He’s always loved science, people and sports. That’s why he sought a career that combined all three.
Alex Riegelman is a certified family nurse practitioner with Orthopedics & Sports Medicine BayCare Clinic in Manitowoc. His medical career allows him to practice in a scientific field, work daily with a constant mix of people, and work in an environment often connected to sports.
Nurse practitioners, or NPs, assess patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, make diagnoses, and initiate and manage treatment plans – including prescribing medications.
“From early on, I always had an interest in science and people. Like most people in orthopedics, the thing that geared me towards orthopedics was a history of playing numerous sports,” Riegelman says. “Growing up, there weren’t many sports that I didn’t play or at least try.”
First steps toward orthopedics and sports medicine
Riegelman, a Racine native, earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a minor in business. “Kinesiology is the scientific study of human body movement … it was a health and fitness management-guided degree,” he says.
He worked for a while as a personal trainer and a wellness specialist for a YMCA in Wauwatosa.
“A lot of nurses would come in and exercise at the YMCA I worked at, and I was able to pick their brains,” he says. “I quickly connected the dots and realized that I could combine my love for science and people in a unique way, so I went back to college immediately after I received my bachelor’s in kinesiology to pursue my bachelor’s in nursing.”
He worked for about five years as a medical surgical float nurse at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay. These medical specialists work on various units as needed throughout the hospital.
“I always had an interest in floating to the orthopedics floor,” he says. Colleagues there urged him to take his career “to the next level.”
Orthopedics and sports medicine nurse
Riegelman continued his education, earning a master’s degree in nursing from Bellin College in Green Bay. He then joined Orthopedics & Sports Medicine BayCare Clinic in Manitowoc.
He splits his time between the clinic and assisting Dr. Craig L. Olson, an orthopedic surgeon, in the operating room. “Dr. Olson’s Batman and I’m Robin,” he says, laughing.
Riegelman has a simple practice philosophy: “I listen to the patient and help guide them towards accomplishing whatever goal they’re trying to achieve.
“I really, thoroughly enjoy people … I like to listen and have them tell me what they want to get out of their experience with me and with BayCare Clinic,” he says.
Riegelman says he’s happy to treat all that need his expertise.
“From treating patients whose livelihoods depend on them being physically active and capable, to treating those who simply want to ensure they remain independent and self-sufficient at home.”
When he’s not busy in the clinic or in the surgical suite, Riegelman stays as busy at home.
“It’s very chaotically busy in a good way,” he says. “I have two children under 2 right now so I spend a lot of my time as a family man. My wife and I enjoy spending time outside with our children … that’s mostly what our life revolves around right now.”
Alex Riegelman, NP, sees patients in Manitowoc.