 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Contact Us: (251) 442-2210 or Email Us |
|
UM Nursing Grad: Helping older citizens is this nurse's favorite occupation By LEIGH T. MOORE Correspondent Courtesy of the Mobile Register 2009 © All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
"I starting nursing school in Gulfport when my children were still in school," Burkhart said. "So it took me six years to get my degree, because I was juggling school, working and children." She did finish, however, at the University of Mobile and shared a special graduation day in 1996, receiving her nursing degree the same year her daughter graduated from high school. "I went back to Biloxi and got a job working in a doctor's office there for three years," she said. "Then he retired, and I found myself in Fairhope." Burkhart had worked with John Gwin, who tutored her from his home in Virginia, and when the two met in person, the widower proposed. They then moved to Gwin's hometown of Fairhope, where Burkhart got involved with the Area Agency on Aging. "I had done some work with this same group back in Biloxi, and it was amazing because the exact same job was advertised in the paper in Fairhope," she said. "I work with them as a case manager now, and I also am their events planner." Her work covers Baldwin, Escambia and Mobile counties and involves finding low-income seniors and others who need assistance, evaluating their needs and helping them access services. "It's a quasi-state program, and we get referrals from doctors' offices or family members," she said. "Sometimes it will be a parent who lives by themselves and can't cook or take care of themselves." Through the many services offered by the agency, which are funded through Medicaid, Burkhart is able to help needy people find health insurance, prescription drug programs, nutrition programs and even caregivers. "The goal is to help people stay independent rather than having to go to a nursing home," she said. "We can provide homemakers, home-delivered meals, adult day care. Applicants have to meet certain income requirements, and there is a medical crite ria attached." When she's not handling cases, Burkhart organizes the agency's annual Senior Expo, which was recently held at the fairgrounds in Mobile. "This was our fourth year, and we had 100 exhibitors and more than 2,000 people come through," she said. "When we started, it was primarily services like home-health agencies. Now with the baby boomers, it's turning into more of a lifestyle deal featuring golf exhibitors and Springdale Travel." Proceeds are used to buy supplies the agency needs, such as wheelchairs, Burkhart said, and although she stays very busy, she enjoys her work with the elderly. "I love my job. I never dreamed I'd be working in gerontology, but I love it," she said. "I love the people I see, and I always run across people who it's nice to be able to help." She enjoys traveling with her husband, working out at Curves, visiting with her 82 year-old mother, Sue Stillman, and getting involved in the community through her church, St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Daphne. "I've just joined the parish nurse program as a helper nurse, and I'm very excited about getting involved," she said. "We have such a full life. We're very blessed." Last modified :
Thursday, April 9, 2009 11:20 PM
|
Growing up in Gulfport, Suzette Burkhart decided early on that she wanted to become a nurse. Through her career, she discovered that working with the elderly gave her true satisfaction.