Know your board — Kimberly Yung, DNP

March 15, 2021

Kimberly Yung, DNP (NP ’11)

Director of clinical services & family nurse practitioner

The Good Clinic

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Education and career path

• Doctor of Nursing Practice, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, Minnesota (2017)
• Post master’s certificate, family nurse practitioner, Minnesota State University/Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, Mankato and Rochester, Minnesota (2011)
• Master’s degree, nursing leadership and education, Regis University, Denver, Colorado (2007)
• Bachelor’s degree in nursing, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, Missouri (2003)
• Bachelor’s degree, exercise science, University of Central Missouri (1998)
• Licensed and certified APRN, FNP-C (2011), licensed and certified registered nurse (2003)
• Director of clinical services and family nurse practitioner, The Good Clinic, Minneapolis, January 2021; four years as FNP-C, MedExpress Urgent Care, Eden Prairie, Minnesota; three years as clinical assistant professor of nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; three years as FNP-C/executive team lead, Target Clinic, Richfield, Minnesota; two years as FNP-C, Park Nicollet Clinic, St. Louis Park, Minnesota; six years as FNP-C Urgent Care, Mayo Clinic Health System in Owatonna, Minnesota; three years as FNP-C express care and family medicine, Mayo Clinic Rochester; seven years as registered nurse in ER, nursing education and nursing administration; four years as exercise physiologist

How did you become interested in health care?

I have always had a strong interest in health, wellness (mental and physical) and learning about biology in school. I was active with dance, gymnastics and aerobics from grade school through college, which led me to pursue an exercise science/kinesiology undergraduate degree with psychology minor in 1998.  After receiving that degree, I took a job in exercise physiology in a cardiac rehabilitation department in Warrensburg, Missouri. This put me in the hospital setting, and I loved it. I wanted to learn more.  I was encouraged to keep going and got a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2003 and found my calling. I have had a wonderful journey with my career in nursing since that time. That journey took me to Mayo Clinic in Rochester in 2006 and the great state of Minnesota. I have worked in the ER and nursing education/administration and went on for more schooling to become an FNP-C and eventually the DNP degree. Most recently, I have been a clinical assistant professor with the University of Minnesota, and now with a very exciting new clinic, The Good Clinic in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

What drew you to your current role in health care?

After joining the University of Minnesota in 2017, I thought I had my career mapped out.  I planned to retire from UMN. I love teaching the next generation of nurse practitioners and I also had a practice with MHealth Fairview as part of that career. However, I was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with The Good Clinic in fall 2020.

The Good Clinic is a new venture of the original team that developed Minute Clinic. The Good Clinic focuses on primary care provided by nurse practitioners, with wellness and integrative health care as the foundation of our practice with patients. The team has a goal of 50 clinics in the U.S. in five years. The first clinic is in Northeast Minneapolis. We provide full-spectrum care to patients 18 and older currently. (We plan to expand to all ages in the future.) I am part of the NP leadership as director of clinical services as well as a provider at the clinic.

The Good Clinic’s focus is to have excellent well care that is disease preventive and promotes optimal mental and physical well-being.  I have been involved in developing wellness plans for patients for the last decade. Data shows that if people practice wellness when they are younger, they have a lower risk of developing chronic illnesses as they age. We are long overdue for some change in primary care, and The Good Clinic is addressing that need full on.

I will miss teaching — I loved my students. I look forward to having precepting opportunities at The Good Clinic for students.

What valuable lesson did you learn at Mayo Clinic?

Think holistically in patient care — about all the needs of the patient. What are their needs, and how can I help meet those needs? Patients are always multifaceted; one problem usually involves several needs. We are not just fixing a medical problem. We need to address everything that goes along with it. What resources do they have? Can they care for their wound at home? Do they have a home?

Why were you interested in serving on the MCSHS Alumni Association Board of Directors?

My friend Karen Sherk, NP (NP ’07), is a former president of the Alumni Association. She asked me to consider serving on the board. I have always wanted to stay in touch with Mayo Clinic. I believe Mayo is one of the best facilities in the world. I looked at this like a great opportunity to stay in touch with Mayo Clinic.

What advice do you have for MCSHS students?

Keep your mind open to all opportunities that are available through your education at Mayo Clinic. Explore those opportunities, and let the findings be your guide. A Mayo Clinic education is widely respected and recognized.

What do you do in your spare time?

I work a lot! Although as I get older, I realize it is essential to find work/life balance. I make sure to schedule time for things I love such as exercise, live music, friends, mindful meditation, and yoga. I like to travel, and I enjoy learning about and teaching alternative wellness care, including yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, massage, etc.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I have a cosmetology license. I received it in 1994, and that was my job through my college years. I do cuts and color on the side occasionally to keep my hand in it. I still have an active Missouri cosmetology license and plan to keep it.