Provider Bio

Russel Van Gelder, ARNP, is a nurse practitioner at Cascade Primary Care. She grew up in Cebu, Philippines where she took interest in nursing because her father was a nurse. She earned her baccalaureate degree in nursing from Velez College, College of Nursing. She started her professional nursing career in Cebu City, Philippines wherein she had the opportunity to work in the many different fields of nursing. She started as an inpatient nurse and eventually became the academic chairman for the college of nursing in one of the biggest universities in her hometown.

Always striving to better herself, she earned her first master’s degree – Master of Science in Nursing with a major in leadership in nursing at the Cebu Normal University. Having an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and education, she pursued and attained her doctorate degree in education at Southwestern University in Cebu. She then migrated to the US and continued her nursing career at Auburn Medical Center where she worked as a progressive critical care unit nurse where she also attained her PCCN certification. After a few years working for MultiCare, she took a position in the 6S unit at Valley Medical Center. While working full time at VMC, she entered the family nurse practitioner master’s program at Purdue University where she became a member of the honor society. She holds a board certification with the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

When not working, she enjoys time spent with her family, camping, eating out, riding her Jet ski, target practicing at the gun range and playing Mahjong with her mother and sisters.