Hairston believes in Memorial Hospital mission to serve

Carla Hairston, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC, serves as a Memorial Family Medicine advanced practitioner and is a firm believer in the mission of Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital. That’s a good thing because she has worked for, or with, the hospital off and on since 1976 in one capacity or another.

“I work for Memorial because it’s the county hospital and we care for all people regardless of income or insurance,” she explained.

That mission is a sentiment that has been dear to her heart since she and spouse Dr. Wm. Hairston opened their University Drive Health Clinic. They ran the clinic for 43 years, starting back in the days when payment might be a bushel of vegetables or a basket of eggs, before officially joining the Memorial family of employed providers in 2016.

“I have a passion for nursing and caring for others. I like to learn and to teach,” Carla said. That’s also a good thing, since she’s an adjunct faculty member in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Nursing. Her most memorable students, coworkers and employees have all shared the same traits that Carla herself possesses; they’re anxious to learn and patient-centered.

The mother of three and grandmother of seven enjoys kayaking, gardening and clogging and says the most useful advice she ever got was “ask questions, and don’t ever be afraid to ask.”

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