Fayette County nurse practitioner bringing health care to rural Central Texas communities

Twin four-year-old girls Rainey and Rylee hopped up on the exam table at the hometown clinic in Schulenberg where Judy Vire works. The girls, their two brothers and mom drove in from Flatonia.

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SCHULENBERG, Texas (KXAN) -- Twin four-year-old girls Rainey and Rylee hopped up on the exam table at the hometown clinic in Schulenberg where Judy Vire works. The girls, their two brothers and mom drove in from Flatonia.

This is one of several towns nurse practitioner Vire and her clinic, Kocurek & James, serve. Vire has dedicated her life to establishing care for patients in rural parts of Central Texas. She is one of a few providers offering medical care to communities desperate for easier access.

Rianey and Rylee's mom Amy Richter said Vire treats her kids, “like family. She loves my kids like I would."

Vire is a mom herself, and grandmother. She has a master’s degree in nursing, was a nursing educator and worked many nursing roles, but she said it’s her love of small-town America and the people there that inspire her life’s work.

Vire and her family put down roots in Flatonia. She helped open the Rural Health Clinic in Flatonia and Schulenberg. This medical care is paramount for folks who live in this rural part of Central Texas.

“It’s critical. Without having access to care close to home, people would be commuting into Austin, Katy, Victoria -- that’s at least an hour drive any way you go," Vire said. "These small communities really depend on having these home-grown clinics close to home for convenience and access to care."

Vire is often known to make house calls to the most vulnerable patients who are unable to leave their homes.

“Because it’s a rural area, we serve an older population. The 65 and older -- it’s our largest population and they, of course, need the most care,” Vire explained.

Regardless of whether a patient is old or young, Vire believes establishing trust is most important.

“Healthcare is personal. And when you gotta tell someone bad news that impacts their lives, that is very personal, and people let you do that and they trust you to do that," she said.

That trust, she said, is why she’s given over 40 years to this career. Throughout her time at the Schulenberg clinic, she has seen generations of families making a daily impact on these communities. But she also made statewide news in 2003 when she was named Nurse Practitioner of the Year. And now she can add another accolade to her resume as this year’s Remarkable Woman nominee.

“It feels wonderful, and I was very surprised, because there’s a whole lot of more remarkable women than myself," she said.

When asked about her most treasured career accomplishment at this clinic, she said it's time.

"Maybe it's longevity," Vire said. "I can’t believe it’s been 30-some-odd years and I am still doing this. I am proud of that."