A fortune cookie-size ad in the Annals of General Surgery was the first connection that intrigued a then-young resident, Dr. Raul Mirande, and his wife, Karri, a registered nurse, to see what Klamath Falls could offer their young family as a place to put down roots.

Who knew that 27 years later the small ad promoting the area would ensure the Mirandes and the basin community are better, stronger, and more fulfilled because they chose to settle here?

The Mirandes did.

Klamath Rolled Out the Red Carpet

The medical community knew a standout husband-wife duo when they saw one and rolled out the red carpet for the Mirandes' visit to the basin.

Raul — a general-surgery resident at Loyola University in Chicago — and Karri — a talented RN working at Northwestern University Hospital — had enviable pedigrees. Our medical community knew how lucky the community would be to get them.

The promotion to the Mirandes focused on showcasing how being a general surgeon in a town of our size would allow Raul a practice encompassing all sorts of challenging and intriguing cases for him to apply his art and medical prowess.

All were generous and proactive in helping Karri find opportunities to work in the hospital system, meet friends, find a moms' group, and locate the perfect preschool for their two young sons, Max and Mitchell.

Klamath reached out with open arms — and thankfully, for our community, the Mirandes reached back.

Building a Practice and a Family

Raul's reputation and surgical success flourished. It was not long before he had his own clinic, with Karri at his side as his nurse and clinical-operations expert.

The Mirandes loved that the size and scope of the community afforded privileges that the bigger cities where they had lived simply couldn't offer.

The family grew with the addition of their daughter, Mady — completing a tight-knit trio of siblings.

Three Kids — All Klamath Union Graduates, All in Medicine

All three Mirande children are graduates of Klamath Union High School — where they graduated at the top of their classes, with Max being the Valedictorian in 2011.

They all attended college at different schools in the state of Washington:

  • Max — college athlete, played football at the University of Puget Sound
  • Mitchell — studied and excelled at biology and chemistry at the competitive University of Washington
  • Mady — earned her nursing degree and top honors at Pacific Lutheran University

The Mirande Magic

People wonder what is in the water at the Mirandes.

Each of their children are humble and hardworking, just like their parents. They are focused, driven, and all have chosen a life of medicine and service.

Where the children are today

Max — graduated first in his class from Western University of Health Sciences, is in his third year of residency at the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota — where he is exploring specialty areas of practice.

Mitchell — in his fourth year of medical school at Midwestern University of Medicine in Glendale, Arizona. In March, Mitchell will find out where he matches for a residency program.

Mady — a practicing RN, concluding her third year of tireless service in the Neuro/COVID ICU Units at Banner Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona — her first job out of nursing school.

"Medicine in the Mirande Magic"

When asked what's the Mirande magic and what makes medical care so compelling for all of them, the young professionals had varied answers on a shared theme.

They are all quick to be generous in their credit and praise — for not only their parents, but the mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends who always encouraged them.

Max, who is married to his Klamath Falls high-school sweetheart Kami Mirande (an artist, designer, and businesswoman), reflects:

"Growing up with a close-knit family of two parents working in medicine showed us that this is meaningful work. We saw it in how they treated each patient, how they treated each other, and how they treated us."

That ethic — the daily, quiet demonstration of medicine-as-service — is what raised three Mirande kids who chose the same path.

What the Basin Has Given Back

The Mirandes are quick to note that Klamath Falls didn't just receive them — it formed them.

The kids grew up with excellent teachers, coaches, music programs, faith communities, and the kind of small-town opportunity that made each of them a leader in their high-school class.

In a basin where college sports, top-tier internships, Mayo Clinic residencies, and Banner Medical Center jobs feel impossibly far away, the Mirande story is a reminder: kids who grow up in Klamath Falls can go anywhere they decide to go.

To the Mirandes

Dr. Raul Mirande, Karri Mirande RN, and the next-generation Mirandes — Max, Mitchell, and Mady — thank you for 27 years of service to the Klamath Basin's health, and for raising three remarkable young professionals who are now serving patients across the country.

Your magic is on full display every day at the Mirande Clinic, at Sky Lakes, at Mayo, at Midwestern University, and at Banner Medical Center.

The basin is proud of you.

If you're a Klamath Basin family in need of expert surgical care or healthcare guidance, Dr. Raul Mirande's practice continues to serve the community with the same commitment that brought him here three decades ago.