Culmore Clinic Announces Gustava Zimmer as New Nurse Practitioner Thanks to Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF)
Culmore Clinic is excited to announce the hiring of a new nurse practitioner, Gustava Zimmer. With more than 20 years’ experience, Zimmer comes to Culmore Clinic having most recently served as a Nurse Midwife and OB/Gyn at Mary Washington Health Systems in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Zimmer graduated with a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, has a Master of Science in Nursing and Midwifery from Frontier Nursing University in Hyden, Kentucky, and most recently, received her Post Master’s Certificate in Adult Primary Care from South University in Savannah, Georgia. During her career, Zimmer has worked with high-risk populations, diverse communities and those experiencing traumatic situations. Her nursing experience ranges from working in the open-heart suite to end-of-life care. She estimates that she has helped to deliver over one thousand babies.
Zimmer was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and brought up in a small mountain top village in a lush tropical forest. Her family lived in a very rustic environment with no electricity and no running water, however she loved the setting. She has lived in the United States for nearly 40 years and remembers feeling unprepared and speaking very little English upon her arrival.
“To survive I did odd jobs, like most immigrants do,” says Zimmer. “As soon as I could speak the language with confidence, I enrolled in night school. I slowly attained education and was accepted to nursing school, a feat that took me about 6 years to achieve. The journey of succeeding was an arduous one, but I am here today, offering the best I can to my community. Being part of the Team at Culmore Clinic has great meaning to me because for many years, my family and I were clients at the Bailey’s Crossroads's free clinic. Being here brings my life story full circle. I believe in purely caring and caring purely. Being part of this team allows me to honor this mission.”
Zimmer's new position was funded in part by a new grant from the Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF). VHCF is a public/private partnership that helps uninsured Virginia residents and those who live in underserved communities obtain medical, dental and mental health care. Their work also supports organizations like Culmore Clinic to expand the types of care offered to patients.
“Culmore Clinic is especially fortunate to be among the Virginia safety net organizations to receive grant support from the Virgina Health Care Foundation to hire professional medical staff,” said Lynette Sappe-Watkins, Culmore Clinic executive Director. The VHCF understands that the presence of a full-time provider enables free clinics like ours to provide more patient visits and deliver greater continuity of care.”