01/12/2026
We are so appreciative of those that helped us with this amazing opportunity. Our amazing spouses helped us remodel the old Allstate building, to make it into a functioning medical clinic. Dean Day, from the Louisiana SBDC at McNeese State University guided us in the business establishment and requirements to open a small business and SWLACU helped fund the project. DeRidder is our home, and we are so happy to be here to care for our community.
The following article is from the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at McNeese: Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC) Advantage Health Urgent Care
Homegrown Healing:
Two Nurses Bring Urgent Care Home to DeRidder
By Katie Fusilier Rather
Accessing health care in rural communities can sometimes be difficult, especially with limited clinic hours, provider shortages, and a lack of weekend availability. Recognizing this need, two Louisiana nurses set out to improve access to care in their own community.
Dr. Heather Daniels, FNP-C, and Tracy Jacobs, FNP-C, first crossed paths while working at the Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital at Fort Polk. Together, they have 35 years of combined nursing experience in emergency rooms, intensive care, pediatrics, and urgent care facilities. Daniels and Jacobs know firsthand the challenges rural patients face when seeking timely medical attention. For seven years leading up to the launch of their practice, they worked together at an urgent care facility in central Louisiana.
“We wanted to advance in our careers, and we wanted to do it in a way that truly serves our community,” Daniels said. That calling led them to establish their own urgent care clinic in their hometown of DeRidder, La. Daniels and Jacobs first bought a building and spent a year working as much as they could to fund the renovations. “At one point, I lived away for three months in Many, Louisiana, to work at an urgent care that needed someone full time,” Daniels recalled.
In September 2023, they were referred to the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC) at McNeese State University by a fellow nurse. “We know how to be nurse practitioners; we've been doing that for years. We didn’t know how to run a business,” Jacobs said. That referral proved pivotal.
Daniels and Jacobs scheduled an appointment with Dean Day, senior business consultant with the LSBDC at McNeese, housed in the Henning SEED Center. Day guided them through the complexities of launching a health care facility. He also assisted with business planning, industry research, financial projections, licensing, marketing, and office procedure development.
When asked how Day and the LSBDC at McNeese helped them with their business, Daniels replied, “They are hands down responsible for the success of this business.” Jacobs added, “Dean would email, come by, and come up with new ideas. He provided three-month, six-month, and one-year follow-ups. He truly did hold our hand from the beginning. I don't know that it would have been as successful if it was not for the LSBDC at McNeese’s program.”
By May 2024, Advantage Health Urgent Care opened its doors. The clinic offers urgent care services seven days a week, including lab testing, weight-loss injections, and sports physicals.
“Since partnering with Advantage Health Urgent Care, I have seen them transform urgent care in DeRidder by pairing medical excellence with genuine compassion. By offering shorter wait times, affordable care, and a family-oriented approach, they go beyond treating ailments to creating trust and loyalty within the community,” Day said.
Daniels and Jacobs also credit strategic marketing, their broad range of nursing experience, and commitment to compassionate care for their success. “We are blessed to have as much experience as we do. We come from ERs, ICUs, and have extensive pediatric experience. It really makes a difference in the quality of care that we provide,” Daniels explained. “One of the biggest things we hear from our patients is that we actually listen to their concerns,” Jacobs added.
As of October 2025, Daniels and Jacobs have created eight full-time jobs, bringing health care and economic growth to their hometown. Today, their clinic stands as a testament to what happens when expertise meets heart, and when small-business support meets local vision.
