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Cordell Family Clinic
Cordell Memorial Clinic has recently hired two new nurse practitioners after the departure of their last one.
Julie Hawkins and Teisha Gallegly both began working at the clinic this year and have already begun settling into the position.
Hawkins said she has worked at the clinic for around three months now, however, she did her rural health rotations with Dr. Abernathy when she first started. She became a nurse practitioner in 1997.
As for Gallegly, she has been at the clinic for two weeks but has worked in the emergency room in Cordell for about a year. She first became a nurse in 2007.
Both nurse practitioners have an extensive background in the medical field and both said they are excited to begin using their skill sets for the patients at Cordell Memorial Clinic.
The Cordell Beacon had the chance to sit down with both Hawkins and Gallegy to talk about their time working at the clinic.
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Editor’s note: Some answers have been edited for length and brief clarity.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO THIS LINE OF WORK?
I really always knew just from other nurse practitioners in my life growing up that that’s what I wanted to do.
I actually grew up with a neighbor who was a nurse practitioner and a family friend from our church that was a nurse practitioner, like one of my friend’s moms.
But we do have a lot of nurses and physicians in my distant family. My parents are not, but [in my] distant family, we do have a lot.
HOW HAS YOUR TIME AS A NURSE BEEN LIKE?
It’s been very rewarding. I enjoy my job, and I like what I do!
I just enjoy seeing people of all ages and all backgrounds, all kinds of people, you know? I especially enjoy a lot of the farmers, they’re funny.
I think that’s what I enjoy about it is the variety because I don’t have to do one thing all day long.
Not even just the same problem, but I could go from not only different problems, but from a newborn baby, up to an elderly person, or goofy teenagers too.
Every person is different, but so are their problems or their health needs.
WHAT HAS THE PAST YEAR BEEN LIKE IN HAVING TO DEAL WITH COVID?
Well, it has been very busy certainly.
We’ve had a lot of COVID illnesses and COVID testing, and now we’ve moved into COVID vaccinating, which we do a lot of here in this clinic.
We’re giving a lot of COVID vaccines, and so now we’re kind of in that phase.
We’ve really returned more to being able to do primary care.
People are now coming back in for their physicals and their annual wellness exams and things that they skipped during that.
So now we’ve really, you know, that’s been a big need here.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO COME WORK HERE?
Well, I worked with Dr. Abernathy years ago and the need has increased.
Previously here in this clinic, there was a nurse practitioner, Lindsay who has moved. So we’re just kind of filling that gap.
My husband grew up in Cordell, he actually went to high school here, and we live between Mountain View and Colony.
So it’s an easy choice. I mean, this is where I come to the grocery store, you know?
This is where my husband has always gone for everything, and it’s just kind of our next closest hometown, so we have some connection.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON CORDELL SO FAR?
I’ve enjoyed everyone
I’ve enjoyed everyone that I’ve met over here.
Growing up in Hollis, this is just another small hometown feel that’s very similar.
NOW THAT YOU’VE SETTLED IN, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO?
I definitely look forward to just getting to know the people in the community more and providing their wellness care.
That’s something that I really like. Because that’s when people that are not sick or they don’t feel bad, they’re just needing to get everything on track and stay well.
That’s what I enjoy and I’m looking forward to that.
And getting to really ramp back up the women’s health part and doing the hormone treatments and stuff.
Those are all sort of new and upcoming things that we have to look forward to.
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Editor’s note: Some answers have been edited for length and brief clarity.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO THIS LINE OF WORK?
I wanted to get my nurse practitioner because of the autonomy, and I have always wanted to work in rural medicine because rural Oklahomans are very underserved.
HOW HAS YOUR TIME AS A NURSE BEEN LIKE?
I’ve enjoyed every experience as a nurse, and some better than others.
Probably my fondest memory of nursing prior to having my nurse practitioner was working for Lifeshare Transplant Donor Services.
[I] got to meet some great donor families as well as some wonderful recipient families, and to care for them in a very special way.
So that was an invaluable experience.
WHAT HAS THE PAST YEAR BEEN LIKE IN HAVING TO DEAL WITH COVID?
Well COVID is what brought me out here, honestly, because I was working a full-time job in interventional radiology.
So when COVID happened and school shut down I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my children, I just had to take a major step back from full-time work.
That’s how I was employed in the hospital out here. I started coming out here and taking 24-hour shifts.
I’d come and stay a couple of days at a time, and then I would go home and I would have all that extra time available with my children.
So if COVID hadn’t happened, I might not have ended up out here in Cordell.
So in a way, you know, I’m grateful that it brought me to this place.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO COME WORK HERE?
I have fallen in love with the little town of Cordell and the people that live here and taking care of them in the ER.
I just thought, what better way to become more well-rounded in the community here and also have a hand in some family practice?
I have both of my certifications. I have a family practice certification as well as an adult acute care certification.
So it allows me the flexibility to do both.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON CORDELL SO FAR?
I think the town has a lot of charm and definitely is valued historically. The little town square is really very cool.
And I just love the people. I love rural medicine. I grew up rural. Ada, Stratford, Vanoss, all those areas in Oklahoma.
I’ve just always loved the people in rural Oklahoma, and I’ve always known that I wanted to give back in that way if I ever could.
So that’s what I’m trying to do.
NOW THAT YOU’VE SETTLED IN, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO?
I’m looking forward to building my own practice and seeing my own patient base.
Then, having access to the hospital if we need it for admissions.
Hopefully keeping some of that here in Cordell, instead of having to send everybody up to the city all the time.