In 1989 Dr Ellestad started his career as an Outpatient and Emergency Room Care General Medical Officer at Munson Army Community Hospital in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.In 1990, He became the hospital's Flight Surgeon. He also started doing Emergency Room Contract Coverage for various firm's across the country.br In 1994, he opened a family medicine practice in Plainville, Kansas. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps in Feb, 1996, with over 20 years of combined active duty and reserve service.br In 2002 he moved to Decorah, Iowa and started with Acute Care, Inc as an Emergency Department medical DirectorStaff Physician. Currently he is practicing a full-time emergency medicine at Grinnell Regional Medical Center and part-time emergency medicine for Acute Care, Inc. he is now starting a full-time OMM and Age management Medicine practice in West Des Moines, Iowa.