Tonya Howard

Nurse Practitioner

I began as a patient at Vizuri Health Center in 2007.  I then joined the staff in January 2009. I act as a bridge between the natural approach and the Western Medicine approach.  I work as a partner with Dr. Schenck to provide a more comprehensive picture of a patient and a broader palette of treatment possibilities.  My focus is to look at the whole picture of a patient: physical, emotional, and spiritual.

After practicing nursing for 10 years I decided to become a nurse practitioner and have been such for 24 years now.  I did my undergrad studies in Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee.  I earned a Masters in community health nursing-certified as a family nurse practitioner at Yale University in 1986. I have also worked as an intensive care nurse and lived in Guatemala for three years, working with the Mayan Quiche Indians on health and nutrition.

In my spare time I enjoy reading a good book.  I love going to the movies, spending time with friends and family and being outdoors.