In Sept. 2025, Wembley, Alta’s only medical clinic was set to close—until nurse practitioners Chantelle Gray and Tegan Ruether stepped up to run it.
The two graduates of Athabasca University’s Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner program submitted their application to start an NP-led clinic, and jumped at the chance to fill a critical need in the small community outside Grande Prairie, where a fully outfitted medical clinic was just sitting empty.
“They kind of had this empty space that was sitting here with all this equipment. Essentially a turnkey medical clinic, but they had nobody to pick it up and to set up their practice here,” said Gray.
Wembley town council was thrilled by their interest in helping the community and supported them by letting them take over the lease of the space.
“They were looking for a stable medical home for the people that live in this area to be able to access primary care, to be able to address mental health concerns, to be able to do some health education. They're very forward-thinking out here,” she said.
“It’s a creative collaboration between private primary care providers and municipal governments that do have some flexibility in their budget to be able to help primary care providers with their start and help offset some of the costs associated with starting or maintaining a practice.”
The clinic, Northern Alberta’s first standalone nurse-practitioner-led practice, re-opened on Nov. 3, 2025, and has only continued to grow and expand.
Just really, the flexibility was huge... If I was having to travel to a larger centre... I wouldn't understand the local context and that makes it challenging.
Chantelle Gray, Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner '25
Filling gaps with nurse-practitioner-led clinics
The number of people who don't have primary care physicians in the area around Wembley is 27%, a number well above the national average, said Gray.
So Gray (Master of Nursing - Nurse Practitioner '25) and Ruether (Master of Nursing - Nurse Practitioner '18) were welcomed by the community with open arms.
Their scope of practice as nurse practitioners is the same as a primary care physician’s, including diagnosing and treating illnesses, prescribing medications, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, and providing referrals. Under the Government of Alberta’s Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program (NPPCP), nurse practitioners can operate their own clinics and provide care independently. 
She is looking forward to continuing to build collaborative and respectful relationships with their physician colleagues in neighbouring rural communities.
“We're all kind of fighting the same battle and we all can support each other with different strengths. So I think just exploring that in more detail and just being open and receptive to that is really important,” she explained.
“The blessing of it is that you can also create the atmosphere that you want and you can make it what you want and you can be very responsive if something's not working."
What started as a clinic for Wembley patients has expanded to now accepting patients from Grande Prairie and beyond.
A flexible education
As a Grande Prairie resident raising a family, Gray chose AU’s Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner program because of the flexibility it provided—both physically and financially.
“Just really, the flexibility was huge,” she said.
“It allowed me to use some of my connections locally to secure practicums and things like that... If I was having to travel to a larger centre... I wouldn't understand the local context and that makes it challenging.”
Thanks to recent Targeted Enrolment Expansion funding from the Government of Alberta, AU’s Nurse Practitioner and Master of Counselling programs will be able to expand and support even more learners across Alberta, including those living in rural and remote areas, and provide critical health care to patients in those communities.
The funding supports AU's unique mission to provide access and opportunity to learners wherever they live, to make their highest contributions to their communities.
AU's nurse practitioner program is the largest in the country, training more nurse practitioners than all other Canadian programs combined. One-third of all nurse practitioners nationally are AU alumni.
“Nurses are at the heart of our healthcare system, and AU is fortunate to continue to contribute to the nurse practitioner workforce across the country,” said Dr. Alex Clark, president of AU.
“Targeted funding from the Government of Alberta helps AU grow programs that allow AU students to stay in their communities, and continue to change the lives of those around them.”
Supporting nurse practitioner education
The clinic has been so successful, Gray and Ruether have added two more nurse practitioners to their team.They’re also empowering future nurse practitioners to bring health-care access to their own communities, and want to do more to support, mentor, and supervise nurse practitioner students—as they once were.
Their clinic currently has three nurse practitioner students from across the province, including AU nursing students.
It allowed me to use some of my connections locally to secure practicums and things like that... If I was having to travel to a larger centre... I wouldn't understand the local context and that makes it challenging.
Chantelle Gray, Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner '25