Caring for a loved one from a distance isn’t easy. But for Donna Enghauser of Minnetonka, knowing RiverView Health Internal Medicine provider Dr. Comfort Olayioye (Dr. Ola) and nurse Lisa Brown, LPN, are just a phone call away gives her peace of mind as she helps coordinate the healthcare needs of her 97-year-old father, Oliver Clemenson of Crookston.
Enghauser credits Dr. Ola and Brown with helping her father receive the care he needed earlier this summer after ulcers on his right foot worsened and the possibility of amputation became a concern.
After the ulcers developed, Clemenson sought care from his primary care provider, Dr. Ola. As she treated him, she recognized the seriousness of the condition and referred him to a vascular specialist outside of RiverView.
Then came the waiting.
Days turned into weeks as Enghauser and her father waited for a call from the specialist’s office with an appointment date. During that time, Brown worked diligently behind the scenes to keep the referral moving forward, resending information, following up with phone calls, and advocating for Clemenson to be seen as quickly as possible.
Just a Phone Call Away
Throughout the nearly month-long process, Enghauser said she never hesitated to reach out to Dr. Ola and Brown with questions or concerns.
“It’s important when you have elderly parents that you have a provider who is receptive to working with family members who live outside the area,” Enghauser said. “To have Dr. Ola and Lisa be our eyes and ears and willing to reach out to us if there are concerns is incredibly important.”
Whenever possible, Enghauser travels from the Twin Cities to attend healthcare appointments with her parents, Oliver and Lorna, who have been married for 77 years. During those visits, she returns to her childhood home, where she still sleeps in the bedroom where she grew up.
“I know I-94 quite well,” she laughed.
If she can’t make an appointment, one of her siblings or the Crookston couple’s caregiver attends instead. Even then, she said she remains only a phone call away.
As Clemenson’s condition became more urgent and knowing the facility where he needed to be seen was going to be closed for an extended Fourth of July weekend, Dr. Ola and Brown urged the family to take him to the emergency department. That visit helped expedite the process. Clemenson was then seen by a vascular specialist and underwent surgery July 6 to treat a blocked iliac artery.
A New Provider, the Same Confidence
For many years, Clemenson received primary care from Dr. Erik Kanten. Although Dr. Kanten continues to practice part-time at RiverView, he no longer provides primary care, leaving Clemenson in need of a new provider.
Enghauser admits she was nervous about the change after the positive relationship her family had built with Dr. Kanten over the years.
Those concerns quickly disappeared after meeting Dr. Ola.
“I was concerned when we first made the move from Dr. Kanten because we knew him and he knew us,” Enghauser said. “But when I met Dr. Ola, I immediately felt comfortable.”
She also introduced herself to Brown and explained the family’s situation.
“I told Lisa, ‘I am not here (Crookston). I live in Minnetonka, but you will hear my name because I’ll be the one calling. Don’t hesitate to call me about anything because even though we’re far away, it doesn’t mean we’re not on top of my parents’ healthcare.’”
Enghauser and Clemenson have also appreciated the support of Paige Tice, RN, Home Care Health coordinator at RiverView. Enghauser describes Tice as “a wealth of knowledge” who has helped the family navigate changes in Clemenson’s healthcare, coordinate services, and serve as another trusted resource.
“With family living out of town, knowing your parents are surrounded by caring healthcare providers and a supportive community makes the distance easier.”
Reflecting on her father’s experience, Enghauser said she is especially grateful for the relationship her family has built with Dr. Ola and Brown.
“I’m so thankful for Dr. Ola and Lisa,” she said. “This was a newly established relationship, and they worked so hard to get my dad to the place he needed to be.”
Editor’s Note: This story was written shortly before Oliver Clemenson passed away on July 31, 2026. After returning home from a successful rehabilitation stay following iliac artery surgery, Clemenson fell at home, resulting in a broken hip. Although he successfully underwent hip surgery, Clemenson and his family soon realized his time on earth was drawing to a close.
His daughter, Donna Enghauser, shared that her father lived a happy life rooted in deep faith. As she and her father reflected on his life before his passing, Donna shared that he looked back on a life well lived and simply said, “Give God all the glory.”
RiverView Health is grateful to the Clemenson family for allowing us to share this story, which highlights the compassion, advocacy, and coordination of care provided by the RiverView team.
team members Lisa Brown, LPN (left), and Dr. Comfort Olayioye for advocating on behalf of her
father, Oliver Clemenson, beyond RiverView’s walls.
