Born and raised in inner-city North St. Louis, Nicole Jenkins developed an early determination to overcome obstacles while remaining deeply connected to the community that shaped her.

Passionate about education, community development, healthcare, and justice, Nicole participated in the voluntary desegregation program, attending public schools outside her neighborhood. While her education exposed her to new opportunities, her roots in North St. Louis kept her grounded in the realities experienced by many underserved communities—particularly the challenges surrounding access to quality healthcare, housing, education, and employment.

Those experiences helped shape Nicole’s commitment to strengthening systems of care and opportunity in communities that have historically been overlooked.

Nicole has also been active in local television and radio, hosting programs focused on community development and issues affecting St. Louis residents. In 2016, she produced and hosted “Back on the Block by Nikki J,” which aired on ABC 30 and reached more than 10,000 households. Her commitment to education and giving back also inspired her to establish a scholarship foundation awarding scholarships to three graduating seniors from Sumner High School.

For Nicole, giving back is more than an obligation—it is an opportunity to invest in people and communities that deserve to be seen, supported, and given a chance to thrive.

Nicole also serves on the Board of Directors of the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (CAASTLC).

THE VISION BEHIND VETERANS ADVANTAGE URGENT CARE

Nicole is the Founder and Director of Veterans Advantage Urgent Care (VAUC), an urgent care organization created with a special focus on serving Veterans and addressing their unique healthcare needs.

The creation of VAUC grew from Nicole’s more than 20 years of experience in both private and public healthcare.

During her career, Nicole served as part of Mercy Hospital’s Lean Design Team, contributing to work involving the restructuring of its charity clinic using Lean principles including value, value streams, flow, pull, and perfection.

She later worked with the Veterans Choice Program supporting the Mammography Department at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. During her time working within the VA healthcare environment, Nicole witnessed firsthand some of the challenges Veterans could experience when attempting to obtain timely care, including patient backlogs and limitations in the availability of community providers.

Those experiences became an important catalyst for her vision of Veterans Advantage Urgent Care—a healthcare organization designed to expand access to community-based services for Veterans.

VAUC places particular emphasis on areas such as mental health and PTSD support, pain management, general medical care, wellness services, and access to diagnostic services, with X-rays coordinated off-site.

The organization represents years of research, relationship-building, persistence, and Nicole’s determination to turn an idea into a healthcare resource for the Veteran community.

That same persistence is reflected in the message she shares with young people growing up in communities like the one that raised her:

“Never give up.”