Osceola Area Chamber & MainStreet Program
  • Home
  • Business Directory
    • Business by Category
  • Membership
    • Top 10 Reasons to Join
    • Why Belong
    • About Us >
      • Purpose
      • Board of Directors
      • Community Champions
      • Community Champion Investment
      • Advisory Council
      • Ambassador Program >
        • Customer Service Award Nomination
      • Grow Osceola
    • Join
    • Market Your Business
    • Membership FAQs
  • Volunteer
  • News/Events
    • Music on Main St.
    • Osceola Harvest Bazaar
    • Love Your Local
    • Doe on the Go
    • Picnics to Go
    • Osceola Town Calendar
    • Osceola Spring Fling
    • Celebrate Osceola
    • Light Up Osceola
    • Chamber Activities Calendar
    • Ribbon Cuttings
    • Osceola Doc Walks
    • Bird City Celebration
    • E-Newsletter Signup & Archives
  • Visit Osceola
    • Local Attractions
    • Area Attractions
    • Shopping >
      • Shop Small
      • The Looking Glass
      • Wildwood Flowers
      • Studio A Salon and Spa
      • Uptown Gift Boutique
      • Croixland Leather Works
      • Karita's Shoppe
      • Neumann Farms
      • Red Bird Music Store
      • Valley Spirits
      • Osceola Country Store
      • Dick's Fresh Market
      • Bill's Ace Hardware
      • Watershed Cafe
      • Adoray’s Treasures from the Heart
      • Coming Home
      • Style Escape
    • Dining >
      • Lucky Panda
      • Caribou
      • PY's Saloon & Grill
      • Dick's Fresh Market 2
    • Lodging
    • Things to Do >
      • Fall Itineraries
      • Winter Itineraries
      • Family Guide
      • Outdoor Adventures
      • Trails >
        • Hiking
        • Biking
        • Birding
        • Rivertown Trails Coalition
        • Walkable Community
      • Farm to Table
      • Romantic Get-Aways
      • Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tour
    • Historic Downtown
    • Culture and Heritage
    • Map of the area
    • Remarkable Osceoleans
  • Main Street Community
    • Luminate Downtown Donation
  • Business in Osceola
    • Osceola Overview
    • Relocate Your Business
    • Area Schools
  • New Business/Entrepreneur Toolkit
    • Business ToolKit Table of Contents
    • Utilities Quick Ref Guide
    • ToolKit 1. Self-Assessment
    • ToolKit 2. Do The Market Research
    • ToolKit 3. Consult Experts
    • ToolKit 4. Plan
    • ToolKit 5. Do The Paperwork
    • ToolKit 6. Launch
    • ToolKit 7. Continue Learning
    • ToolKit 8. Enjoy The Challenge
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
    • Volunteer Sign-up
  • Annual Report 2019
  • Postcard
  • Osceola Strong
    • Osceola to GO-Restaurants
    • Osceola to Go-Other Businesses
    • Osceola Strong Donation
    • Tips for Retailers
  • Market & Economic Info
  • 2021 Legilstive Day
  • Memorials

Cornerstone Award- Dr. Arnold Potek, MD

3/23/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
“Nominees in this category will be individuals who have consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership in the community and/or leadership in advance of community projects throughout the years.”

Arnold Potek, M.D.

Forestry’s loss; our gain

This year we would like to present the Cornerstone Award to a very deserving man, Dr. Arnold Potek.  There is probably not a person in this room that has not benefited from Dr. Potek’s medical care.  He is truly a family physician at heart and one of a dying breed of general practitioners who live and work for rural communities such as Osceola.

Dr. Potek was born in International Falls, MN and his family moved to Minneapolis when he was in first grade.  His father was a physician and with only a short time thinking about being a forest ranger, Arnie knew he was going to be a physician.  He attended the University of Minnesota and graduated from the medical school there in 1970.  He then did an internship year in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He was drafted in the US Navy and was sent to San Diego.  After his enlistment ended, he moved his family to Lamberton, MN to practice at a University of Minnesota Rural Clinic.  Lamberton was not a good fit for him so after seeing a Minnesota Monthly ad that Osceola, WI was hiring a physician, he and his wife Nancy came for an interview with Dr. L.O. Simenstad.  Dr. Potek said it was a sunny October day and they drove down the hill on 243 and saw the river valley.  He knew he was home.

He joined Dr. L.O. and Dr. John Simenstad in 1975 at the clinic and hospital.  He was young and inexperienced.  He clearly remembers his first night taking emergency call by himself.  It was an extremely busy night and he learned a lot that night.  His education would continue over the years with two high quality physicians acting as his mentors.

Dr. Potek and Dr. John worked many years as the only physicians here.  They worked long hours in surgery, the clinic, the hospital and ER.  They saw just about everything and they tried their best to treat as many people as they could here in Osceola.   In 1984, Dr. Potek and his family moved to Israel, returning to his Osceola practice in 1985.  The St. Croix Regional Medical Center and Osceola clinic merged in 1985.  The merger did not last. However, the Osceola clinic began to grow and was able to attract more physicians.  In 2009, the new Osceola Medical Center was opened south of town.  Dr. Potek left OMC in November 2014.  He currently works for HealthEast in White Bear Lake.

The Poteks have three children and four grandchildren.  Dr. Potek’s hobbies over the years have included playing recorder, beekeeping, maple syruping, avid reading and bicycling. 

Dr. Potek’s volunteer work included acting as Polk County Coroner for several years and helped found the Mental Health Task Force of Polk County which has grown tremendously over the years and serves many people with mental illness.  Dr. Potek takes great pride in serving as medical advisor for 10 years for “Caring Group.”  This group was a mix of professionals from around the county and met monthly to review family case histories and brainstorm and develop a plan to help them.  He saw first-hand how the group made a difference in children’s lives.

Dr. Potek reminiscences about “the good old days” and how his general medical practice was the way medicine should be:  taking care of people and the community.   He estimates he delivered about 500 babies. Dr. Potek still lives by some long ago advice from his friend and colleague, Dr. John:  “Be nice to people and answer the phone.”

When asked what he sees as the biggest change in medicine since he has been practicing, he responds, “The way people are cared for.  Health insurance and policies have greatly changed how medicine is practiced in our country.”

Dr. Potek said his reward for his years of general practice has been that he has had the privilege of taking care of people.

We’d say OUR reward is that we had a fine physician such as Dr. Potek taking care of us.  Thank you, Dr. Arnie.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Team of authors contribute. Germaine Ross, Chamber Director, Nancy Beck,  Board Member.

    Archives

    July 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    April 2017
    December 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All
    Awards 2014
    Awards 2016
    Awards 2017
    Business
    Employment
    Marketing
    Shop Local

    RSS Feed

Contact Us:
Osceola Area Chamber and Main Street
PO Box 251
Osceola, WI 54020

715-755-3300

Info@myosceolachamber.org
Thank you to our 2021
​Community Champion Partners​

Copyright © 2017 Site Designed and Built by SCVL​
  • Home
  • Business Directory
    • Business by Category
  • Membership
    • Top 10 Reasons to Join
    • Why Belong
    • About Us >
      • Purpose
      • Board of Directors
      • Community Champions
      • Community Champion Investment
      • Advisory Council
      • Ambassador Program >
        • Customer Service Award Nomination
      • Grow Osceola
    • Join
    • Market Your Business
    • Membership FAQs
  • Volunteer
  • News/Events
    • Music on Main St.
    • Osceola Harvest Bazaar
    • Love Your Local
    • Doe on the Go
    • Picnics to Go
    • Osceola Town Calendar
    • Osceola Spring Fling
    • Celebrate Osceola
    • Light Up Osceola
    • Chamber Activities Calendar
    • Ribbon Cuttings
    • Osceola Doc Walks
    • Bird City Celebration
    • E-Newsletter Signup & Archives
  • Visit Osceola
    • Local Attractions
    • Area Attractions
    • Shopping >
      • Shop Small
      • The Looking Glass
      • Wildwood Flowers
      • Studio A Salon and Spa
      • Uptown Gift Boutique
      • Croixland Leather Works
      • Karita's Shoppe
      • Neumann Farms
      • Red Bird Music Store
      • Valley Spirits
      • Osceola Country Store
      • Dick's Fresh Market
      • Bill's Ace Hardware
      • Watershed Cafe
      • Adoray’s Treasures from the Heart
      • Coming Home
      • Style Escape
    • Dining >
      • Lucky Panda
      • Caribou
      • PY's Saloon & Grill
      • Dick's Fresh Market 2
    • Lodging
    • Things to Do >
      • Fall Itineraries
      • Winter Itineraries
      • Family Guide
      • Outdoor Adventures
      • Trails >
        • Hiking
        • Biking
        • Birding
        • Rivertown Trails Coalition
        • Walkable Community
      • Farm to Table
      • Romantic Get-Aways
      • Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tour
    • Historic Downtown
    • Culture and Heritage
    • Map of the area
    • Remarkable Osceoleans
  • Main Street Community
    • Luminate Downtown Donation
  • Business in Osceola
    • Osceola Overview
    • Relocate Your Business
    • Area Schools
  • New Business/Entrepreneur Toolkit
    • Business ToolKit Table of Contents
    • Utilities Quick Ref Guide
    • ToolKit 1. Self-Assessment
    • ToolKit 2. Do The Market Research
    • ToolKit 3. Consult Experts
    • ToolKit 4. Plan
    • ToolKit 5. Do The Paperwork
    • ToolKit 6. Launch
    • ToolKit 7. Continue Learning
    • ToolKit 8. Enjoy The Challenge
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
    • Volunteer Sign-up
  • Annual Report 2019
  • Postcard
  • Osceola Strong
    • Osceola to GO-Restaurants
    • Osceola to Go-Other Businesses
    • Osceola Strong Donation
    • Tips for Retailers
  • Market & Economic Info
  • 2021 Legilstive Day
  • Memorials