Maryville’s Online Nursing Programs are reaching thousands of rural students to provide access to health care for those who are without access in their communities.

In the desert of southeastern New Mexico, along historic U.S. Route 70, lies the Village of Hondo. Only 150 miles from the Mexican border, families settled in the area before state lines existed, drawn to the region for its rivers and rich soil. Today, the area is home to apple orchards, cattle ranches and farmland, and is known for its growing community of street artists.

Linda Owen, CNP, ’14, who earned her master’s degree in nursing through Maryville Online, sees patients at the Hondo Valley Healthcare Clinic. The clinic, under management of a previous provider, had abruptly closed its doors in 2017, leaving local residents without access to health care for nearly two years. Now, the clinic has reopened thanks to a partnership between Presbyterian Healthcare Services and Lincoln County, New Mexico.

“While the clinic was closed, it was hard for the local residents to travel into a larger town to receive their health care because they struggled to afford the gas, child care and time off work,” Owen said. “I’m finding that some patients with diabetes or other chronic illnesses simply did not receive treatment.”

Those patients are receiving care once again. Owen is the sole provider at the two-exam-room clinic. She sees patients from birth through end of life for primary care services and urgent same-day appointments. Assisted by a nurse and a receptionist, Owen’s day could range from strep throat in a six-year-old to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in an eighty-year-old.

She also provides services like flu vaccinations, annual physical exams and routine lab work. Patients must travel 30 or 40 miles for additional tests such as X-rays and CT scans, and some specialist visits require a four-hour drive to Albuquerque.

“I came to Hondo because I wanted to help,” Owen said. “I felt there was a special need, and it’s important we do not forget these individuals. I knew a provider could do so much good in this rural community because these people lacked access to health care that they so desperately need.”

Owen also provides ongoing health and wellness education for patients and their families. Many patients do not know the importance of routine health care, she said. This disparity is deeply rooted in economic, social, racial, ethnic and geographic factors.

“I spend a lot of time teaching and counseling my patients, and explaining why certain actions are required,” Owen said. “It may seem like baby steps, but it’s working. My patients are very happy to have their own clinic close to home, and to have someone who cares.”