Nurse-Practitioner Ends 22-Year Career at Elk River
Southwest City Community Clinic will bid farewell to a familiar smiling face next month.
Debbie Scheel, family nurse practitioner, has been helping to heal the community for 22 years. A celebration will be held in her honor from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 6, at the Anne Croxdale Memorial Library in Southwest City. Everyone is invited to wish her well.
Scheel plans to provide temporary staffing as a nurse practitioner in a variety of settings across the United States.
“My plan is to take 2- to 3-month contracts in parts of the country in which I haven’t spent much time and in areas of the country where I have family,” Scheel said of her next chapter.
When asked what kept her clocking in for more than two decades, Scheel insisted that the people are what motivated her.
“Both Dr. David Hill and the patients. The patients are good, caring, solid people who appreciate what you do for them,” Scheel said. “Dr. Hill is a wonderful person who, for over 30 years, has worked to ensure that quality health care is available to the residents of McDonald County.”
Scheel’s passion for medicine began while attending high school in Illinois. She enrolled in college with the intention of majoring in pre-med, but ultimately decided to shift her focus to nursing.
“I’ve never regretted that decision. Nursing has been a wonderful career for me with many opportunities and lots of options,” she said.
After graduating from Northern Illinois University with her bachelor’s degree, Scheel went on to obtain a master’s in Health Education at the University of Arkansas as well as a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma.
But, her time in a classroom didn’t end there. Before becoming an integral part of the day-today activity at Elk River Health Services, Scheel spent 12 years as the director of the Nursing Program at Crowder College — a program she helped to pioneer.
Scheel spent countless hours researching career-ladder RN programs available in other states as well as the State Board of Education and Board of Nursing requirements that needed to be met to institute such a program.
“I think I called every state Board of Nursing in the country,” Scheel said.
Eventually, she longed to be back into practice and settled into Southwest City Community Clinic. Here, she conquered new and unique challenges every day.
“We deal with everything,” she explained. “We’re a bit isolated so we see more emergencies than some of the other clinics. We provide health care to all ages, address both acute and chronic health conditions, and coordinate diagnostic testing.
“One of the things about being here so long is, I’ve seen kids grow up and have kids of their own,” Scheel said, smiling.
Scheel forged doctor-patient relationships that transcended clinic walls and, at times, spanned continents. Alongside her career as a nurse practitioner, Scheel served in the Naval Reserve for 26 years and was called for three tours of duty.
In 2007, she was called to serve in Germany. In 2011, she was called to Afghanistan. In 1991 she was called to Bahrain during Desert Storm.
“When I was in Afghanistan, patients would write me notes and Vicki Plumlee, Director of Clinics, would pack them up and send them to me in Afghanistan,” she said. “That was a really nice connection to home.”
Scheel has three sons: Matthew, Kasey, and Kevin who have followed their mother’s example. Two are currently serving in the Navy and the third has pursued a career in nursing.
Scheel’s last day at the Southwest City Clinic will be Friday, July 8. Jill Rogers, nurse practitioner, will take over all standing appointments with patients.
Dr. Hill said he is very saddened to see Debbie leave because she has served the folks of McDonald County so very well for so long; however she deserves time off, relaxation, and fun in her new travels as she has earned it.
Fellow nurse practitioner Mark Kennedy of Pineville Medical Clinic, commented on how she’ll be missed: “Deb’s been a good mentor to all mid-level providers and been a blessing to the community for the last 22 years.”