First Year Residents

Class of 2026

Michael Bitzan, MD

Medical School: University College Cork

Medical Interests: Mental health, rural medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle.

Personal Interests/Hobbies: During my free time I like playing drums, soccer, running, snorkeling, and traveling. I also enjoy teaching drums and composing music with others.

Why Grand Forks/Altru: During my interview process, I was incredibly impressed by the warm and welcoming nature of the staff. Their friendly and inclusive attitude made me feel instantly at home. Even though my interview took place in the winter, when I visited Grand Forks it proved to be a friendly and charming city with everything you could need only a short drive away. During my tour of the hospital and the clinic, I found the facilities to be top-notch and I knew that I would receive excellent training here as a family medicine resident. Ultimately, everything I experienced during my interview gave me the feeling that this program truly valued its residents, and that the city of Grand Forks would be a fantastic place to call home for the next three years.

Noe Dela Fuente, MD

Medical School: University of the City of Manila

Medical Interests: Family Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, Point-of-Care Ultrasound, Epigenetics.

Personal Interests/Hobbies: I enjoy spending quality time with my wife, Aura and our doodle, Marley. We travel to the state parks of North Dakota and stay in cabins around the lakes of Minnesota. Outside of the hospital, you can find me strolling on the Greenway along the Red River, shooting hoops at Choice Health and Fitness, or just hanging out with my co-residents. Interests: hosting get-togethers, cooking, painting, snowboarding, cars, and basketball.

Why Grand Forks/Altru: Having lived in Grand Forks for three years, I can say that the city boasts a high quality of life, characterized by safe neighborhoods, low cost of living, and a strong sense of community. The city offers a variety of recreational activities, including parks, trails, and sporting events. The small-town charm combined with modern amenities makes Grand Forks an attractive place to live. Altru provides a comprehensive training experience in family medicine being a truly unopposed program. My wife being a previous resident, I saw firsthand that the dedicated faculty members and staff provide guidance, support, and personalized instruction to residents for them to thrive and deliver patient-centered care. I am proud and excited to pursue my family medicine residency with Altru and have a diverse clinical training to become a well-rounded family physician.

Kayla Fussy, MD

Medical School: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Medical Interests: I am interested in full-spectrum family medicine and taking care of patients across the entire lifespan. I have specific interests in obstetrics, natural family planning, pediatrics and chronic disease management.
Personal Interests/Hobbies: : I enjoy baking sourdough bread, running, and spending time with my husband and our families. We enjoy spending time outside and going to MN lakes country in the summer. I'm also a huge Jane Austen fan.
Why Grand Forks/Altru: : I was able to do a rotation with Altru FMR during my fourth year of medical school and absolutely loved it! Everyone was so welcoming to me, and I could see how supportive the faculty and residents were towards one another. I was impressed by the well-rounded curriculum including lots of obstetrics rotations. I knew that training at Altru would allow me to become an excellent family medicine physician who could practice anywhere after residency. Also, my husband and I are UND grads and love Grand Forks, so we are thrilled to stay here for residency.

Kirsten Hager, MD

Medical School: University of North Dakota School Medical and Health Sciences

Medical Interests: Rural health, emergency and wilderness medicine, office procedures, broad-spectrum care.

Personal Interests/Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, fishing, hiking, biking, travel, hockey, woodworking.

Why Grand Forks/Altru: I moved to the Grand Forks area in 2011 for school and found it to be a great city in which to live. My husband and I firmly believe it to be the best place for our family and feel honored to be a part of the fantastic community. For me, Altru has been a community within a community, made of people who genuinely care about the health and well-being of their neighbors. The Altru Family Medicine Residency is second to none with faculty who go the extra mile to ensure that tomorrow's physicians are adequately equipped to provide the best patient care possible.

Katelyn Larsen, MD

Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin

Medical Interests: : Full spectrum family medicine, rural medicine, and women’s health.

Personal Interests/Hobbies: : I enjoy participating in outdoor activities including fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, kayaking, and snowshoeing with my husband. I also love volleyball, being a cat mom, gardening, and Wisconsin sports (Go Pack Go)!

Why Grand Forks/Altru: The kind, caring, and family-like feel of the people at Altru drew me in from the very beginning. It is a collaborative work environment that fosters learning while keeping my well-being in mind. Grand Forks itself offers so many wonderful opportunities from local stores to year-round outdoor adventures.

Brad Lutz, MD

Medical School: University of Washington, Wyoming WWAMI
Medical Interests: Full spectrum, rural family medicine.
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Ham radio, primarily morse code. Competitive shooting events. Overlanding. If it involves being outside in the woods, I probably participate in it.
Why Grand Forks/Altru: Grand Forks reminds me of my hometown and where I want to serve as a physician. There are precious few residency programs that prepare physicians for truly rural practice and Altru is well regarded in this field.

Kalvin Slaubaugh, MD

Medical School: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Medical Interests: Full Spectrum Family Medicine, Rural Medicine, and procedures.

Personal Interests/Hobbies: Spending time with my family, woodworking, hunting, and fishing.

Why Grand Forks/Altru: I chose Altru FMR for the people. During 3rd and 4th year rotations, I had many opportunities to work with the residents and faculty. They immediately made me feel like part of the family and have always been approachable, supportive, and genuine. Combine the people with the high-quality, comprehensive training available here and it was a no-brainer.

Shaylen Young, MD

Medical School: University College Cork, Ireland

Medical Interests: My passion is women’s health and bridging the gap in healthcare access for individuals residing in underserved rural areas

Personal Interests/Hobbies:: I enjoy traveling to new places, as well as hiking and camping. During my downtime you can usually find me knitting, sewing, or gardening. I’m currently learning to speak German and Salsa Dance.

Why Grand Forks/Altru: I chose the Grand Forks program not only because of its focus on rural healthcare, but also because of the remarkable people I met during the interview process. From the moment I stepped into their environment, I was impressed by the genuine warmth and respect they extended towards me. The way they treated me with such kindness and professionalism left a lasting impression. I am thrilled to be a part of a team that is so supportive.