Nurse practitioners Kasey Murphy (pictured above, right) and Brittany Hunter (pictured above, left) both have strong motivations for choosing careers in health care.
For Kasey, the calling came early.
“It has always been in my blood,” she shares. “I remember being 4 and 5 years old, and as soon as anyone got a boo boo, I’d be the first to go get a bandage.”
That early interest solidified as Kasey entered her teen years.
“There was a health care pathway in high school, and I took it,” she continues. “I started as a certified nursing assistant and never looked back. I became a registered nurse and was then a bedside nurse for a couple of years in the emergency department. From there, I was an intensive care unit nurse for a couple years. But I wanted to make decisions in health care. So, I went and got my nurse practitioner degree.”
For Brittany, health care called to her need to be of service.
“Bottom line, I work in health care to help and to serve others,” she states. “I’ve been a registered nurse since 2007 and a nurse practitioner since 2011. There really is no greater joy than serving others. It’s just one way that I can be the hands and feet of Jesus.”
Recently, Kasey and Brittany learned they’d be coming home to care for patients.
Both women are joining the care team at Mercy Health – Marshall County Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, located in Benton, Ky. Kasey grew up in Marshall County and Brittany, who grew up in Graves County, married a man from Marshall County and the couple now call Marshall County home.
The prospect of coming home to work has them both excited.
“It’s going to be really nice to be close to home,” Brittany shares. “I’ve lived in Marshall County since 2010 but my husband is from here and was born in Marshall County. We have lots of friends here. I’ll be treating my friends and family every day.”
“I’m humbled to come home and serve my hometown,” Kasey adds. “I want the people of Marshall County to have access to good quality care and I’m grateful to Mercy Health for giving me that platform to serve in Draffenville. In high school, I told everyone I was going to become a nurse practitioner and come back and work here. I am honored to serve with the calling God has given me.”
Kasey notes the advantages that come with being a hometown provider and what her experiences will enable her to do now that she’s returned home to practice.
“The people in Marshall County all care about their neighbors,” she shares. “When you live here, you get that small town feel. People wave when you pass and they know who your family is. You see them at T-ball practice and they ask how your grandma and grandpa are doing. It allows you to form relationships not just personally but medically as well. You know where they are coming from and their background. Knowing people personally allows me to give them better care. I can look at their whole wellbeing.”
Kasey continues, “I’m blessed to have been with Mercy Health as a primary care provider for almost six years in Paducah, where I’ve treated a diverse group of patients. I bring that experience to Marshall County, where I treat every patient as I would want my father, my mother, my daughter and any member of my family treated. There really are good caring people here who want the best for our community, and I’m glad to be able to come home and provide the best quality care to people here in Marshall County.”
While where someone is from doesn’t affect the care Brittany provides, she knows there’s something special about the people of Marshall County and the region itself.
“I try to treat all of my patients like family, like I would want to be treated,” Brittany shares. “Whether they are local or not doesn’t matter. I provide the same compassionate care to everyone. I appreciate people’s time and value it. I know it’s precious and I treat each patient as the unique individual that they are.”
She adds, “when I think of Marshall County, one word that comes to mind is ‘resilient.’ The people here have endured hardship and devastation over the past several years, but they continue to come together and grow stronger every time. They work for what they have and value it, and they all appreciate being from Marshall County. I’m looking forward to bringing my nearly 11 years of experience as an APRN practicing in Paducah to my local community. I am grateful for this opportunity and excited for what the future will hold for the residents of Marshall County.”
Learn more about the primary care services we offer at Mercy Health.
