Kelly Wosnick
Excerpts from Her Homecoming 2019 Address
“We all have a story. And even if you do not feel like yours is anything unique or different, we all make a difference in people’s lives,” says Dr. Kelly K. Wosnik (BS ’99, MS ’03).
Wosnik, a nurse practitioner and founder of Bristol Health, first learned about medicine as a patient, not a provider. Born with a genetic condition called cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) that affects teeth and most of the bones in the body, she underwent many difficult surgeries while growing up. Her experiences led her to study nursing at BYU, where she was befriended and mentored by caring faculty.
Confidence from a mentor and gentle reassurance can make a huge difference to anyone. “I’ve had many of those reassuring people throughout my life,” she says. “The biggest thing is to rely on the Lord. You can try independently, but I guarantee you cannot succeed without His help.”
And anyone who works with Wosnik knows she frequently says, “I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m just doing it. And the Lord assists. The one thing I know for sure is that Heavenly Father does know all and that He knows how to help me do it.”
Wosnik completed the family nurse practitioner program at BYU in 2003, graduating as valedictorian. In 2009, she earned a DNP from the University of Utah. Since then, she has established an on-site medical clinic for Mountain Country Foods, a dog food treat manufacturer with more than 400 employees. In addition, she now employs 20 people through her clinic as she bridges family medicine and psychiatry to meet patients’ mental health needs.
As part of her master’s thesis on CCD, she found dozens of people with similar experiences to hers. (The congenital disability affects approximately one in a million births.) Unfortunately, there was limited medical information about it. Doctors about their symptoms and conditions teach, most of the time, those living with it.
In 2017, she established the nonprofit organization CCD Smiles to develop awareness for CCD and support those with the condition. To help promote the resources, she teamed up with Gaten Matarazzo, the actor who plays Dustin on Stranger Things, who also has the disorder.
She often says that her heart is not big enough to continue caring for so many. “It’s so hard to show the emotional strength to help people with depression, anxiety, heartache, or CCD. But [the Lord] continues giving strength to me, and I feel connected to Him. When I walk into my clinic, it is almost like having Heavenly Father helping me,” she concludes. “I love mental health.”