As one of the first graduates of the Baraboo Rural Training Track (RTT) in 1999, Dr. Hans Elzinga has built a career defined by service, innovation, and deep gratitude for the mentors who shaped his path. From pioneering procedural care for underserved communities to mentoring future physicians, Elzinga continues to carry forward the values instilled during his time in Baraboo.
A Leap of Faith Guided By Mentorship
Dr. Hans Elzinga
Following medical school, Elzinga sought a residency program that combined high-volume OB and ICU experience with hands-on procedural training. That rare combination led him to Baraboo, where a pivotal interview with Dr. Mark Meier changed everything.
Newly out of residency, Meier committed to teaching Elzinga how to perform C-sections. That moment of trust and mentorship was the deciding factor. “I sensed I’d be given incredible learning opportunities in Baraboo,” Elzinga recalls. “I couldn’t have been more right.”
Elzinga credits much of his success to mentors like Meier and Dr. Randy Krszjzaniek, both of whom he nominated for—and who received—the prestigious Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award, an honor for teachers who have inspired their former students to make a significant contribution to society.
Meier’s dedication to patient care and teaching left a lasting impression. One particularly memorable experience involved a house call to a patient who feared her breast cancer had returned. As they drove to the patient’s home in a small town outside Baraboo, they stopped at a gas station to ask for directions—only to discover that the patient’s daughter was working there. With tears in her eyes, she guided them to her mother’s home. “That moment encouraged me to create the Longmont Surgical Mission,” Elzinga says, referring to the pro bono surgery program he later founded for uninsured patients.
Krszjzaniek inspired Elzinga through his encyclopedic medical knowledge and tireless commitment to excellence. “He never stopped learning, and he never stopped doing everything possible to help his patients,” Elzinga shares. His example helped shape Elzinga’s vision of what a rural family physician could be: deeply knowledgeable, community-focused, and relentlessly dedicated.
When COVID and corporate changes reduced access to colon cancer screening for uninsured patients, Krszjzaniek’s example motivated Elzinga to launch Butt Savers—a program funded by employee paycheck donations that now provides more than 400 low-cost endoscopic procedures annually.
A Journey of Service
After residency, Elzinga fulfilled a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) scholarship obligation by serving in rural Texas. As the only full-time physician in the county, he delivered 80 to 100 babies annually, cared for more than 50 nursing home patients, and managed emergency cases—including helicopter transfers from a clinic with no hospital.
When financial instability threatened his NHSC commitment, he transitioned to Salud Family Health in Longmont, Colorado—a federally qualified health center. There he was connected to Dr. Tillman Farley, son of Madison physicians and philanthropists Drs. Eugene and Linda Farley, which affirmed his decision. Elzinga completed his NHSC service and has remained at Salud for more than two decades.
Today, Elzinga performs cesarean sections, tubal ligations, cardiac stress tests, and nearly 1,000 GI endoscopies annually for underserved patients. He also trains residents and fellows—one of whom is now a practice partner.
What keeps Elzinga going after more than two decades? A deep passion for serving the medically underserved—and the enduring influence of his mentors. “The skills, knowledge, experience, and mentoring I received at the Baraboo RTT—especially from Dr. Meier and Dr. Krszjzaniek—made my career path possible. I am extremely grateful.”
Published: September 2025