TNP Legislative Ambassador 2019 | TNP Rising Star Award | Member Since 2018

Stacy encourages NPs interested in starting their own practices. “Even if you’re a sole proprietor, you are making a difference. Someone needs help, and you are meeting their needs. Don’t ever discount that!”

Stacy’s journey to owning her practice as a Nurse Practitioner began when she was a college freshman working with individuals with intellectual disabilities at the State Schools in San Angelo and Lubbock, and later when she worked for an MHMR therapeutic community for persons with substance abuse offenses transitioning from prison into the community.

Lessons learned in the ER.

After receiving her RN degree from McClennan Community College in Waco, Stacy started working in the Emergency Department at Baylor Scott and White Level I Trauma Center in Temple. She soon realized that ER patients had many psychiatric mental health needs, so she completed her BSN degree and began working in a rehabilitation center for patients needing drug and alcohol treatment.

She was immediately recruited by the Cenikor Foundation to develop their detoxification program from the ground up. They have since replicated her program across Texas and neighboring states. In 2018, Stacy graduated from Texas Tech with a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) degree, which she describes as “the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Transforming disappointment into opportunity

Early on, Stacy was discouraged by not having the opportunity to join a clinical practice at the only local behavioral health facility in the Waco area. Her preceptor informed Stacy about a part-time telehealth position in a rehabilitation facility with several locations in Texas.

One year later, Stacy opened her private practice. She and two other full-time PMHNPs and two part-time PMHNPs conduct telehealth visits for those needing mental health services.

Stacy would never have considered herself a businessperson, but she has become one. She reports that owning and running a practice takes an education all its own, and she is still learning daily. “Working in telehealth generally means working alone, and having a network of people to call on when you need advice or a case to run by is imperative.” Stacy has been fortunate to have many people who have helped her journey.

A bright and busy future

Stacy plans to keep growing to meet the needs of Texans, especially those in rural areas where access to care is scarce.

In addition to leading her practice, Stacy is currently enrolled in the DNP program at Texas Tech, where she is also a full-time faculty in the PMHNP track, and she expects to graduate in 2025.