ST. MARYS, Georgia: July 29th, 2021 – Coronavirus impacted millions of lives around the world. From entire industries to individual employees, COVID-19 changed the way people do business and how they live their daily lives. One person whose role as a health care provider was affected by the pandemic is frontline worker Stephanie Green, FNP-C.
A nurse practitioner for three years at Southeast Georgia Physician Associates-Primary Care in St. Marys, Georgia, Green treats patients from age three years to end of life. She manages acute and chronic conditions, and as she describes, “sees each patient as an opportunity to encourage health and wellness.”
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, Green added a huge and unexpected duty to her list of services as a health care provider, putting her own health at risk to help her patients and the community: coronavirus testing.
“Stephanie has worked many shifts at our offsite COVID-19 testing location, serving our patients and the community by providing rapid and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing,” says Ella Turner, practice manager, Southeast Georgia Physician Associates-Primary Care. “A team player with a ready smile for patients and colleagues, Stephanie is an exceptional provider and always willing to go the extra mile.”
Green’s dedication to her patients and community comes as no surprise considering her selfless attitude toward health care. When asked what she is most proud of in her career, Green says, “I’m proud of obtaining my nurse practitioner’s license, of course, but I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve developed with my coworkers and patients. Having patients entrust their health to me is an honor and a privilege.”
A native of Folkston, Georgia, Green credits her father and grandfather for sparking her interest in the medical field. “My daddy was the fire chief when I was young, and as a teen, I helped care for my grandpa, spending many days at St. Vincent’s Medical Center,” she explains. “When I graduated high school, I earned my CNA (certified nursing assistant) license and accepted a job at Charlton Memorial Hospital. Soon after my grandpa’s death, I was offered a position at St. Vincent’s, the very hospital that took such wonderful care of my grandpa. I worked with amazing physicians in the Intensive Care Unit there, and they gave me incredible learning opportunities.”
Prior to joining the Health System in 2018, Green also earned her paramedic license, and while working in rural Charlton County, she met Thomas Whitesell, M.D., primary care provider at Southeast Georgia Physician Associates and Chief of Staff, Camden Campus.
“Dr. Whitesell took me under his wing,” says Green. “He mentored me throughout my EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and nursing career. He was my preceptor while I was in nurse practitioner school, and because of that preceptorship, I was offered my current position with the Health System.”
In her personal time, Green is a huge rollercoaster junkie. Her favorite sports teams are the Charlton Indians and Georgia Bulldogs, but most important to Green, unsurprisingly, is her interpersonal relationships with people and spending quality time with family. She’s the proud aunt to over 40 nieces and nephews, “who I love dearly and spoils as much as possible. Additionally, my husband, Perry, and my family have been such a huge support system, always encouraging me through all my endeavors.”
Although a global pandemic added an extra challenge to Green’s day-to-day duties as a health care provider, the heart of her career and the focus of her endeavors have remained constant: “I strive every day to make a positive impact on my patient’s lives.”
About Southeast Georgia Health System
Southeast Georgia Health System is a not-for-profit health system comprised of two acute care hospitals, two long term care facilities, two comprehensive Cancer Care Centers, and multiple specialty care centers, including orthopedic and spine care, joint replacement, breast care, maternity, outpatient rehabilitation, sleep management and wound care. The Brunswick Campus Cancer Care Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and offers the only CyberKnife® M6 with MLC technology in Georgia. Additionally, the Southeast Georgia Physician Associates medical group includes more than 140 providers working in 20 different medical specialties at more than 50 locations. The Health System is part of Coastal Community Health, a regional affiliation between Baptist Health and Southeast Georgia Health System forming a highly integrated hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. In 2020, the Brunswick Campus was rated High Performing in COPD and Heart Failure by the U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit sghs.org.