shack time, cooking, reading, working out, traveling and parenting time.

Nancy Burmeister is an ANCC Board Certified nurse practitioner in family practice. She provides a holistic approach for health promotion and disease prevention, and the assessment and management of common acute and chronic illnesses and injuries occurring throughout the lifespan. Nancy earned her Associate Degree in Nursing in 2003, Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2006 and a Master of Arts in Nursing at The College of Saint Scholastica in 2009. She worked for Falls Memorial Hospital from 2000-2009 as a nurse. She was a primary care provider in both Littlefork and Nett Lake. Nancy has experience in Urgent Care in International Falls, Roseau, and Virginia, as well as ER/Hospitalist in Baudette.

Brad Reiners is a physician assistant in our Rainy Lake Clinic. His main focus is family practice and he enjoys taking care of patients of all ages and conditions. Brad graduated from Augsburg College in 1999 after doing his clinical rotations in International Falls. After two years with the Mayo System, where he worked in a small clinic and busy ER, Brad felt the call of Rainy Lake and moved back in 2007. In 2009, Brad obtained his Master’s Degree from the University of Nebraska. Brad lives locally with his wife Wendy and two sons. They are busy with hockey, school activities and enjoying the outdoors – both summer and winter!

Amber Biondich is a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC), ANCC Board Certified in 2011. Her Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license was added in 2015. She completed her Master’s Degree from The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN, in 2011, and her Bachelor of Science, Nursing (RN) degree in 2005. She worked as a Registered Nurse at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Cardiovascular Telemetry and on the Birthing Center, and at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis on a Medical Surgical floor for more than six years before completing the Nurse Practitioner Program. Amber worked as an FNP in Urgent Care at Fairview Range Hospital in Hibbing for about three years before joining RLMC full-time. Amber graduated from Falls High School.

Prior to working at Hibbing, Amber worked at the Littlefork Clinic for about three years and she is thankful for the opportunity to return to the RLMC Clinic, Littlefork site, as needed for coverage. She will be working in the RLMC Clinics and Urgent Care, and assisting in the Emergency Department when needed. She is looking forward to living and working in the same community. Amber enjoys traveling and fishing with her husband, and spending time with family and friends.

(practices in our Littlefork Clinic)

Nicole Busch is a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) at Rainy Lake Clinic—Littlefork, where she treats patients of all ages. Most of her 19-year career has been with the Littlefork Medical Center, mainly
in geriatrics, and as Assistant Director of Nursing from 1999-2011. Busch received her FNP from the University of North Dakota in 2013. She has five children and enjoys fishing, hunting, and the outdoors.