Robert Pueringer, MD

Dr. Robert “Cole” Pueringer is a Medical Toxicologist, Addiction Medicine Specialist, and Hospitalist. He joined Essentia Health in September of 2022. Dr. Pueringer is originally from Montana. He moved to Minnesota for his undergraduate studies and received a Bachelor of Arts at St. Olaf College where he studied Chemistry. Thereafter, he completed his medical training in the Twin Cities, including Medical School at the University of Minnesota, Internal Medicine Residency and Chief Resident year at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), and received his CTropMed certification for Tropical Medicine/Travelers’ Health at the University of Minnesota. He then completed his fellowship training in Medical Toxicology at the Health Partners Institute/HCMC and Addiction Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

He is an active member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT), American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT), and American College of Physicians (ACP). He is engaged in medical education, particularly as it relates to Medical Toxicology and Addiction Medicine, and presents regularly at local and national conferences and events. He is also a board member of Shoulder-to-Shoulder, a Minnesota organization that supports medical education and healthcare in rural Tanzania, and regularly visits Ilula, Tanzania.

At Essentia Health, he practices Medical Toxicology, Addiction Medicine, and Hospitalist Medicine. He is part of a 24/7 Medical Toxicology consultation service and plans to start an Addiction Medicine consult service. He is particularly passionate about substance use disorder - a disease which has affected many aspects of his own life – and hopes to contribute significantly to substance use treatment, education, de-stigmatization, and harm reduction in northern Minnesota.