Cook Medical Clinic

Cook Medical Clinic

Hours: Monday – Friday 8-5, Saturday 8-12
20 Fifth St. SE, Cook, MN 55723
Phone (218) 666-5941 Fax (218) 666-5099

How do I reach my medical provider after hours?

Scenic Rivers Health Services has a physician on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have a question regarding medical care that needs to be addressed before or after office hours please contact the number above. If you do need to reach us after hours for an urgent matter, our physician on-call is available by phone. Our number listed above will allow you an option to be transferred to the Cook Hospital nurses’ station who have contact with our physicians. The nurse will help you assess your concern and communicate further with the physician as needed. If indeed you need emergency room services, these are available 24/7. For your convenience we are open Saturday morning from 8 AM to 12 PM for acute medical needs.

Cook Hospital Website: www.CookHospital.org

CLICK BELOW FOR OUR RELEASE OF INFORMATION FORM:

Release of Information – Cook Medical
Release of Information – Cook Behavioral Health

MEDICAL PROVIDERS

Amy Banks, MD

Amy Banks, MD, grew up in Mt. Iron, Minnesota. She received her degree in engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1996 and her medical degree in 2003. Dr. Banks completed her residency in Family Medicine at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, MN. For the next 12 years she worked as a physician in Salt Lake City before moving back to the Iron Range in 2019. Dr. Banks loves being a mom and spends most of her free time trying to reign in her wild young kids, enjoying great Minnesota outdoors together. Dr. Banks practices full-scope family medicine including geriatrics, women’s health, pediatrics, and acute and chronic care. She especially enjoys the “teaching” part of practicing medicine: helping patients feel informed and empowered about their health.

Amy practices at the Cook Medical and Tower Medical clinics.

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Celin Williams, LICSW

Celin Williams, LICSW, grew up in Ely, Minnesota. She obtained her undergraduate degree in social work from Bemidji State University in 2009 and her graduate degree in social work from the University of North Dakota in 2010. Celin began her career working as a nursing home social worker in Minneapolis before moving home to work as a therapist for Range Mental Health in Ely and Virginia. She started with Scenic Rivers in 2018, practicing in the Cook and Bigfork clinics. With her history in gerontology, she especially enjoys working with our elders. Celin spends her time cross country skiing, snowboarding, quilting, swimming, watching Netflix, eating sushi, and spending time with family. Celin is available to address all mental health concerns with children ages six and older, and adults of all ages.

Celin practices at the Cook Medical, Tower Medical and Eveleth Medical clinics.

Charles Tietz, MD

Charles Tietz, MD, joined Scenic Rivers after years of practice in Virginia, MN. He received his undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College and attended medical school at the University of Chicago. After an internship at the Hennepin County Medical Center, he went on to train at the University of Minnesota’s Residency in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health. Dr. Tietz brings with him a wealth of knowledge in women’s health, and he practices in gynecology and minimally invasive surgeries. When he is not at work, he and his wife Vicki enjoy biking and gardening at their home.

Dr. Tietz practices at the Cook Medical, Tower Medical and Eveleth Medical clinics. Dr. Tietz also practices minimally invasive surgeries in Cook and Tower.

Cynthia Sandberg, APRN, FNP

Cindy Sandberg, APRN, FNP, and her husband moved to the Vermilion area after spending many years vacationing here. Cindy comes with a wide variety of experiences as a Family and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, having worked as the medical provider on a large inpatient mental health unit and chemical dependency treatment program, as well as a chronic pain clinic. Cindy graduated from the College of St. Benedict with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1978, earned her Master’s Degree in Nursing (Pediatric Nurse Practitioner) at the University of St. Catherine in 1998, then post-Masters Family Nurse Practitioner at Mankato State University in 2001, once Cindy’s six children were all in school. Cindy is excited about living and working in this pristine natural area, and loves enjoying real winters, and beautiful summers. In her spare time, she enjoys walking miles, gardening, fishing, spinning on her spinning wheel, knitting and spending time with their grandchildren.

Cindy practices at the Cook Medical clinic.

Emily Wild, CNP

Emily Wild, CNP, grew up in Duluth, Minnesota and attended Bethel University in 2010 where she received her Bachelor’s degree. She started her career as a registered nurse in 2014 at United Hospital in St. Paul, MN. Emily returned to school in 2018 at Metropolitan State University to pursue becoming a Nurse Practitioner, where she graduated in May 2022 with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. Emily is passionate about providing holistic care for patients and assisting them on their own path to health and well-being.

Emily practices at Cook Medical and Tower Medical clinics.

Eric Elleby, MD

Eric Elleby, MD, grew up on a small dairy farm in southern Minnesota. He is a 2014 graduate of the University of Illinois School of Medicine and completed his residency in Family Medicine at La Crosse-Mayo Family Medicine Residency. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Family Practice. Dr. Elleby is an avid Minnesota sports fan, fisherman, and enjoys telling jokes. He is very close with his parents Chris and Mary, younger brother Jordan, and his grandma, Nancy. He provides medical care to patients of all ages.

Dr. Elleby practices at the Cook Medical clinic. He also provides emergency department, inpatient, and long-term care services through the Cook Hospital and Care Center.

Erin Thielbar, FNP-C

Erin Theilbar, FNP-C, was born and raised on the Iron Range and loves the area. Starting as a Registered Nurse in 2005, Erin worked as a floor nurse, and in surgery and clinical informatics. She then received her Master’s degree in Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of North Dakota and is AANP board-certified. Erin is passionate about providing care to the community where she lives. Her goal is to provide safe, quality healthcare and preventative education. In her free time, Erin enjoys spending quality time with her two children and spouse at Lake Vermilion for fishing, campfires, and cabin time.

Erin practices at Cook Medical and Tower Medical clinics.

Kiara Westendorf, LICSW

Kiara Westendorf, LICSW, grew up in Duluth, Minnesota and moved to the Iron Range in 2022. She attended the College of St. Benedict for her undergraduate degree in psychology. During that time, Kiara worked with elementary aged children in a mental health program in Sauk Rapids. She then moved back to Duluth to attend and graduate from the College of St. Scholastica with her Master of Social Work degree. During her graduate program, Kiara worked in a community mental health setting with at-risk youth and teens. She also has experience working in an adult inpatient mental health unit, an adult partial hospitalization program, and outpatient therapy. She has experience working with elementary children, teens, and adults with a variety of mental health needs. Kiara is also trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), which is used to treat trauma, in addition to many other mental health concerns. In her spare time, Kiara enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time at her cabin.

Kiara practices at Cook Medical, Tower Medical, and Eveleth Medical clinics.

Matthew Holmes, MD

Matthew Holmes, MD, grew up in Angora, Minnesota and graduated from Virginia High School in 2004. He moved to Duluth for his undergraduate degree at the College of St Scholastica, as well as medical school at the University of Minnesota Duluth where he graduated in 2011. Dr. Holmes completed his residency in Duluth at the Duluth Family Medicine Center. He tried to stay as close to his roots as possible throughout his education journey and residency due to his love for the area. Dr. Holmes thoroughly enjoys northern Minnesota and spends most of his free time outdoors hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.

Dr. Holmes practices at the Cook Medical clinic. He also provides emergency department, inpatient, and long-term care services through the Cook Hospital and Care Center.

Nicholas Vidor, MD

Nicholas Vidor, MD, grew up in International Falls, Minnesota and graduated from Falls High School. He attended Rainy River Community College graduating with an Associate of Arts Degree and later attended the University of Minnesota Duluth. After earning undergraduate degrees at UMD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, Dr. Vidor attended UMD for a Masters in Chemistry. He readily finished his graduate degree and attended UMD Medical School. Dr. Vidor completed his medical training in Duluth at the Duluth Family Medicine Clinic. He started working in medicine as an EMT on the Falls Ambulance Service when attending RRCC. He enjoys living in Northern Minnesota fishing, hunting, and enjoying the outdoors with his wife and kids. Dr. Vidor is excited to bring quality healthcare to rural Northern Minnesota with interests in Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Vidor practices at the Cook Medical clinic. He also provides emergency department, inpatient, and long-term care services through the Cook Hospital and Care Center.