How many years have you been practicing and where did you graduate from?

I graduated from Western Carolina University for my undergrad in 2006, and graduate degree in 2016. I was also a ICU nurse from 2006 - 2017, and then started here at Appalachian Mountain Health.

What do you enjoy most about serving Appalachian Mountain Health patients here in Western NC?

I really like being able to meet patients on their own turf, meeting them where they’re at through the outreach program. I love helping patients meet their own health care goals by figuring out what is important to them and then making a plan with them. And I love our integrated approach with behavioral health and with pharmacy. I find that that piece of the puzzle often helps people get to their goals faster by having interdisciplinary teams, especially in the brick and mortar health centers. So if a health care provider only has 10 minutes with a patient, other disciplines and providers present greatly helps to create a more robust visit experience by doing education and prevention with patients. So, our services offered are more comprehensive, and I love that.

What is your approach to patient care?

I really like meeting patients where they’re at. Doing so in an office setting can be done, but when you do it with community medicine it’s a whole different vibe because you’re meeting them where they live. What we do is really meeting people on their own terms, when they’re ready to make progress in their health care, it’s their agenda and whatever their goals are, I greatly enjoy helping them achieve those goals.

What is one piece of health advice you find challenging to follow yourself?

I need to go to bed earlier! I’m kind of a night owl, so more sleep would be good for me. I love moving my body and eating healthy; those things come easier to me. I think doing self-care and going to bed earlier are harder for me. I get energy and it’s sometimes hard for me to wind down because I have a lot of things going through my mind at night.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I really like Stony Knob in Weaverville and Taqueria Fast in Woodfin.

Do you have any special interests?

I’ve been diving more into psychiatric practices because I find that I’m seeing that a lot out in the field, and it’s integrated into the studies of family practice, but it’s not something that you spend a ton of time on with family practice. Now, I’m finding myself doing a lot of psychiatric care, so I’ve been doing more and more research there. I also really like holistic care. Outside of work, I love hiking. My husband and I were long distance hikers and together we did the Appalachian Trail back in the day before we had kids. I love being with my Family; my Husband is a big gardener and we do a lot of DIY home studying at our house, so we have a very productive garden space. We also have ducks!

What languages are you fluent in?

English.