Dedicated to University health

When it comes to the well-being of students and employees at USI, the University Health Center (UHC) strives to provide the best care possible. Managed by Deaconess Health System, the UHC includes a full clinic staff֫—Family Nurse Practitioners Melissa Attebury, Beth Miles and Kelly Kull (who recently joined the staff)—and offers a variety of healthcare services to the campus community.

Meet Kelly Kull, FNP

Healthcare was not the first career choice for Kelly Kull; but it is a path she has never regretted finding. A native of Evansville, she has earned bother her undergraduate and master's degrees in nursing from USI (she also holds a bachelor's degree in graphic design from Ball State University).

Kull spent her first career doing freelance graphic design work for around 15 years as her children were growing up. However, nursing is in her blood, and the pull to help others prompted a career change. “I started nursing later in life, but I’m a third-generation nurse,” she says.

Kull returned to USI, now for a nursing degree, six and a half years ago in a private clinic in Darmstadt, Indiana, working for Dr. Vivien Tucker. When it came time for Tucker to retire, she passed along her group of patients to Kull. “So, for almost six years, I’ve managed my own panel of patients. During that time, I’ve practiced chronic disease management, acute care and wellness and prevention,” she explains.

Though the work was rewarding, Kull admits her work/life balance was not what she wished it to be. When talking with fellow USI graduate and UHC Family Nurse Practitioner Beth Miles, an opportunity opened up that Kull knew she couldn’t miss. “When Beth heard Dr. Harbin (the former UHC doctor) was leaving, Beth called me and said I should consider coming to USI,” she explains.

And that’s exactly what Kull did, joining as the third NP in early 2023.

When she joined the UHC, however, it was not only a full-circle moment for Kull, but also a new special honor to the clinic—Kull, Attebury and Miles are all USI nursing graduates. “That’s a strength,” Kull points out. “Beth and I actually did our undergraduate nursing degrees together here at USI.”

Building on these connections, experience and knowledge, Kull has a lot of hope and excitement for her new role at USI—the biggest being a new clinic space in the Recreation, Fitness and Wellness Center (RFWC), currently under construction. “I’m hoping we will be growing in the new space; maybe even educate the campus community more about the UHC and what we offer. We’ve got to get out there more.”

As she settles into her role at the UHC and her return to campus, Kull says there’s so much about the Center and the University that excites her. The Center staff are “fabulous,” she says, and have been welcoming, and she is really looking forward to working with the University community, especially the students. “A lot of the students here, they are the same age as my kids. So, part of me feels a little motherly. I’ve already discovered in my time here how we can educate and teach the student population.”

Open for all of USI

If you think the UHC is just a resource for students, then you would be mistaken. Though the Center is a great benefit for our students, allowing them to stay healthy by visiting a conveniently located clinic, the UHC serves the entire USI community—faculty and staff included. And that service goes beyond what many may think.

“We treat pretty much anything,” says, Haley Wade, UHC Practice Manager. “Your sinuses, your colds and basic office visits. We also do all kinds of points of care testing, including flu, COVID, strep, STI. We are like an urgent care clinic, but we also serve as primary care for some people as well.”

“For faculty and employees who don’t have a primary provider, we offer here what you can get at any primary care medical office,” adds Kull. “From preventative care and wellness physicals to acute care. For the student population, there’s so much we offer. We can really do anything any other clinic can. We also offer immunizations, and women's and men's healthcare, including STI testing and paps.”

The UHC can do lab testing and prescribe medications as needed. Staff also have a working relationship with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) in providing mental health care to students. And there’s a real convenience to having such a medical facility on campus; not only can patients obtain healthcare close by, but it’s easy to schedule an appointment and get care quickly rather than having to wait for an open spot. USI students and employees can easily schedule an appointment time through the UHC’s online portal, as well as choose which provider they prefer.

“Also, we are a super affordable option for students for all the services we offer,” adds Wade.

The UHC staff is excited about the new space at the RFWC and already are planning to build UHC’s presence across campus with the new location. Kull’s goals around growth for the UHC include even more expansion of services, incorporating chronic disease management and prevention. But at the forefront remains the need to expand reach to get more involved on campus. What that looks like to Kull is more programs and educational materials—she is currently working on a functional medicine program, which teaches illness and disease prevention rather than waiting until medication is the only option.

All in all, the work now will lay the foundation for the UHC to be more visible at USI. “I want this to be a clinic that is known,” says Kull. “And I think we do that by strengthening the health of our campus and the employees who work here.”

To learn more about the UHC, services offered or to schedule an appointment, visit usi.edu/health-center.