Board-certified family nurse practitioners Roy Slootheer and his wife, Amber Redding-Slootheer, recently opened a new health care clinic in the metro that takes a different approach to medicine than its competitors.
Premier Healthcare takes a more holistic approach to patient care, and focuses more attention on wellness—that is, making lifestyle changes that help prevent disease and illness.
This approach comes both from Roy’s upbringing in the Netherlands, where he says a more holistic and natural approach is the norm for health care, and from their combined experiences in the area of urgent care.
Your educational/career backgrounds?
Amber: I graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a bachelor of nursing degree (RN) at Oklahoma State University in 2008. In 2016, I earned a master of science degree with honors in nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner) from Graceland University, where Roy and I first met. I am scheduled to earn a doctorate of nursing practice from OU in May 2021. As an RN, I’ve worked in women’s health, mom/baby postpartum, and labor and delivery at OU Medical Center for two years, then as a recovery nurse for Dean McGee Eye Surgery Center for six years. I have practiced in emergency medicine, pediatric surgery and urgent care.
Roy: I was born and raised in the Netherlands, where I completed my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I immigrated to this country and earned a second psychology degree from Ashford University in 1995. I was a volunteer firefighter and paramedic specialist for 12 years while living in Altoona, Iowa. In 2010, I completed my nursing (RN) degree and worked as an ER nurse in one of the largest hospitals in Iowa. I earned a master of nursing degree (family nurse practitioner) with honors from Graceland University in 2016. As a nurse practitioner, I have experience in urgent care, emergency/trauma care and thoracic oncology surgery.
What sets Premier Healthcare apart from other metro medical providers?
Roy: Every patient is unique and needs a personalized approach. We meet with the patient and discuss goals to obtain optimal achievable health through a holistic approach, which may include counseling in such areas as nutrition, smoking cessation, stress management and alternative medicine. If needed, we will refer to patient to specialists.
Amber: Another important aspect of our practice is that we are independent and not linked to a large organization or hospital that will limit us in referring patients to specialists.
What special services does the clinic offer?
Amber: We offer primary care with an after-hours clinic and opening hours on Saturdays so our patients do not have to take an afternoon off from work to come in. We also accept patients on a walk-in basis as needed.
We offer strep, flu and COVID testing, as well as cholesterol and blood glucose (A1C) testing. Amber offers well-woman exams (including PAP smears), and we both offer help with weight loss, nutrition, stress management, smoking cessation, and healthy lifestyle education. Sick visits are welcome, as well as minor injuries such as cuts (we can perform suturing and minor wound care), scrapes, burns and minor sprains/strains.
What is meant by your tagline, “Primary Care From Our Family to Yours?”
Roy: Amber and I are husband and wife, and we are a family with our employees as well. We’d like to think that our patients will become like family over the years as well!
Are you/your staff active in the community?
Roy: Our goal in starting this clinic was always to give back to our community by providing personalized, convenient health care. Amber and I are active members in the Association of Oklahoma Nurse Practitioners and donate to many charities. We donate frequently to the American Cancer Society, St. Jude Hospital and Food for the Poor.
Our nurse and office manager, Mika Gibson, does a yearly blanket and coat drive for the homeless in our area.
COVID-19 measures being taken to assure staff and patients’ safety?
Amber: Everything possible. For example, our staff wear surgical masks while in the clinic (N95 masks while seeing patients with COVID symptoms) and each room is cleaned and sanitized after every patient. We also offer the option of swabbing those with COVID symptoms in their car.
Can you share some personal things about you and your wife?
Roy: My first non-fiction book, Broken Glass, published earlier this year, details the journey of my late wife, Becky, and our family as we navigated through her lung cancer diagnosis, treatment and eventual passing. I am currently working on part two, which covers the grieving experiences I and my boys experienced after losing her. I am also working on my first fiction book: it is a spy-type novel full of action and adventure! I also enjoy traveling, working out and spending time with my wife and our three children, Connor, Dane and Bella.
Amber: We met while in our master’s program at Graceland University. I lived here in Oklahoma and Roy was still living in Iowa. We bonded a lot over class discussions and became Facebook friends. Eventually our conversations became longer, and one day he asked if he could drive eight hours from Iowa to Moore to take me to dinner. We were engaged after four weeks of dating and married after five weeks, so the rest, as they say, is history!
Premier Healthcare
12208 S. Western Ave., Suite B
Oklahoma City
735.3135