Ward retiring after 43 years

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Hedley’s Carole Ward has spent a lifetime caring for others as a nurse, teacher, and nurse practitioner. Now after 43 years, she’s ready for a rest and will retire Friday, May 25.

As a student at Hedley High, Ward remembers that a nursing recruiter visited the school and sparked her interest in health care.

“I just felt like it was the best fit for me,” Ward said.

Time proved that to be true. Ward graduated and went to work as a Registered Nurse in 1974, earned her bachelor’s degree in 1983, and then went back to school a third time to earn an Advanced Practice degree in 1995.

“I just kind of went back to school every ten years or so,” she says.

Her career started at the former Hall County Hospital where she worked her way up to the Director of Nurses position before she left the hospital to lead Clarendon College’s nursing program for five years. She worked in Memphis and Childress before becoming a nurse practitioner and opening the Clinic for Family Wellness in Memphis 11½ years ago.

“It’s been good,” Ward says of her time running her own clinic. “I’ve been blessed to have a good nurse and a good office manager.”

Ward’s nurse, Debra Guinn, has more than 20 years’ experience, and office manager Connie Murdock says she has been working in health care for 37 years. Both ladies have been with Ward since the clinic began.

Clarendon resident Nancy Kidd is one of Ward’s many patients who have fond feelings for Ward and her staff. She and her husband, Doug, have been seeing Ward since 2009.

“I like her honesty,” Kidd said. “I could always talk to her about whatever was going on and I would trust her answers.”

Kidd says she got teary eyed during her final visit to the clinic last week.

“I just hate to see her go,” Kidd said. “She wasn’t just my doctor; she was my friend.”

Looking back on her career, Ward says the time has flown but that she would do it all over again.

It’s been a long time, but it’s gone by fast,” she said. “I’ve been blessed to do it, and it’s been nice to be a benefit to people that you know.”

Ward says travel is likely in the future for her and her husband, Leon, who is also retired. She’s not fully retiring, however, and plans to continue giving people care with her bioidentical hormone therapy.

“I’ll take it easy and see what develops, but I still love what I do,” she said.

A reception for Ward will be held Thursday, May 25, from 3:30 to 5:30 at her clinic at 1645 N. 18th in Memphis.