Winfield Medical Arts Hires Adds Family Nurse Practitioner Heather Irving

Winfield Medical Arts has added a family nurse practitioner with local experience, according to a written announcement made this week.

Heather Irving of Arkansas City, will join the hospital’s service team. Winfield Medical Arts is a subsidiary of South Central Kansas Medical Center.

Irving stated in the news release that she enjoys “getting to know people, figuring out what works for them healthwise and what they can do for themselves.”

Irving’s background, according to WMA, provides her with a very useful range of experience. In addition to work with pediatric intensive care at the Wesley Medical Center, she also worked at Gracemed in Wichita.

As a federally qualified health center, Gracemed provided services to diverse groups. As a nurse practitioner there, Irving met families from different cultures, economic sub-groups and various ethnicities. Sometimes the language challenges required translator services.

Currently certified by the American Academy of Nurse PR actioners, Irving’s official professional designation is “APRN-BC,” Advanced Practice Registered Nurse-Board Certified. She advanced from nurse technician to registered nurse while employed at the Wesley Medical Center several years ago in Wichita. Irving has working in Winfield since August of 2014 and starts at WMA on Feb. 1.

Tracy Austin, director of nursing at SCKMC, is optimistic about Heather’s joining the team at Winfield Medical Arts.

“She is well thought of by those who are familiar with her work as an RN,” said SCKMC Director of Nursing Tracy Austin. “She is very knowledgeable and has already demonstrated she is very engaging and open with staff.”

As a graduate of Ark City High School, Irving’s roots run deep in Cowley County.

“Each semester of my senior year, I took twenty-one hours of dual credit coursework from Cowley College,” she said. “That let me take care of my prerequisites for nursing.”

Irving completed both bachelor’s (2007) and master’s (2013) degrees in nursing at Wichita State University.

Irving and her husband John are raising their three children in Ark City. Eli, Ayden and Isabelle range in age from ten to six.

Jeff Bowman, CEO for the hospital, noted that Irving’s local connections offer mutual value for patients, the community and SCKMC.

“It is always a special bonus when we are able to utilize talented professionals with roots in Cowley County,” he said. “Heather is from Ark City and has worked in Winfield for the past few years establishing her practice. As we continue to build bridges for better health and stronger communities in Cowley County it was a perfect match.”

Also Thursday, SCKMC announced it has hired Harold W. “Doc” Arnett as its new marketing director. Arnett’s background includes teaching at high school and college and serving as an administrator in both settings as well.