Montgomery Memorial Hospital Nurse Wanda Lewis to Retire After 50 Years of Service
| Date Posted: 12/13/2022
TROY, N.C. -- For a half-century, Wanda Lewis, BSN, R.N., has served her community as a nurse at FirstHealth Montgomery Memorial Hospital. She retires on December 30, 2022.
In 1972, Wanda chose to work at Montgomery Memorial Hospital because it was close to home. She stayed because of the family atmosphere. “Our patients are either related to us or our co-workers,” she said. "We go to church with them or see them at the grocery store every week.”
With a licensed practical nurse (LPN) certificate from Montgomery Technical Institute, Wanda started her nursing career in Montgomery Memorial Hospital’s emergency department. Since then, she’s held numerous roles, including mobile intensive care nurse, surgical services and medical surgical unit coordinator, patient education coordinator, infection control coordinator with certification by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, case manager, discharge planner, outpatient coordinator, and safety and emergency preparedness coordinator.
Wanda furthered her education over the years with an associate degree in nursing from Sandhills Community College and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. In her 50 years in nursing, Wanda said the most significant change in her field revolves around technology, with electronic medical records and online nursing degrees. What hasn’t changed one bit, she reported, is the dedication of nurses.
“Wanda has been an integral part of Montgomery Memorial Hospital’s role in serving our community,” said Rebecca W. Carter, MSN, R.N., FACHE, president of FirstHealth’s Western Region and Montgomery Memorial Hospital. “She is the personification of FirstHealth’s purpose: to care for people.”
After Wanda retires in December, she plans to catch up on her reading and spend more time with her daughter, Amanda, and grandchildren, Aria, Theo and Holden.
