Mother's early example inspired Oaklawn's new Family Nurse Practitioner

MARSHALL – For Holly Tuyls, the path toward a career in medicine began early in life.

“My mom used to be a nurse aide and worked in an adult foster care home,” Tuyls recalled, adding that she also watched her mother attend to her cancer-stricken grandmother in later years.

“Taking care of people who needed help” seemed more of a calling than a job, Tuyls said. As a result, at age 17 she began serving as a nurse aid in a facility in the Michigan town of Baldwin.

“It’s fair to say that my mom was a role model for me,” Tuyls said. “And when I became pregnant, I realized that I needed a stable career. That’s when it hit me that I really needed to go to nursing school.”

Tuyls, now 39, has served as a nurse at varying levels of enhanced responsibility, and has joined Oaklawn as a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She will see patients at Oaklawn After Hours Express at 111 S. Hamilton St., and at Oaklawn’s office at 14231 Beadle Lake Road, Battle Creek.

A native of the Clare and Custer areas in northern lower Michigan, Tuyls came to the Battle Creek area about two decades ago. She has a 19-year-old son, Troy, and is an outdoors enthusiast who enjoys golf, kayaking and fishing tournaments throughout Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties.

Tuyls obtained her degree as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 2001 from Kellogg Community College, and went on to earn an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from KCC in 2004. From 1999 until 2004, Tuyls worked as a certified nursing assistant for Battle Creek-based Laurels of Bedford.

In 2004, Tuyls began work for Bronson Battle Creek, which she served most recently as house manager. From 2012 to 2014, she also served as a registered nurse and charge nurse at Sturgis Hospital’s Emergency Department.

Tuyls received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 2013 from Spring Arbor University, and a Master’s of Nursing degree in 2016 from South University in Savannah, Ga.

Tuyls is certified in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, Basic Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and is a member of the Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

“It’s a very great pleasure to welcome Holly to her new position with Oaklawn,” said Mark Montross, Executive Director of the Oaklawn Medical Group. “We are always searching for skilled professionals such as Holly, because of their extensive background in patient care and commitment to excellence.”

When asked why she chose to consider joining Oaklawn, Tuyls pointed to Marshall’s tight-knit, caring nature.

“I just enjoy the small-community feel, and helping with a population whom you can really get to know,” she said. “I am focused on patient and family satisfaction, upholding practical standard guidelines, improving overall health and wellness and dedicated to providing quality healthcare to patients.”

Tuyls also said she expects her work at Oaklawn After Hours Express to feel very familiar.

“Coming from the ER myself, I’m comfortable with an urgent clinic kind of setting,” she said. “It’s something I definitely enjoy.”

When a medical service is required urgently after normal office hours, visitors to the Marshall facility can expect acute-care services they typically receive from their regular physicians. Treatment is available for all ages, from adults and children over 3 months of age, on a first-come, first-served basis.