Christa Kiessel
Christa Kiessel loves to shake things up and thinks we have everything to gain by waking up and becoming aware of the rules that govern our approach to life and health. She married her high school sweetheart, Jon, and is grateful to be raising their four children, Lizzie, Annie, Ben and Lia in the farmhouse built by her great-grandparents in Leelanau County.
As an oncology nurse practitioner, she has been inspired and changed by the relationships she has had over the years with people facing a diagnosis of cancer. However, it was 2006 when her life outlook took a drastic turn as her young daughter was diagnosed with a life-threatening tumor. Grateful for her daughter’s recovery, that same year, she started the cancer genetics clinic at Munson Medical Center, and then years later enjoyed her role as the director of oncology during the development of the Cowell Family Cancer Center. Remaining true to the lessons learned from her own awakenings, she changed course in 2017.
She is currently working as a nurse practitioner focusing on preventive health and wellness at Brookside Family Medicine in Traverse City, while co-founding Table Health. Christa is having fun testing this important question within her community and the health care arena: “What if a bunch of rules no longer apply?”