Karen Hessel, MD
My specialties:
- Obstetrics
- Obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN)
Professional interests:
- Infertility
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Complex and high risk pregnancy
- Adolescents
- Women's Health
- Obesity medicine
I am a board-certified obstetrics/gynecology physician with professional interests in infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome, complex/high risk pregnancy, adolescents, health and wellness and women of weight.
I am passionate about: improvement. I always try to learn from things around me and look at everything critically.
If I was not a doctor, I would be a: stay at home mom, massage therapist or yoga instructor.
I became a doctor because: pregnancy is an amazing time in women's lives when they are deeply motivated to be healthy and open to new beginnings. I seriously considered becoming a midwife; however, with more exploration, I found that I wanted to have the autonomy and complexity associated with being a doctor.
Something I have learned from my patients is: to listen and to be humble. Some of the best parenting tips I have ever gotten have come from my patients.
One of the challenges of this career that I enjoy is: listening carefully to patients to find ways that I can help them live their lives to the fullest.
My biggest health challenge is: to not eat the whole box of Girl Scout cookies!
Credentials
- MD
Board-certified specialties
- Obstetrics
- Obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN)
Personal interests
- Family activities
- Outdoors
- Yoga
Educational institutions
- The University of Arizona College of Medicine
Memberships
- American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- American Medical Association
- American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology
- American Society of Bariatric Physicians
- Minnesota Medical Association
Residencies
- Forbes Family Practice Residency Program, Monroeville, PA
- University of Minnesota Twin Cities Integrated Residency
Years of experience
- 26
Hospital affiliations
- Abbott Northwestern Hospital
- The Mother Baby Center at Abbott Northwestern and Children's Minnesota
Are you this provider? Update your profile.
To verify your specific doctor's or hospital's network participation with any plan, please contact the health plan directly. This information is subject to change and may not be reflected until the next update. We accept many insurance plans, providing access to providers across a wide range of specialties. Learn more.
Major health plans we accept
- Allina Health | Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
- HealthPartners
- Medica
- PreferredOne
- SelectCare/LaborCare
- UCare
- UnitedHealthcare
Other health plans we accept
- Medicaid/Medicare
- Aetna
- America's PPO
- First Health/Coventry
- CIGNA
- Humana
- Hennepin Health (formerly Metropolitan Health Plan)
- PrimeWest
- South Country Health Alliance
- United Behavioral Health
- Wisconsin Physician Services (WPS)