Stacey Vankuiken, LPN, PHN, NCPT
Stacey Vankuiken is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Public Health Nurse with nearly 18 years of experience in the healthcare field. Based in Great Falls, Montana, she currently serves at the Cascade City-County Health Department, where she provides immunization services, conducts daycare compliance reviews, and performs phlebotomy as a National Certified Phlebotomy Technician. Her career reflects a deep commitment to patient care, community health, and ensuring access to essential services for individuals and families across diverse populations.
Stacey’s journey into healthcare began early, influenced by a strong family legacy in the medical field, including a grandfather who was a mortician, a father who served as an EMT, and a grandmother who was a trained nurse. She began her career as a Certified Nursing Assistant and EMT before earning her LPN degree from Great Falls College MSU in 2008. Over the years, she has built a well-rounded clinical background, working in family medicine, OB/GYN, oncology, and endocrinology. She spent over a decade working alongside a physician in family medicine before expanding her experience into specialty care and eventually transitioning into public health in 2019.
Now firmly rooted in public health, Stacey has found her passion in serving underserved and vulnerable populations. She is dedicated to improving access to care, particularly for individuals who face financial or systemic barriers to healthcare services. Known for her compassion and hands-on approach, she takes pride in making a meaningful difference in her community. Recognized as Employee of the Quarter in 2025, Stacey continues to be driven by her mission to support, educate, and advocate for those in need, while aspiring to further her education in public health in the future.
• Great Falls College MSU
• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Associate Degree
• LPN
• PHN
• NCPT
• American Diabetes Clinical Education Specialists (ADCES)
• American Public Health Association (APHA)
Areas of Specialization/Expertise
- Immunization
- Phlebotomy
- Public Health
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
What do you enjoy most about practicing medicine?
What I enjoy most is being able to help people who are less fortunate and really need it but have a hard time finding help. When I moved into public health, it was a more gratifying situation compared to my previous work. Public health is a big service that just kind of became part of my heart. We help people with and without insurance - for kids without insurance, we charge just the administration cost of $21.25 per immunization, or whatever they can afford, and if they can't afford it at all, we don't charge them anything. I helped a lot with patient assistance programs in my previous endocrinology role, helping people under certain poverty levels get medications from manufacturers or savings cards. It's just gratifying to be able to help those people, the less fortunate. Even though I'm not doing as much of the patient assistance work now because they cut our position, I'm still helping people, and that feels good.