Latest news with #MedicalCenterHospital
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A Legacy in Scrubs: Mother and daughter nurses carry generations of care in Odessa
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Mary Courtney didn't take the traditional path into nursing. At 41, with three school-aged kids at home, she made a life-altering decision: she was going back to school. 'I went back to nursing school at 41,' she said. 'The kids were school-aged, and I just decided it was time.' It wasn't easy. To attend Odessa College's LVN program, Mary commuted from Monahans every weekday, carpooling with other students, studying into the night, and often waking at 2 a.m. to study some more before class. Then came the after-school routine: dinner, homework, bedtime, and back to the books. 'They thought I was crazy,' she laughed. 'But they helped me through it.' That grueling year of sacrifice and commitment laid the foundation for a now 18-year career at Medical Center Hospital, where she serves as a charge nurse on the medical oncology unit. And today, just a few floors away, someone else is following in her footsteps, her daughter, Rachel Hamilton. Rachel didn't start her career in healthcare. Right after high school, she earned a degree in education, heavily influenced by what her friends were doing at the time. But the classroom didn't feel like home. Life happened. And eventually, like her mother, she found herself pulled toward nursing. 'I really like the sciences, and I was heavily influenced by my mom,' she said. 'My sister is also an RN. My brother-in-law too. There's a lot of medical in our family.' At 35, Rachel returned to school and earned a second bachelor's degree, this time in nursing. Though she occasionally wonders why she didn't do it sooner, she's found meaning in the path she chose. 'I wish I'd done it when I was younger,' Rachel said. 'But I think starting later brought a kind of clarity. It really made a big difference in how successful I've been.' Now, the two women, one an experienced charge nurse, the other a newly minted RN, lean on each other both professionally and emotionally. 'We can vent to each other, talk it out,' Mary said. 'We pick each other's brains. It helps more than people might realize.' 'She saves me all the time,' Rachel added. 'I'm a super emotional person. When I have my moments, I call her. She talks me off the ledge.' That closeness isn't just about shared shifts and similar schedules. It's about watching one another persevere. Rachel remembers what it was like seeing her mother go through nursing school while raising a family. 'She didn't sleep much,' Rachel said. 'We all thought she was a little bit cuckoo for going back. But she got through it. She showed us how to do hard things.' And recently, that full-circle journey came with a moment of recognition. Just a few months into her career, Rachel was named Medical Center Hospital's Daisy Award recipient for April. The award, given monthly to one nurse at the hospital, celebrates extraordinary compassion and care at the bedside. Rachel had been caring for an older gentleman when his family submitted the nomination. 'He was just a really sweet, older gentleman,' she said. 'I didn't feel like I did anything special. I just tried to be friendly and let them know they were being cared for.' But to his family, her presence was unforgettable. 'Rachel went well beyond everything,' the patient's daughter wrote. 'She had compassion for [my father] and why he was in the hospital. She listened to him. She would get down on his level and look him in his eyes. She communicated with him about everything she was doing to and for him.' Another family member added, 'Rachel exudes an air of compassion and comfort. She seemed to embrace my husband and me as family.' Even though Rachel felt unsure of her impact, the nomination reminded her that small, quiet moments matter. 'Just being thought of,' she said, 'it means so much.' Mary wasn't surprised. 'She has a great heart, and she loves the people she takes care of every day,' she said, visibly proud. 'This just confirms what we already knew.' For both women, nursing is more than a job. It's a way of living. 'Nursing is love,' Rachel said. 'It's a big warm hug when people need it most.' Mary agrees. 'You never know what's going to happen in life,' she said. 'So love hard, care deeply, and be present. That's what matters most.' Their family has now become what Rachel lovingly calls 'a medical dynasty,' with multiple nurses, a respiratory therapist, and a shared belief that care is both a skill and a calling. From the long nights at the kitchen table to the hospital halls, they now walk side by side. Mary and Rachel's story is a reminder of what's possible when compassion is passed down, not just through lectures or lessons, but by living it out loud. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medical Center Hospital achieves the Pathway to Excellence designation
May 1—Medical Center Hospital has achieved the Pathway to Excellence designation for its commitment to a positive practice environment and a culture of sustained excellence. To achieve Pathway to Excellence designation Medical Center Hospital had to demonstrate excellence in six standards: shared decision-making, leadership, safety, quality, well-being, and professional development. The Pathway designation is a global credential that highlights MCH's commitment to creating a healthy work environment where nurses feel empowered and valued. Medical Center Hospital's nurses are an integral part of the healthcare team, with a voice in policy and practice. Pathway nurses are engaged, resulting in higher job satisfaction, reduced turnover, improved safety, and better patient outcomes. MCH joins a premier group of organizations that have received Pathway to Excellence® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). As a Pathway organization, Medical Center Hospital leads the effort to enhance quality of care, patient and nursing safety, and the future of healthcare delivery. "This designation really highlights the great nurses and staff that we employ here at MCH," says Kim Leftwich, DNP, RN — Chief Nursing Officer, Medical Center Hospital. "They do great things each and every day. MCH nurses and staff have really created an environment of safe quality care through their leadership, professional development and by using their voice." For more information on the Pathway to Excellence recognition program, visit ANCC's website at
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
National Donate Life Month; hear one kidney recipient's story
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Last week for National Donate Life Month, Medical Center Hospital honored the 14 donors who gave the gift of life to others. They also invited their families out to be thanked. Lee Bryant, a kidney recipient, tell us her story. 'My story starts in 2002, I was newly married to my wonderful husband Tori, and the responsible thing to do is get your life insurance test,' Bryant said. 'Well, little did we know we were walking into new terrain. I failed the test at 22 years old. Healthy but I failed. Which led to me to my diagnosis to Kidney disease.' During her journey she was told she shouldn't have kids. But she says she encountered the Holy Spirit. 'He dropped a promise into my heart, and it said you are going to have a child, it's not going to be perfect to the world but it is going to be perfect to me,' Bryant said. 'The next month I found out I was pregnant.' Lee was admitted into the hospital at 15 weeks pregnant with kidney failure. She gave birth at 31 weeks and had to do her kidney transplant immediately. But someone close to her gave her the ultimate gift. 'My brother was my donor,' Bryant said. Lee says she had a remarkable recovery, and a few months later she has another encounter with the Holy Spirit. 'He gave me a promise about a son we were going to have,' Bryant said. Lee knew it wasn't going to come from her body. A year later in 2009 they welcomed their son via adoption. Lee says faith led her to where she is now, with a miracle child and adopting a boy. But it would not have been possible without a kidney donor. These donors are vital and anyone can step in to save a life. Reach out and sign up to be an organ donor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Yahoo
Odessan's bond increased
Feb. 7—An Ector County District Court judge has dramatically increased the bond of an 18-year-old Odessa man awaiting trial in an intoxication manslaughter case because he was arrested last week in Midland on suspicion of reckless driving. Judge Justin Low increased Jose Contreras' bond from $100,000 to $500,000 at the request of prosecutors Friday morning. He also said if Contreras is released, he'll have to be tracked by GPS and have an alcohol monitor. According to Odessa Police Corporal Steve LeSueur, on Oct. 27 Contreras was driving a Dodge Challenger west on Everglade when he turned south onto Bellaire, left the roadway and hit Alex Bingham, 25, of Odessa. Contreras left the scene without stopping to help Bingham and abandoned his vehicle, LeSueur said. Bingham was taken to Medical Center Hospital and he later died. Contreras was indicted Jan. 15 on a charge of collision involving death and on Jan. 28 on an intoxication manslaughter charge. Both are second-degree felonies.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
MCH to celebrate 200 successful open-heart surgeries in 2024
Feb. 7—Medical Center Hospital is celebrating 200 successful open-heart surgeries in 2024. The Beat Goes On will take place from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 10 in the MCH Boardroom. The 200 open-heart surgeries are the most performed at MCH within a calendar year. Come celebrate this monumental milestone as we recognize the doctors and team who are making the Permian Basin a top choice for heart health and care, a news release said.
