Stephanie Barnett is the new certified registered nurse practitioner at the Good Samaritan Health Clinic in Cullman. (W.C. Mann for The Tribune)
CULLMAN – Good Samaritan Health Clinic (GSC), the Cullman area’s medical service for county residents without insurance, welcomed Stephanie Barnett in April as its new Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP).
A Montgomery native, Barnett completed her RN studies at Wallace State before earning her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She served at the clinic in a volunteer capacity for two years. She is married to Barry Barnett and has three adult children and three grandchildren (with one more on the way).
Barnett’s professional achievements become more impressive when one considers that, not so long ago, she had no interest in the medical field and was even turned off by some its less savory aspects. A personal crisis would change all that.
In her introduction to the GSC community, she told members, “If anyone had told me 10 years ago I would have a career as a nurse, much less a nurse practitioner, I would have laughed. Before 2009, when I started on this career path, I despised blood, guts and needles.”
Barnett related to The Tribune how she had been squeamish about such things, even to the point of struggling at times to deal with her own children’s minor medical emergencies.
“You can ask my husband,” said Barnett. “My kids, when they were little, and they were sick, I was running the opposite direction, like, ‘Barry, take care of that kind of thing!’ It made me sick!”
Then, as Barnett explained, “I was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, and in 2005 I completed treatment. I kind of had a come-to meeting with God, you know, ‘What do you want me to do, and why am I still here?’ because there were other people that, when I was receiving chemotherapy, that weren’t quite making it through.
“God showed me that he wanted me to go this nursing path after I was five years out–so it would have been 2009. I didn’t think I’d be able to do it, because, you know, with chemotherapy, you’ve got this thing called ‘chemo brain’ where your brain is a little slow on the uptake sometimes–or you feel like it is. Anyway, I signed up for classes at Wallace, and, remarkably, did really well! And so I knew that that was where I was meant to be, because it was kind of–I won’t say it was easy–but I did very well.”
Barnett even got over her medical squeamishness. As she related, “I’ve not had a single thing since I started nursing that has made me sick, which is remarkable . . . I would nearly pass out, but now, it’s like nothing bothers me, so I know I’m where God’s wanting me to be.”
After going to work at Cullman Regional, Barnett was contacted by UAB about continuing her education.
“I ended up at UAB,” said Barnett, “and was in the Rural Health Scholars program there, because this is where my heart is. And that’s all God, and it’s nothing to do with me at all.”
Barnett told the GSC community that now, “everything about medicine interests me. When I was going through my cancer treatments, I not only received great care, I was also shown great compassion and given hope. My goal is to be there for my patients, listen to them, and provide excellent quality care–leaving no stone unturned so that they will receive the best possible outcome with regard to their health and well-being.”
GSC Executive Director Jolanda Hutson said, “I’m thankful to have Stephanie join the clinic. In the short time she’s been here, she’s already had such a positive impact on our patients. I’ve seen Stephanie’s heart for our patients and her commitment to providing them with the very best care.”
Under Barnett, for instance, GSC has instituted a new program of patient education classes. The first class, for patients with Type 2 diabetes, drew 22 attendants last month.
“I love my patients,” said Barnett. “That’s all. I’m here for them, whatever I can do for them. That’s my goal, just to bridge the gap. There’s this gap between the people who have insurance and the people who don’t have insurance, and the health care that they receive, and I’m just trying to bridge that gap so that they get the opportunity that the rest of the community has.”
In her introduction to the GSC community, Barnett wrote, “In Alabama there are millions without access to medical care. As a NP at Good Samaritan, I am able to help ease that burden in our community. I am able to be an advocate for our patients to insure equality of care. My goal is to offer a healthier future for my patients . . . I am passionate about all aspects of healthcare. I love my patients and will work diligently for them. I want to make a difference in our community. What the Good Samaritan Clinic has achieved since it first opened is amazing! The impact on lives in our community has been great. I feel we have only touched the tip of the iceberg. I am excited to see what God has in store for our future because the possibilities are endless.”
GSC needs…
Barnett and Hutson discussed a few things the clinic needs, including:
- Home blood pressure monitors – The clinic wants its patients with blood pressure issues to be able to monitor their pressure at home and report that to the clinic, since office visits for some patients can be stressful enough to artificially elevate their pressure at that moment. GSC is asking for new or gently used monitors to distribute.
- Volunteers – GSC is seeking medical volunteers in all fields, so that the clinic’s workload can be spread out and not overburden a few physicians. In particular, there is a need for physicians with specializations in: gastroenterology, neurology, gynecology, oncology, orthopedic surgery, podiatry, cardiology, ENT, dermatology and endocrinology.
Save the date for GSC’s Caring for Cullman Concert Oct. 18
Be sure to mark your calendars for the fourth annual Caring for Cullman Concert benefiting GSC on Thursday, Oct. 18 at Cullman High School. The event will feature performances by Triumphant Quartet and the Wallace State Jazz Band. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the concert will begin at 7.
All tickets are general admission, available for $15 from ticket outlets or at the door and $18 if purchased online at www.goodsamaritancullman.com. Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum level sponsorships are available. For more information, visit the website or call 256-255-5965.
Ticket outlets: Yates Chance Christian Bookstore, Borden Family Pharmacy, The Added Touch 2, Heritage Pharmacy at Dodge City, Good Samaritan Clinic
About GSC
Good Samaritan Health Clinic is a primary care medical facility connected to a network of doctors and medical specialists, offering services to county residents who lack health insurance. It offers a wide range of services and can refer clients to other community agencies for food, employment assistance and other services. The clinic has just brought Paula Waters on board as a social worker available on Mondays to help clients navigate the process of accessing GSC services and to help them locate and tap into other community resources.
GSC is located at 401 Arnold St. NE adjacent to the Folsom Center. For more information, including program eligibility requirements, visit www.goodsamaritancullman.com or call 256-775-1389.
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