Dr. Kristie Gering grew up in southeast South Dakota, which is where she attended college and medical school. In 1994, on the two week break between 2nd and 3rd year of medical school, she and Mark Gering were married. When Dr. Kristie graduated from medical school in 1996, they decided to check out a different part of the country for residency. Dr. Kristie attended the UW Madison Family Medicine Residency in Eau Claire WI. She and Mark fell in love with the Chippewa Valley and decided to stay. Her first job after graduating from residency in 1999 was with Family Health Associates in Chippewa Falls WI. She worked with that same group until venturing out to build her own clinic in January 2017. She finally took the time to take the test and officially became an Institute of Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner in October of 2020!

Kristie and Mark were fortunate in finding a beautiful piece of property in the apple orchard country between Eau Claire and Chippewa. Shortly after building their home, they were blessed with an amazing daughter named Rachel Grace.  Rachel began college in the fall of 2021,  and she is truly a beautiful young woman, inside and out!

On their small hobby farm they have two labs, Sandy & Cody, and quite a number of free-range, organically fed chickens. In their spare time, they also garden & grow black currants. Dr. Kristie has not had a lot of spare time to play in recent years, but when she does, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, Bible study, hiking their woods, taking pictures, cross country skiing, travel and researching functional medicine. 

Robyn

Endrud

MD

Creating a relationship with my patients while seeing them through life’s challenges on a path to wellness, brings joy and satisfaction to my life. My goal for every patient is for them to feel heard, seen, known and cared for while they are on a journey of transformation towards wellness. It is an honor to walk this journey with them. -Dr Robyn

Dr. Robyn Endrud is a board certified Family Medicine physician, who joined the Spero team as of January 2022. Her medical school and residency training was completed at the University of Minnesota. Along with her husband and three children, they moved to Wisconsin in 2014. She practiced for seven years in Menomonie, WI, at Mayo Clinic Health System doing full spectrum Family Medicine. In the summer of 2021, she felt called to learn about Functional Medicine and began her courses in the Fall of 2021. It quickly became clear that the Functional Medicine lens to medical care allowed her to search for and address the root cause of disease for patients, while treating the whole patient, body-soul-spirit. Although she loved her patients and practice in Menomonie, she knew she was called to leave the world of health-system-based care behind to find more time with patients and truly focus on helping people find wellness and cure disease whenever possible. She has fast tracked her path and became an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner in 2023. She is now working part-time at Spero while homeschooling her three children.

Laura

Smith

DO

Dr. Laura Smith is a board certified pediatrician who joined the Spero team in

September 2024. She received her osteopathic medical school training at Kansas City University and residency training at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, IA. Dr. Smith moved to the Rice Lake area after residency and has been practicing general pediatrics in northwestern Wisconsin ever since. Soon into her career, Dr. Smith noticed children were getting sicker at an alarming rate with emerging chronic diseases and neurodevelopmental issues. This was in contrast to other developing countries where she had volunteered or trained with various healthcare missions. Always curious and with a love for learning, Dr. Smith dove into finding other tools to add to her toolbox to help care for patients in a more holistic way.

As an osteopathic physician, she was trained with the philosophy that the body has an innate ability to heal itself if we support it. Dr. Smith was determined to find answers and help her patients find the individualized support they need to help them thrive. This led Dr. Smith to the Institute for Functional Medicine where she began her studies in 2020 and became a certified practitioner in 2022. As an integrative pediatrician, her goal is to help her patients THRIVE, not just survive. Dr. Smith is on a mission to change the health trajectory of our nation’s children, one family at a time. She would love to partner with you and your child on their health journey to live their best life!

Dr. Smith is a mom and knows the challenges of raising a family of six through the different ages and stages of life. She and her husband have four children spanning the ages of grade school to adult life. She’ll share humor and grace along the way as she meets you where you are. When not working, Dr. Smith and her family love outdoor adventures, travel, and spending time with family and friends.

Kylee

Anglemyer

Family Nurse Practitioner

Kylee Anglemyer is a board-certified family nurse practitioner (FNP).  She enjoys caring for patients of all ages.  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2006 from the University of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois.  Upon graduation she worked for 6 years as a staff RN in a medical/surgical/telemetry unit at Silver Cross Hospital. Because she wanted to improve her skills in serving God and her patients, she went on to earn her Master of Science in nursing degree in 2013, again at University of St. Francis.  She then moved with her family to the Chippewa Falls area where she worked at Mayo Express Care in Eau Claire.  For the past 5 years she worked in family medicine at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Chippewa Falls and recently joined the team at Spero Wellness Clinic.

 As a child, Kylee had the privilege of living in Togo, West Africa where medical missions was a prominent feature.  As a result, she is better able to respond to the needs of people of different cultures. She lives in Lake Hallie, Wisconsin with her husband Ben and their 4 children. She, Ben, and the kids all enjoy walking, biking, gardening, spending time with friends and family and are involved in their local church. More recently Kylee has been learning about canning their garden produce.

Ben
Buchl

Nurse Practitioner

Ben Buchl is a board-certified nurse practitioner (FNP) dedicated to a holistic approach to health. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota and completed his graduate studies at Grand Canyon University. Ben brings a wealth of experience to his practice, having previously worked as a registered nurse in Hematology and Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and Phoenix, AZ.

In his role as a nurse practitioner, he specialized in Endocrinology at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ, and Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Eau Claire, WI. Since 2020, he has pursued formal education in functional medicine through the Institute of Functional Medicine and achieved certification in early 2024, allowing him to blend traditional medical practices with a functional approach to wellness.

Ben and his wife, Elisabeth, made their home in Chippewa Falls in June 2021, where they raise their two children, John and Linly. Outside of his practice, Ben enjoys staying active through workouts, reading, researching nutrition and exercise, hiking, and traveling. He cherishes quality time with his family and their two dogs, embodying the balance of wellness he promotes to his patients.

Chelsi

Webster

Ph.D., RDN, CD

Chelsi Webster, Ph.D., RDN, CD grew up in northwestern Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in dietetics and minor in Spanish. During her senior year of undergraduate, she became very ill. After seeing several doctors and specialists, the modern medical system determined “nothing was wrong.” Feeling defeated and desperate, Chelsi stumbled across Dr. Gering’s practice in early 2018. At the first visit, Chelsi finally felt heard. Under Dr. Gering’s care, they uncovered and addressed the root issues.

Chelsi was well enough by August 2018 to attend Texas Tech University, where she earned a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences with a focus on clinical weight management. She completed a dietetic internship through Texas Tech University and passed the registration examination in March 2023 to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. After completing her studies, Chelsi moved back to Wisconsin, and divine intervention led her to reach out to Dr. Gering. She joined the Spero Wellness team in February 2023 and enjoys paying it forward by helping other patients experience true healing in using food as medicine.

Valerie
Henrichs

Valerie Joined Spero Wellness November of 2018, she is one of our clinic's Registered Nurses and is also an experienced Phlebotomist. You will meet her when you have labs done as well as in the rooming process or on the phone.

She completed her Associate of Applied Science degree in nursing at CVTC, with a certificate in ER nursing in 2012. Valerie has worked for Mayo Clinic health systems on their Medical Telemetry floor and in the Critical Care unit. Most recently she worked at St. Joseph's Hospital in the ICU. Valerie is also a reserve EMT with the Colfax Rescue Squad.

Valerie is a native of Chippewa falls. She is married to Rick and together they have two children, Ashlee and Isaiah. They also have four pets, Casper - a lab mix and three cats named Cougar, Panther and Monopoly. They have been very blessed by the Lord. Valerie is an avid Milwaukee Brewers fan and looks forward to baseball season every year.  She also enjoys rooting for the Bucks and Packers.  She has a passion for music and plays the piano and flute

Valerie comes to Spero with a passion for people and has been looking for ways to help others in non-traditional ways, and Spero Wellness was the answer to her prayers. She is hoping to make a difference in your life!

Spero is blessed to have Valerie on our team.

Melissa

Walczak

Registered Nurse

Melissa Walczak worked for Mayo Clinic Health System for 28 years in a variety of roles, first in an Intermediate Care Unit and then in the Surgicenter. She also worked as an EMS First Responder for 15 years.

In 2017, she retired to pursue a call to a thriving marketplace ministry. She also founded a non- profit organization – Red House of Hope – providing mentorship, guidance, and resources to those who need it, addressing community well-being, mental health, addiction, and poverty. She currently leads a Friendship Encounter Group where she shares her love for Jesus. 

She strives to put God first in all things. Her family comes next. She and her husband, Mike, have been married for over 30 years. They have 5 children and are enjoying their grandchildren, ranging in age from 1 to 17 years old. 

She has been working on wellness for the last several years and continues to use her nursing skills on Medical Missions trips to Honduras. Now, she is excited to be joining the Spero Wellness team, part time.

Deb

Erickson

LPN

Deb was born and raised in Chippewa Falls. Her first career was at Cray Research in documentation. There she met her late husband, Mark. Together they had the privilege of raising three children Bailey, Tyler, & Henry. They are now beautifully grown and living in various cities between Superior, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee; wonderful new places to explore and enjoy. She is blessed with one grandbabe, Sean. Other passions; refurbishing old things, music, farmer's markets, book studies, biking, hiking, gardening, fishing, and visiting small towns local and afar with family and friends. 

She returned to CVTC in 2006 to pursue a licensed practical nurse degree. She spent 10 years as an outreach educator and advocate for ALS patients and their families; specializing in grief and quality of life. Most recent she had spent five years in Neurology and prior to that one year in Behavior Health at Mayo Clinic EC. She's had a wonderful nursing journey, fruitful work and people alike! In January, she chose to leave the traditional healthcare arena to explore new landscapes. She has been a patient of Dr. Gering's for many years; She's always appreciated and valued an alternative approach to health and wellness. Deb believes it takes a village of people and a variety of specialized cares to promote the healthiest outcomes physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. She is grateful and looks forward to her new role in supporting patients and staff alike at Spero Wellness.

Kayla

N.

RN

Kayla joined the team at Spero Wellness in May 2022. You will see her working in the infusion lounge, drawing labs, processing faxes for our team, or jumping in wherever needed. Kayla worked as a PCA at Mayo for 3 years and after graduating from the RN program at CVTC in 2020, she then took a job with Mayo in the Medical Surgical Department, honing her skills as a RN. She is now excited to provide alternative care to patients here at Spero and we are excited and blessed to have her on board!

Cacee
Knight

Medical Assistant Leader

Cacee Knight is our leader in the Medical Assistant room at Spero. You will see her rooming patients, working in the lab, answering portal questions – while seamlessly tending to any other items that needs attention. She is a special part of our Spero Wellness Team and such a blessing to our patient care and co-workers alike. 

Cacee grew up in Bloomer, Wisconsin but currently resides in Chetek with her husband Nick. Together they share 4 children: Luccas 17, Loralai 14, Lexee 9, and Brady 6.  Many of Cacee and Nick’s evenings and weekends are spent at the kids school and sports activities. Spending time with family is a top priority for Cacee. For fun, they can be found swimming at nearby beaches, biking, and hiking trails in the Bayfield area. In her spare time, Cacee loves to bake – including delicious treats for friends and family and special birthday cakes for her children. 

Prior to joining Spero in July of 2022, Cacee spent 2 years working in pediatrics at Oakleaf and 3 years in neurology at Marshfield Clinic. She joined Spero Wellness in hopes of expanding her MA skills and knowledge of Functional Medicine.

Stephanie

Pritzl

Medical Laboratory Scientist/Medical Assistant

Stephanie joined the Spero Wellness Clinic team in April 2024. Previously, she worked with HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital and Prevea Health as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. Stephanie holds an Associate’s of Applied Science Degree as a Medical Laboratory Technician from CVTC and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology from UW-Eau Claire. At Spero Wellness Clinic, Stephanie serves as a Medical Laboratory Scientist and a Medical Assistant. Stephanie especially enjoys helping her patients, from children to adults, get through the blood draw process as it can anxiety inducing. She is also proud to be a part of the journey to health and wellness for her patients in the functional medicine space.

Cheryl

Herbison

Project Manager & Health Coach

Cheryl joined the Spero Wellness Team in November 2022 as a part time Office Manager and Health Coach. She retired in August 2022 after 33 years in the Tech Industry where she was managing a team of HPC Product Lifecycle Program Managers. She wanted to semi-retire and work in her area of passion – Natural Health & Wellness. 

In August of 2023, she graduated from the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy and is a Functional Medicine Health Coach. The program was designed in collaboration with The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). She will pursue her certification with the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) next. Cheryl is currently coaching several of our patients. She is also using her Business and Human Resource skills to help streamline our growing functional medicine practice.

She is excited to be in a place that feeds her love of learning and desire to help people achieve their health and wellness goals. She loves spending time with her amazing 3 adult children (Ryan, Rachel & Jessica) and their spouses and having more time to travel. 

Juliane

P.

Office Manager & Health Coach

Julie joined the Spero Wellness Clinic team in early 2024, bringing a wealth of experience from her previous role at Mayo Clinic as a CT Technologist and Coding/Billing Specialist. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Radiography from CVTC and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from UW-Stout. Additionally, she is a certified Functional Medicine Health Coach through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. At Spero Wellness Clinic, Julie serves as both a Health Coach and Office Manager, where she is passionately committed to guiding clients on their wellness journeys.

Chris

E.

Lead Office Assistant

Chris is a versatile professional with a career spanning technology, dental, and human resources. She began her journey at Cray Research in which she became a Process Technician, where she developed strong technical and problem-solving skills. In 2008, Chris decided to further her education and graduated from Chippewa Valley Technical College with a degree in Health Information Management.

Chris transitioned into dental and then into Human Resources, where she surpassed in talent acquisition and employee relations. In her previous employment, she served as an Office Manager at a local dental practice, streamlining operations and enhancing patient experiences.

Chris is a passionate advocate for functional medicine, driven by her belief in holistic health approaches. In June 2024, she joined Spero Wellness as the Lead Office Assistant, merging her administrative skills with her commitment to creating a supportive environment for both patients and staff.



Outside of her professional endeavors, Chris enjoys biking, boating, going for walks, and spending time with family and friends.

Tracy

Burman

Tracy

Jiskra

Office Assistant

Though she began as a patient, Tracy J. fell in love with the cause of Spero Wellness and became a team member, working in administration, in October of 2021.

Tracy was born in the Chicago area but has called northwestern Wisconsin her home for many years. She began her studies at UW-River Falls in Veterinary Medicine but changed course to get her Programming degree in Computer Information Systems. Tracy was also certified as a Nursing Assistant and has worked in the IT, medical, administrative and ministry fields. Her last position was as an Office Manager at a physical therapy clinic.

When not at work, Tracy enjoys writing, worship, nature and outdoor activities, learning to homestead and forage, her pets, bible study, and spending time with family. Tracy and her husband, Joe, have 5 children and are excited and blessed to be starting to have grandchildren!

At Spero, Tracy J. loves to assist staff through administrative work in the back office, but you can sometimes catch a glimpse of her working with patients at the front desk!

Denise

Arneson

Supplement Manager

Denise joined the Spero Wellness team part-time in February 2022. She is our Supplement Manager, who will fill your supplement requests, and help find answers to your wellness questions. You will also find her helping out at the front desk.

You may recognize Denise from her many years as an optometrist, practicing with her husband Lon in downtown Chippewa Falls. She has been very interested in functional medicine and biohacking for many years.

Denise and her husband have 3 grown daughters, one adorable grandson and 3 ragdoll cats. Denise enjoys cooking, reading, travelling, relaxing at the lake, biohacking and learning to play golf.

Christine

Bishop

PRN

Christine joined Spero Wellness Clinic in March of 2022.  You may see her on occasion when you walk into the clinic when she helps us fill in at the front desk for vacations or as needed.

Prior to coming to us, she worked as a Registered Respiratory Therapist at a Critical Access Hospital. While there, she found fulfilment in finding solutions to improve the quality of life for her patients, teaching and training them how to best manage their chronic pulmonary disease. Yet, events of the past few years in traditional health care brought on an unquenchable desire for change. She is excited for new challenges and responsibilities, now working on the administrative side of health care, within a holistic, functional medicine clinic where balance and well-being are the driving factors. 

She and her husband, Dave, have lived in Chippewa Falls since being married in 1985. Their immediate family consists of two independent, adventurous, adult children and an amazing daughter-in-law and grandbaby. Their family is scattered around the country, so life events and holidays turn into reasons to travel. They enjoy camping, hiking, biking, games, good food and drink, all best enjoyed in the company of family and friends.

“Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction… to accept his lot and be happy in his work – this is a gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 5:18-19