Nurse practitioner has a heart “as big as Texas”

When you meet that health care prover who instantly bridges the gap between Veteran-patient and provider in such a way that you instantly bond, you know you’ve found the right provider. That’s how family nurse practitioner Susan Mullinax bonds with her patients.

Mullinax sees an average of 12 patients daily with a wide variety of medical challenges, which requires clear, open and honest conversations with her patients to develop the best care plan for each patient. As the women Veteran care provider, Mullinax has developed a special rapport with this rapidly growing Veteran population.

“I try and put myself in their shoes” said Mullinax, one of West Texas VA’s primary care providers based in Big Spring. “I’ve experienced it myself where you see a doctor and they don’t even look at you. Just acknowledging a patient as a person, talking to them, will really help you understand their concerns and be able to treat them better.

“The Veteran who really understands their body the best is my patient. If people have tried something for so long with no results, we can get them to a specialist to really find out what’s going on.”

Coaching, inspiring and managing care plan

Cheryl King, Navy Veteran and patient of Mullinax, sees the results of her provider’s efforts in providing first-class care. King’s first-hand experience saw her faced with numerous ailments, which Mullinax treated one-by-one, with coaching, inspiring and managing the care plan throughout.

“Her approach to health is to make her patients feel better quickly. She referred me to a lot of specialists to find out what’s really going and to find answers. That made all the difference in the world to me,” King shared. 

Pictured above, Mullinax (left) shares a special moment with Navy Veteran Cheryl King.

King sees the difference of care from Mullinax as something truly special. “She’s got a heart as big as Texas. She takes all her patients’ concerns seriously. She gives them the best care she can imagine, like she was giving it to one of her loved ones.”

Mullinax received her Family Nurse Practitioner Certification from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. For the past two years she has contributed her expertise in medicine to the Women’s Health clinic at the George H. O’Brien, Jr. VA.

Women Veterans are the fastest growing population at West Texas VA. The Women’s Clinic provides specialty services, such as gynecology and fertility treatment, sensory aids, prosthetics, and gender-specific items like post mastectomy needs.

Use this site to find the available health services and resources you have earned as a woman Veteran.