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Family nurse practitioner Danyelle Oelke Peters returned to Harney County to care for her community.

Harney District Hospital (HDH) Family Care clinic is excited to welcome Danyelle Oelke Peters, a family nurse practitioner who started seeing patients on Sept. 1.

Peters is no stranger to Harney County, as she grew up near Fields and graduated from Crane Union High School in 2005.

After high school, she attended the University of Portland, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. She continued her education at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash.

“My official degree was Doctorate of Nursing Practice: Family Nurse Practitioner,” she said. “I haven’t been calling myself ‘doctor’ because it’s a little bit confusing in this position, as I’m not an M.D. [doctor of medicine].”

Peters said she’s always been interested in healthcare, and her initial plan was to become an M.D. However, she changed her mind after a minor horse accident landed her in the emergency room (ER). Recalling the experience, Peters said the doctor did an amazing job, but the nurse spent more time with her and made her feel the most comfortable.

“That’s what got me interested in nursing, so I explored that,” Peters said.

In addition to the memorable ER experience, Peters said she was inspired by the nurse practitioners who cared for her when she was growing up in Harney County.

“I had a great rapport with them and knew how great nurse practitioners can be,” Peters said. “When I chose nursing for my undergraduate degree, I always had it in the back of my mind that I would eventually pursue becoming a nurse practitioner. I loved the idea of providing the same type of care that a doctor does.”

As a family nurse practitioner, Peters provides a broad range of services for people of all ages.

“I provide care from a few days old to whatever age you may be lucky enough to get to,” she said with a laugh.

Peters added that she views her relationships with patients as a partnership, and she enjoys working with them to explore healthcare options and solutions. She takes a holistic approach, considering multiple aspects of a patient’s care. For example, she acknowledges that a patient who is being seen for high blood pressure may also have spiritual and mental-health needs.

“Just because you’re here for your high blood pressure, doesn’t mean that I’m not going to dip into those other aspects of you. Unless you don’t want to, and that’s OK too,” Peters said. “I try to keep the whole patient in mind and not hone in on just the disease process that might be going on.”

Peters said she’s excited to be back in Harney County where she can use her skills as a nurse practitioner to give back to the community that helped raise her. She added that the values and hometown feel of Harney County are hard to find anywhere else.

When she’s not busy caring for patients, Peters enjoys reading, riding horses, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Brian, started dating when they were students at Crane Union High School, and they’ve been together ever since. Their children, Maddie (9) and Luke (6) are also Crane Mustangs.

Peters is currently accepting new patients. To learn more about her or any of HDH Family Care’s other providers, call 541-573-2074.