In 2022, Marley Palmer returned to her hometown of Larned to perform her nurse-practitioner clinicals at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital’s (PVCH) Family Medicine Clinic.

Today, she is the new addition to the full-time staff at the clinic where she is seeing patients of all ages.

“Larned is home to me,” Palmer said. “I wanted to come back and take care of my hometown people. I pride myself on caring for my patients as if they were my own family.”

Palmer’s family-medicine practice entails chronic-care management, women’s health, preventive healthcare and acute care.

“While I enjoy all these areas of family medicine, my specialty is well-child/pediatric care,” Palmer commented.

She noted that her previous experience at the PVCH Family Medicine Clinic played an instrumental role in her education.

“My clinicals here helped prepare me for the care and treatment of patients from birth on up,” she explained. “The experience also allowed me to become confident in my clinical decision-making, while treating a wide variety of health conditions.

“Family-practice clinicals allow you to use your knowledge and a variety of skills to provide the best treatment possible. I was fortunate to pursue my training with professionals at our Family Medicine Clinic.”

Palmer’s previous work experience includes progressive, acute and skilled care, along with pediatrics.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Fort Hays State University in 2019. In May of last year, Palmer graduated from the FHSU Doctor of Nursing Practice Family Nurse Practitioner program.

After receiving her bachelor’s, Palmer worked as an RN at Kearney (Neb.) Regional Medical Center on the Progressive Unit for more than two years.

“Then I moved home to Larned and worked as an RN at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital and in the Family Medicine Clinic,” she recalled.

Palmer is board certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

During her leisure time, Palmer enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the lake and concerts, reading “and just living life in a small town.”

Melanie Urban, administrator at PVCH, expressed her enthusiasm about Palmer joining the Pawnee Valley team.

“Family-medicine providers play a crucial role in delivering comprehensive healthcare to our community,” Urban said. “Marley’s pediatric experience and community passion make her a great addition to our team.”

Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, 923 Carroll in Larned, is a 25-bed facility, offering many services not typically available in a smaller facility. Included are 24/7 emergency care; acute, skilled and specialized nursing; surgery; high-tech imaging and laboratory tests; wound care; rehabilitation; and sleep and diagnostic center. PVCH Family Medicine provides the full range of family-medicine services; physician-assisted weight loss; and women’s health services. The hospital’s number is 620-285-3161; the clinic’s number is 620-804-6007.