Candance “Candy” Guinn of El Dorado felt called into nursing from a young age. Now a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Guinn’s health care career is entering a new stage as she opens her own clinic.
The need for mental health services in her hometown led her to start The Guinn Clinic, an outpatient psychiatric practice.
Guinn saw her first patient on Nov. 22, 2019, while the clinic was still being renovated. The grand opening and ribbon cutting were held on Dec 4.
Following Her Passion
Guinn received her technical certificate in nursing in 1997. She went on to receive associate and bachelor’s degrees in nursing from Southern Arkansas University. Most recently, she earned her Master of Science in Nursing with psychiatric-mental health emphasis from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2019.
Many of her nursing rotations brought her into contact with patients suffering from mood disorders, depression, schizophrenia, substance abuse, and more.
Throughout her career, she developed a passion for patient advocacy. She longed to open her own clinic to help meet the psychiatric/mental health provider shortage in South Arkansas. According to Guinn, many people drive long distances to seek care or are not receiving care at all due to the limited services available.
Guinn was referred to SAU’s Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center by Carl Sivils of Southern Bancorp in El Dorado. She sought assistance with her business plan and financial projections.
‘Invaluable Service, Exceptional People’
“Invaluable service provided by exceptional people,” Guinn said of the SAU center.
“My career background and expertise are clinical, not business. Business planning, knowledge about financial goals, and understanding the reality about those goals is so important to the success of the business. ASBTDC offers this free service of helping people just like me,” she said.
Working with the center was convenient for Guinn. “Resources are available online and in-person. Communication is easy (by) email, text, face-to-face.”
Goals and Challenges
Guinn has several immediate goals for the clinic. She will seek Medication Assisted Treatment grant approval to help pay for services provided to patients who have an opioid addiction. She also plans to complete the Master Psychopharmacology Program through Neuroscience Education Institute.
As her practice grows, she expects to hire additional staff.
Owning a business involves more than she could have imagined, Guinn said. For starters, she mentions compliance with state, local and federal laws, written policies and guidelines, insurance credentialing, human resource duties, and how to effectively manage her time.
Guinn knows she is not alone and appreciates everyone who has been a part of the journey, including her husband, Andy Guinn; her CPA, Crystal Willis; Sivils; and ASBTDC.
“ASBTDC helped me through an extremely challenging and stressful time of putting together our business plan. I felt and continue to feel supported and know that I can contact Kristen (Cribb) at any time – no matter the question or concern,” she said. “I have complete faith that no matter what business challenges lie ahead, we will be able to figure it out together.”