BUSINESS NEWS
After more than 25 years in the medical field, Debbie Wolfe, APRN at Ellinwood Hospital & Clinic is retiring. Wolfe’s career started at Sterling Medical Center, and she has spent the last eight years at Ellinwood Hospital & Clinic.
"I have always wanted to be a nurse ever since I was a little kid," said Wolfe. "I was a Nursing Assistant in a nursing home and then a hospital nurse for 15 years after that."
Wolfe reached a point in her career where she felt the need to advance herself in some way. It was at that same time she became 1 of 5 rural nurses chosen in the state of Kansas to enroll in a new program at Wichita State University to become a Nurse Practitioner.
"They told me we had 15 months to get our Masters Degree in the program before funding ran out," Wolfe said with a chuckle. "So we did just that!"
It was that very same program that got the Nurse Practitioner degree started back up in the state of Kansas.
In thinking back on her career and contemplating some of her proudest achievements, Wolfe recollects, "I have influenced several other really good nurses to go onto becoming Nurse Practitioners."
Wolfe recounted a nine-year-old patient she treated who went on to become an APRN because of that encounter. In addition, Wolfe also became a certified Nurse Midwife and enjoys keeping up with all of the babies she delivered in Lyons, KS on Facebook.
Now that Debbie is retiring, she is looking forward to sleeping more full nights as she will no longer be on-call. She is looking forward to learning to quilt and perhaps do a little bit of traveling with her husband, Bill, of 45 years. Wolfe also has one son, Scott, who is a paramedic.
When the correlation was made that helping care for others runs in the family, Wolfe laughed and said, "You would be amazed how many people in our family have medical careers, perhaps that apple didn’t fall too far from the tree!"
"Deb came along when the hospital & clinic was in need of providers and has been an exceptional member of our team ever since," said Kile Magner, CEO of the hospital and clinic. "Her unique way of handling tough situations will be missed, as she always had a way of making a person laugh during times when it was needed most."
The community is invited to stop in for a come & go reception Friday, March 25 from 2-3 pm in the Education Room of the hospital to thank Debbie for her service and enjoy some ice cream.