Mercy Southeast grows clinical hospital team

CAPE GIRARDEAU — Mercy Southeast is strengthening its team of caregivers to enhance patients’ experience in the hospital.

Three new hospitalists joined Mercy Hospital Southeast’s team at 1701 Lacey Street, Cape Girardeau, to better care for patients and their families: Dr. Joshua Buell and nurse practitioners Judy Pfeiffer and Nick Ervin. Hospitalists care for inpatients, meaning they provide care exclusively for patients in the hospital.

Dr. Joshua Buell

A Jackson, Missouri, native, Buell began his health care career as a tech in Cape Girardeau pharmacies. He then earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s degree in biomedical science from A.T. Still University College of Graduate Health Studies in Kirksville, Missouri. He completed medical school at A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“I’m so grateful to be providing care for patients in the community where I grew up,” Buell said. “The community has given so much to me over the years, and I’m excited to finally be able to give back and offer excellent patient experiences. It’s such a pleasure working with my Mercy Southeast team.”

Nick Ervin

Returning to his roots, Ervin joined Mercy Southeast as a board-certified family nurse practitioner. Ervin began his health care career at Mercy Southeast as a Can in 2006. Since then, he’s earned his licensed practical nurse degree from the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center in 2011, his associate degree in nursing from the Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences in 2013, and his bachelor of science in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in 2015. He then completed his master of science in nursing through Maryville University in St. Louis to become a family nurse practitioner in 2018.

“I’m looking forward to many things,” Ervin said. “I’ve spent much of my time throughout my career providing end-of-life care or managing chronic illnesses. Moving into a role as a hospitalist caring for adults has provided me with the opportunity to actually treat patients and their disease processes, as opposed to simply managing symptoms of potentially terminal conditions. I’m from Cape Girardeau. My three children were born here. I was born here. My father was born here, and his father was born at Mercy Southeast. Taking this role on was an opportunity for me to come home.”

Judy Pfeiffer

With more than 20 years of nursing experience, Pfeiffer recently returned to Mercy Southeast’s team. Her wealth of experience includes concentrations in neurology and cardiology as well as additional experience in medical surgical, medical intensive care and pediatrics. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Southeast Missouri State University, a master’s degree in nursing at Saint Louis University and is credentialed as an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.

“There are so many amazing people, nurses and providers at Mercy Southeast,” Pfeiffer said. “I’m blessed to join this team and work side by side with them. I love connecting with patients and their families by providing quality care — meeting each individual where they are in life, communicating in a way they can understand and helping them understand their disease process. There can be a lot of fear and anxiety when someone is sick or injured. It’s my hope that through this connection and open, honest communication, I can relieve some of those anxieties and the fear of the unknown.”