Rural Nurse Network — Jennifer Littlefield
Tucked into an inlet of West Grand Traverse Bay resides a colorful downtown strip. Windchimes pick up wind off the lake to carry sound through the streets. Beaches and parks hum with water lapping calmly onto the shore. It is here in Suttons Bay that Jennifer Littlefield, MSN '12, knew that she did the right thing coming back to northern Michigan for her career and her family.
Littlefield serves as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) for Leelanau Family Practice (LFP), a Spartan-owned clinic in Suttons Bay that cares for patients across Leelanau and Grand Traverse counties. The practice hosts one physician, Dr. Jessica Paquette (DO, '12), who owns the facility. There are two FNPs in the clinic, including Littlefield and Molly Lowe.
“Being out here in Leelanau County, we take care of a lot of our patients’ issues, if we can, without having to send them away to get care,” said Littlefield.
Littlefield earned her BSN in 1994, then began her career as an obstetrics nurse. She transitioned to maternal child education after three years, teaching maternal health for 15 years in several nursing institutions. She and her husband moved frequently for each other’s careers, but they knew that they wanted to find a place to settle and raise their family.
Littlefield grew up on Old Mission Peninsula, just across Grand Traverse Bay from Suttons Bay. The area still held great importance to her.
“It was just an amazing place to grow up,” said Littlefield. “We were outside all the time in the lakes, swimming, boating all the time. I think everyone who lives up here is really loves it and is proud of it.”
Littlefield and her husband, Peter Wilkinson (MD, '11), decided to return to the Grand Traverse area in 2009 after many years out of the state. Littlefield took the opportunity to further her education, enrolling in the MSU College of Nursing’s FNP program.
“I decided I wanted to do additional education and become a nurse practitioner, do more with my degree,” said Littlefield.
Littlefield found several opportunities to practice in the Grand Traverse area. She met Paquette at a clinic in Suttons Bay. When Paquette opened LFP, Littlefield followed her in 2018, where she has remained since.
“I feel like Michigan State really prepared me to work in a rural setting and to build trust with patients by focusing on standards of care and evidence-based medicine.”
Littlefield has experienced her share of health barriers residing in a rural area. A major struggle that she sees for her patients is access to care. The nearest city to Suttons Bay is Traverse City. However, there is only one major hospital covering that city. Getting into a specialist in northern facilities is more difficult with limited facilities.
“There’s just no one to refer to,” said Littlefield. “Or there’s going to be a six-month to a year wait. Some of these patients are very sick, so sometimes we have to refer them downstate.”
Littlefield also sees barriers with patient skepticism. The population that LFP services can be averse to seeking healthcare treatments. Whether the cause be a lack of access to or a distrust of healthcare providers, Littlefield notices low medication adherence among the Suttons Bay’s population.
“Something like hypertension, high cholesterol, just something that doesn’t jive with their health beliefs that they would take something like a pill every day for the rest of their lives… it’s hard for them to feel good about that,” said Littlefield.
This is where Littlefield prioritizes building trust between a patient and their healthcare provider. If Littlefield can build trust and make connections with her community members, it could lead to better outcomes should they need treatment from LFP. She also employs communication tactics she learned at MSU.
“I feel like Michigan State really prepared me to work in a rural setting and to build trust with patients by focusing on standards of care and evidence-based medicine,” said Littlefield. “I can always go back to what the science is showing.”
Littlefield also employs a skill called “motivational interviewing” that encourages patients to share their long-term health goals. By understanding their health goals, Littlefield can create better treatment plans that will address acute issues and long-term aspirations alike.
Perhaps the most influential skills that Littlefield has in her toolbox is her connection to the Suttons Bay community. She deeply values being a part of the same community her patients call home.
“Living in this community and patients seeing me at the grocery store, at the post office, at school events, I think that helps with trust,” said Littlefield. “It helps them be more accepting of treatment plans that they might not otherwise be excellent at.
“I just feel super blessed to be able to be living in this area and to be working with patients in this area,” said Littlefield. “They’re just good, hardworking people.”