A longtime Family Health Center of Southern Oklahoma staff member retired on December 16. Glenda Cross, APRN-CNP, has been withtheFHCSOfamilysince April 2010.
She said her journey with the company began many years before she “ever walked through the doors.” Many years prior, 22 years earlier tobeexact,Crossbeganworking for the Bryan County HealthDepartmentasafront desk clerk. She said she had no idea what to expect with the job but received “quite an education there.”
“I have great respect for our front desk staff because they are the first people our patients see and I have sat in that same chair,” she said.
When the health department began expanding the WIC services and needed volunteers, Cross was eager to be a part of it. Due to volunteering for that program and with the encouragement of her husband and a fellow nurse, Cross began nursing school.
Even though she was working full time, going to schoolandraisingthreesmall children, Cross worked hard and graduated.
She continued working for the Bryan County Health Department with her hardearned nursing degree. First, she was a clinic nurse, then, she moved on to work in the women’shealthprogramthat served several counties.
Cross continued her education and earned a bachelor’s degree from ECU and a master’s in nursing from the University of Phoenix. She continued pushing through and eventually decided to pursue nurse practitioner school at the University of Texas at Arlington. She earned a post-graduate degree as an FNP and continued to serve in the women’s health program.
Cross said she wound up moving to FHCSO because of a friend.
“A friend of mine, who worked for FHCSO, also volunteered with me at the free clinic in Atoka,” Cross said. “She wanted to introduce me to her boss, Tina.”
Cross met with Tina and realized after the meeting that it actually was a job interview. That meeting turned into Cross officially joining the FHCSO crew in April of 2010.
Cross said joining FHCSO was an amazing choice and they have become family to her.
“FHCSO has been a wonderful place to learn and grow,” she said. “I’ve had incredible mentors, supportive coworkers and friends who have truly become my family. We have grown so much sincethedayIstarted—many changes,manynewfaces,and so much progress.”
Cross has sound advice for anybody wishing to pursue their dream.
“To all the young people here: if you have a dream, don’t give up on it,” she said. “There will be people along the way who will help you, and with hard work and dedication,youcanmakethat dream come true—whatever path you choose.”
Cross said that she will miss everybody she has grown to love over the years.
“It has been a blessing and a privilege to care for patients here at FHCSO. I will miss you all. But as this chapter closes, I trust that God will open another one for me.”