| Newsmakers |
Apr. 18—Nicole Taylor-Gunn, Tanya Sanderson, Erin Smith, Hannah Reeves, Hollie Waldron and Kacie Hollimon recently graduated from North Mississippi Medical Center's Advanced Practice Clinician Fellowship.
Taylor-Gunn, AGPCNP-BC, of Tupelo earned an associate degree in nursing from Itawamba Community College in Fulton in 2013 and a bachelor's degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus in 2015. She completed a master's degree in nursing and her nurse practitioner training at the University of South Alabama in Mobile in 2018.
Gunn worked for Fresenius Kidney Care for five years. She will now work as a nurse practitioner with NMMC's Brunson Clinic and the Advanced Practice Clinician Fellowship.
—Sanderson, AGNP-C, of Tupelo earned an associate degree in nursing from Itawamba Community College in Fulton in 2014 and a bachelor's degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus in 2015. She completed a master's degree in nursing and her nurse practitioner training at the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 2018. She worked for the NMMC Women's Hospital for five years before completing the fellowship program.
Smith, FNP-C, of Oxford earned an associate degree in nursing from Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville in 2013 and a bachelor's degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus in 2014. She completed a master's degree in nursing and her nurse practitioner training from the University of Memphis in 2019.
Smith previously worked for TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. She recently joined the staff of Neurology Consultants.
Reeves, FNP-C, of Guntown earned an associate degree in nursing from Bevill State Community College in Hamilton, Alabama, in 2013 and a bachelor's degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus in 2017. She completed a master's degree in nursing and her nurse practitioner training through Walden University in 2019.
Before completing the fellowship, Reeves worked for both Oxford Healthcare and NMMC's Resource Pool for four years. She now works for GSV Care Medical Clinic in Sherman.
Waldron, AGNP-C, of Thaxton received an associate degree in nursing from Bevill State Community College in Jasper, Alabama, in 2006. She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus in 2014 and her master's degree in nursing administration from the University of North Alabama in Florence in 2017. She became certified as an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner in 2019.
Waldron has rejoined the staff of the NMMC Bariatric Center, where she worked for 13 years before pursuing fellowship training. She has been a Certified Bariatric Nurse since 2016,
Hollimon, FNP-C, of Tupelo earned an associate degree in nursing from Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville in 2004 and a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of North Alabama in Florence in 2011. She completed a master's degree in nursing and her nurse practitioner training through Walden University in 2019.
Hollimon previously worked for NMMC's Infection Control/Performance Improvement Department, and NMMC Surgical Services at both the main hospital and Women's Hospital. She now cares for hospital patients through NMMC's Diabetes Treatment Center.
NMMC's 12-month fellowship program bridges a newly licensed and certified nurse practitioner from the academic setting to the private health care delivery system. Each fellow completes a series of clinical rotations and didactic sessions to further prepare for direct patient care. Clinical rotations may include cardiovascular, diabetes, rheumatology, neurology, pain management, infectious disease, mental health and primary care. Didactic sessions include tobacco cessation, Department of Transportation physical exam, rural trauma, Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, Merit-based Incentive Payment System, advanced diagnostics and pharmacology.
Fellows also undergo leadership and communication training that includes Crucial Conversations, Five Choices and Seven Habits of Effective Leaders. The NMMC Advanced Practice Clinician Fellowship is accredited by the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium as well as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
—Registered nurse Tamara Ivy has retired after 40 years with North Mississippi Medical Center-West Point.
Ivy graduated from West Point High School in 1978 and completed her Licensed Practical Nurse training at Itawamba Community College in 1980. In January 1981 she joined the staff of Ivy Memorial Hospital, working on the medical-surgical and postpartum units.
In 1992, Ivy made history again by earning her associate degree in nursing as part of the first LPN-to-RN class at Mississippi University for Women. She earned her bachelor's degree in health sciences from the University of Mississippi in 2012 and her master's degree in health administration/education from the University of Phoenix in 2013.
Over the years she has also worked in the Emergency Department, Endoscopy, Intensive Care Unit and Short-Stay Surgery. She finished out her career as the hospital's outpatient/telehealth nurse coordinator.
—The North Mississippi Medical Center-West Point staff has selected Keith White of Facility Operations as the hospital's most recent Employee of the Quarter.
White joined the staff in November 2018. He previously served 17 years with West Point Fire Department and 11 years as fire chief for Golden Triangle Regional Airport.
