Riverwood introduces new ENT physicians

Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to introduce a new team of physicians to provide ear, nose and throat care at its specialty clinic in Aitkin. Dr. Kurtis Waters and Dr. Ethan Kraft of Advanced Specialty Associates, will see patients at Riverwood’s specialty clinic in Aitkin several days a month, beginning in January 2023.  

Otolaryngology (also known as ear, nose and throat, or ENT) is the branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of ear, nose, throat, head and neck conditions.  

Dr. Kraft and Dr. Waters offer advanced ENT treatments, such as balloon sinuplasty for sinus problems and sublingual immunotherapy for allergies, as well as a full range of services for common conditions like strep throat, nasal congestion, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and oral (mouth) or thyroid cancers. 

Dr. Waters is double board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He is the Brainerd lakes area’s only board-certified facial plastic surgeon who has been practicing for more than 20 years.  

Dr. Waters performed his undergraduate training at Concordia in Moorhead. After completing medical school, he did his post-graduate residency training in Syracuse, New York. He underwent fellowship training in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery in Minneapolis, Minn. Practicing in the Brainerd lakes area since 1998, Dr. Waters’ current practice encompasses all aspects of head and neck surgery.

Dr. Kraft practices the full range of ear, nose and throat surgery. He earned his medical degree at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, in 2017 and completed his internship and residency in Otolaryngology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. He also holds a B.S. degree in Mathematics and a B.A. degree in Classical Studies from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, where he earned the Alpha Omega Alpha and Mack V. Traynor awards for outstanding humanistic and scholastic performance. 

He completed clinical research projects on mid-face fractures and their repair and 3-D printing personal protective equipment masks to custom fit the faces of staff to provide better protection during COVID. Dr. Kraft has a passion for providing patient-centered care and believes each visit is a connection with a lasting impact on not only the patient but himself as well. 

“Together, Dr. Waters and Dr. Kraft offer our patients an outstanding level of comprehensive ENT services,” said Riverwood COO Cindi Baker. “Their patient-centered focus and emphasis on keeping patients well educated will lead to strong patient outcomes and quality of life.”