Viterbo University graduate nursing director Mary Ellen Stolder received an encouraging sign when she arrived at work one Monday morning early last spring.
“The phone has been ringing off the hook,” she was told by Administrative Assistant Bobbi Hundt ’09.
Community members were calling to schedule an appointment at a free foot care clinic conducted by Viterbo Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students at the La Crosse Public Library. A notice advertising the clinic had been printed in the La Crosse Tribune that weekend.
Viterbo graduate nursing students hold foot care clinics each spring and fall in La Crosse (with plans to hold them quarterly in the future) and six times a year at Tomah Memorial Hospital in Tomah. The program is run by Stolder, with assistance from fellow Viterbo nurse practitioner faculty members LuAnn Fowler and Sherry Harris. They humorously refer to themselves as the “Sole Providers.”
“The clinics have been very well received in both communities,” said Stolder, who is a certified foot and nail care nurse.
At the most recent foot care clinic held in October 2019 at the La Crosse Public Library, 15 students served 70 clients in six hours. Clinics in Tomah are scheduled for eight hours. There is usually an extensive waiting list. Students are required to participate in two clinics, but often volunteer to do many more.
“The mission of the Viterbo graduate nursing program is to improve health outcomes of diverse populations through advanced knowledge and skills,” Stolder said. “That’s what we do as health care providers. This program also serves an important need by providing care to senior citizens and other vulnerable populations who might otherwise go without.”
The students provide the clients with a high level of nail and foot care using state-of-the-art surgical-type tools. They also do a feet health assessment and refer the clients to health care providers if necessary, which is excellent practice for future nurse practitioners, Stolder said.
The Tomah Memorial Hospital Foundation awarded the Viterbo foot care clinic program with two consecutive $2,500 grants, which were put toward the purchase and replacement of equipment. Tomah Memorial Hospital is very committed to the program, providing facilities, protective gear, and refreshments for both students and clients, Stolder said.
The program also received support from Bombas, which donated 1,000 pairs of socks for distribution to foot care clinic clients.
Thank you letters, verbal expressions of gratitude, and offers of payment are regular occurrences. Payment is not accepted, but if someone insists they are encouraged to make a donation to the La Crosse Public Library or Tomah Memorial Hospital.
Stolder said she is very happy with the number of DNP students who repeatedly volunteer at these clinics.
“Maybe it’s the cookies I bake for them,” Stolder laughed. “Really, I think at heart nurses truly care about people and want to provide them with quality and compassionate care.”