The Good Clinic’s director of clinical services, Kim Yung, was recently featured in the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences (MCSHS) newsletter. The interview, entitled “Know your board — Kimberly Yung, DNPAs,” highlighted Kim’s broad healthcare expertise and The Good Clinic’s holistic, disease-preventive approach to optimal mental and physical wellbeing.

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 a 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 M Health 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 wellbeing. 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 inpatient 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 as 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 a 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.

Click here to view the article in the MCSHS online newsletter.

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