With more than four decades of experience in nursing and patient care, Suzanne “Suzi” Huffer, FNP, brings a lifetime of dedication and perspective to her role serving both Occupational Medicine and HEALTHeACCESS patients. Suzi began her healthcare journey in 1985, graduating from the St. Elizabeth School of Nursing Diploma Program, later earning her BSN in 2002 and MSN in 2020, both from Purdue University. Achieving her goal of becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner was the culmination of years spent helping others heal, learn, and thrive.

Before joining the Franciscan WorkingWell and HEALTHeACCESS team in 2020, Suzi spent 36 years in the Emergency Department, caring for patients through some of life’s most urgent and challenging moments. That background shaped her clinical interests and gave her a deep appreciation for injury care and hands-on medicine. Today, she channels that same energy into helping employees recover quickly, return safely to work, and maintain long-term wellness. “I’ve always wanted to help people become healthier,” she says, “and while that’s gotten harder in the modern healthcare environment, it’s still what motivates me every day.”

Suzi’s approach to medicine centers on active listening, education, and partnership. She believes every patient deserves to feel heard and understood… and that healthcare should meet people where they are. Her practical, down-to-earth philosophy reflects her balance between compassion and accountability: “Everything in moderation—be good 80% of the time and give yourself grace the other 20%. And get your 30 minutes of activity every day—no excuses.”

Practicing in the Lafayette area for 40 years has given Suzi the unique privilege of caring for multiple generations of local families. She takes pride in being part of her patients’ stories, often seeing parents, their children, and even grandchildren over the years. One particularly meaningful connection came full circle when, at her daughter’s wedding, she reunited with a former trauma patient she once cared for as a flight nurse decades earlier, now recovered and serving as the event’s DJ. “Moments like that remind you why you do what you do,” she says.

Suzi believes WorkingWell and HEALTHeACCESS stand apart because they combine clinical precision with genuine care. “We follow up. We care. That simple consistency is what sets us apart in a system where it’s become too easy to feel overlooked.” She also values the collaborative spirit of her clinic team, describing their environment as one where no task is beneath anyone and everyone pitches in to get patients cared for.

Outside of work, Suzi enjoys time with family and friends, chasing her grandchildren, gardening, baking, traveling, and cheering on the Indianapolis Colts. True to her roots, she describes herself as a “total farm girl” who’s just as comfortable behind the wheel of a tractor as she is in a clinic. She has even completed two marathons, a testament to her commitment to perseverance and balance; qualities she brings to her patients every day.

To Suzi, healthcare is more than a career—it’s a calling. “Healthcare is a ministry,” she reflects. “Every patient we take care of well is a reflection of that mission.”