"I became part of the Maria Parham family when I was 39 years old. I have always looked at this as my second chance to make a difference, and I wouldn’t want to do it anywhere else with any other team. I was very ill in 1998 and promised myself if I could get better, I would become a nurse, as I always wanted, and provide excellent care to my patients. Serving the patients of this rural community has been like finding a jewel because the work you do is so rewarding. I have always enjoyed watching our patients as they progressed through the stages of life and now that I am practicing as a primary care provider, I am able to help even more, in the journey we are on to make our community healthier, together. Maria Parham Health and the team working in this organization have saved many lives, including mine, and I am proud to be part of the Maria Parham Health team. "
"Through my journey at Maria Parham Health, I have grown professionally greater than anyone ever thought was possible, even myself. I began my journey with Maria Parham in 2007 as a Licensed Practical Nurse in the Emergency Department. While continuing to obtain my education and working full time, I earned my associate's degree in 2009 and boarded as a Registered Nurse in 2010. I was so in love with the patients and the hospital, I longed to learn more, so I quickly became a Charge Nurse in the ER and wanted to spread my wings. Staying part-time, I began to travel nurse to other emergency departments, however, this didn’t last long as I just wanted to come back home. While working in the ER as a Charge Nurse, I was challenged to take the role of Assistant Director of the Progressive Care Unit (PCU). This was such an exciting venture and I, again, wanted to gain more knowledge to help more people, and in this position, I could touch even more lives. In 2015, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing and advanced to Director of ICU and PCU. In 2017 I took on my largest challenge as Director of the medical Unit and began my master’s degree. This quickly turned into the Director of Med-Surg as the units became one on the 4th floor. In 2019, I accepted the position of Director of the Emergency Department. Once again, I longed to learn more in my journey to help our community and returned to school in 2020 for my post-grad certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Knowing that I only wanted to work in this community after graduation in 2021, I applied to work for our family practice, and I accepted the position as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Though this was the hardest thing I have ever endured, I am happily working for Maria Parham Primary Care. "
"The opportunities are endless at Maria Parham Health and the reward is great. I am just one example of how you can start at the bottom of your profession and work your way to the top of your profession through hard work and diligence, even in a small town."
"Everyone has a story that deserves to be heard. "
-Cheryl Hester