News

BSA Leadership Series with Physicians Surgical Hospitals Director of Surgical Services Julie Smith

At a very young age – even before entering kindergarten – Julie Smith, RN, found her passion. “I started playing classical violin when I was four years old,” she recalls. Her love for music and the violin continued as she grew older. “I was a music major in college.” After graduation, a chance conversation with a friend at church put her professional career on a completely different course. “I couldn’t stand the sight of blood.” Had Julie not taken a chance on her first job in health care, she wouldn’t have found the job or the place she says she never wants to leave.

Knowledge and Prevention of Cervical Cancer

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. This is a great time for women to refresh their knowledge of cervical cancer and to take appropriate steps for disease prevention. The National Cancer Institute projected that almost 13,000 women would be diagnosed with cervical cancer last year. “Cervical cancer used to be the number one cancer cause of death in women, but over the past 40 years, the number of deaths from cervical cancer has dramatically dropped,” shares Dr.

BSA Nurse Pursues Wellness One Pound at a Time to Reach Goal

BSA nurse, RaeEllen Brown, RN, has been caring for patients at BSA for 30 years. Her years of service are an accomplishment that speaks volumes of her dedication. Yet, she may argue the last nine months have tested her dedication more than ever, especially during the recent holiday season. “I would text him pictures of food that people brought to work and say, ‘The struggle is real,’” RaeEllen shares of contacting BSA Fitness Specialist and certified personal trainer Jason Campbell when temptation tried to nudge her off course. “He is so amazing!

Tips for People with Diabetes this Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, Dr. Karen Smith, family medicine doctor for BSA Urgent Care, shares a few tips for ways those with diabetes can stay safe and healthy over the holiday weekend.  

If you have diabetes, please remember these three tips as you celebrate Thanksgiving:

1. If you are going to cheat on your healthy diet, cheat smart.  If you have sweets or starches, which break down as sugar, have a piece of protein to balance out your blood sugar.

BSA Leadership Series – an interview with Alan Sissel

Celebrating 20 years with BSA Health System, Director of Respiratory Therapy and Medical Physiology Alan Sissel, RRT-NPS shares his story with us as part of our BSA Leadership Series.

I started working in grocery retail when I was 15 years old, working after school and on weekends. I did everything from being a cashier and bagging groceries to frozen food management and night stocking. There were a lot of things I had done and experienced in the grocery retail industry. At the age of 24, with a young family of my own, I realized it was time to go back to school.

A Doctor’s Passion for Mission Trips and the Generosity that Followed

Dr. Karen Smith, MD, a family medicine doctor in Amarillo, has a passion for going on mission trips each year. She currently works for BSA Urgent Care, and has regularly taken trips over the past few years to go with large groups to El Paso and along the border for medical mission trips. This year would be a different mission trip for her entirely.

Inside Careers at BSA - Nurse Practitioner

Tim Bixenman APRN, FNP-C joins us on the blog today to talk about his career as a nurse practitioner at the BSA Urgent Care Center.

BSA Leadership Series with Director of Nursing Services Cindy Casey

A rewarding, challenging and life-long career is a gift. At 21-years old, Cindy Casey, RN carefully examined her own thoughts about what she wanted to do professionally. Though she had not grown up with family in health care, she believed nursing was the clear path for her to take. “It was a true calling,” she explains. “It was laid on my heart that I would go into nursing.

BSA Leadership Series with Supervisor of Laboratory Services Tracy Anderson

Tracy Anderson, MLT (ASCP) supervisor of laboratory services, has worked at BSA for 37 years. What she learned from her leaders and mentors not only shaped her career, but also taught her about “The BSA Way”.

I was the first one in my family to go into health care; I come from a long line of school teachers. My dad was a school superintendent and my mom was a teacher and librarian. My parents were well-respected in our community and they were great examples for me growing up on how to be a leader. I learned so many things from them, and the right way to treat people.

New BSA Nurse Shares Path to Nursing

In July, Megan Hubbard, RN embarked on a new career when she arrived at BSA’s orientation. “It fits my personality,” she shares of choosing to pursue a career in critical care nursing. At the conclusion of her 13-week orientation with a preceptor (an experienced nurse in her department) at her side, she was ready for her first 12-hour shift on nights in the coronary care unit of the intensive care unit (ICU). “I’m completely new. Working at BSA is my first-ever work experience in a hospital, but I do feel like I’m ready. I’m ready to develop my own routine caring for patients.”