Olson, Colleen M NP

As a pulmonary and critical care physician, I am passionate about patient care. The healthcare system can be challenging to navigate. Patients often struggle to get answers to their questions. I collaborate with and advocate for my patients, helping them find the information and care they need to meet their goals. I combine my passion for patient care with a deep commitment to improving healthcare systems. In my clinical work and research, I identify new solutions that provide the best care. I am particularly interested in how technology can reduce barriers to care so that patients can get the care they need. My primary research uses data and experiences from past patient care to make future treatments better and more efficient. I lead multiple research and evaluation efforts related to the Veterans Affairs' electronic health record modernization efforts. I am also exploring how artificial intelligence can support and improve patient care. In all my work, I am driven by the desire to provide the highest standard of care. I aim to ensure that patients receive the most informed, up-to-date treatments.

My specialty of orthopaedics and hand surgery allows me to treat a wide diversity of conditions and age ranges (from newborn to geriatric) and to make a positive impact in the lives of the people who come to me for care. I bring a wide breadth of knowledge and experience, sound judgment and common sense to the process of choosing the best care for the patient’s condition. After providing a thorough and honest explanation of their condition, I listen to the patient’s goals and concerns, engage their family members in the discussion, and then present all reasonable treatment options and my recommendations. I have a great depth of experience in treating simple and complex hand problems and have been practicing in a tertiary clinical setting for more than 30 years. I do research in and teach about the conditions that I treat. I have experience teaching many of the surgical techniques that I practice to other hand specialists nationally and internationally. I will never recommend surgery that I don't believe will significantly improve the outcome, but I don't hesitate to recommend a non-surgical treatment if I believe it is as good as surgical options. My passion for working with hand and wrist disorders is renewed each time I can help a patient alleviate their pain, restore their functionality and improve their quality of life. Hearing that I’ve helped changed a patient’s life for the better is extremely rewarding,