One of the first goals for Dr. Charlie Petersen, who retired in December after a 40-year medical career, is to improve his Spanish language skills.
That's because his first grandchild is due later this month in Valencia, Spain, where one of his three sons lives now.
After a holiday visit to another son living in Washington, D.C., Petersen now has more time for morning walks and horseback riding.
Next on the "do-more-of" list is taking long weekend trips and going to different events with his wife, utilizing their three-horse trailer that includes living quarters. The married medical professional couple have several horses and two dogs.
Dr. Charlie, as he is often called, has worked since 2009 as an internist and partner at Yampa Valley Medical Associates in Steamboat.
Petersen, 68, initially was not entirely keen on being recognized with a retirement feature in the newspaper -- until he agreed largely in order to "thank YVMA and folks for my acceptance and making the second half of my career a happy one."
His wife, Diane, retired as an obstetrician-gynecologist in Steamboat Springs in December 2021.
Like many others, the Petersens moved to Steamboat after spending years vacationing in the valley. The two medical professionals began their careers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and they enjoyed spending several weeks of vacation each summer and winter staying at the Christie Club in Steamboat Springs.
The couple's third son, Erik, lives locally and works as chief financial officer at Horizons Specialized Services.
"It was a leap to leave (Minnesota) behind and come out here, but it was just wonderful to find such an outstanding group of physicians to join," Petersen said. "To find the medical community as being so advanced and just a really good group of people, just made it work. It was just outstanding."
As an internist for adult patients who also worked many years on duty as a hospitalist at Yampa Valley Medical Center, Petersen treated many diverse patient cases ranging from sore throats to heart problems, from pernicious anemia to pneumonia. For multiple years, he also specialized in teaching nutrition seminars and helping with articles about good eating habits along with hospital dietitians.
Petersen always encouraged patients to maintain a healthy weight, exercise portion control by eating mindfully, decrease consumption of animal fats and eat more fruits and vegetables.
The lean doctor is a former hockey player who played in the 1970s at Harvard College before attending Mayo Clinic Medical School. Petersen said his playing days ended when the physician couple had twin boys.
Petersen's medical colleagues at Yampa Valley Medical Associates say they will miss his good humor and positive attitude.
"Charlie is one of those providers who just enjoys practicing medicine and helping patients," said colleague Dr. Brian Harrington. "It is hard to lose an experienced provider like Charlie who embodies decades of training and experience."
Petersen said he always worked hard on the all-important quality for a doctor to be a good listener that helps to build a strong physician-patient relationship, discern underlying causes for health problems and prevent future medical issues.
"Charlie always came to work with a great attitude and a smile on his face," said colleague Dr. Jennifer Kempers. "As an internal medicine physician, he excelled at the diagnosis and treatment of complex adult illnesses. He was well-liked by his patients and colleagues."
Registered Nurse Brittany Grimes has been a colleague since 2012.
"Dr. Petersen will undoubtedly be remembered by his patients and colleagues as one of the most humble, intelligent and compassionate physicians," she said. "His practical bedside manner and genuine empathy have left a lasting impact on his patients. His witty personality sure made the workdays in health care brighter. He is truly an irreplaceable medical provider to this community."