By Dr. Don Robinson

Special to The Post-Searchlight

Bainbridge High School alumnus Kadee Newberry has come back home, and she now brings a bunch of initials behind her name. She is now Kadee Newberry, CRNA.

Many of you know Kadee, her siblings Keith and Cara, or her parents Keith and Carolyn. Keith has been in the construction business and Carolyn is a registered nurse. Keith and Carolyn chose to raise their family in Bainbridge and young Kadee was born here, at Memorial Hospital. She grew up here and went to public school. She performed in the dance line, was editor of The Purango, and played tennis. In 2005, she graduated with honors from Bainbridge High School.

Once Kadee graduated, she left to seek further education. Her educational process was assisted by the scholarship she earned from Memorial Hospital. Kadee has done well for herself. Through dedication, application, and work, she has achieved her dream; she is now a Nurse Anesthetist.

You may not really know what that means, to be a nurse anesthetist. Let’s start by just looking at the educational path required. Kadee began with two years at the University of Georgia. She then progressed on to the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. To earn her spurs of experience, she then worked for a year in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit.

This was followed by her formal training as a nurse anesthetist, another 28 months. No goals of worth are achieved easily, and it took Kadee seven and one-half years to achieve hers! Now she is fully capable of handling anesthesia for surgical patients and placing epidurals for laboring patients, among other talents. She succeeded, based on her abilities and through her dedication. She is to be congratulated!

Furthermore, now, she is to be thanked, because she has returned home! We all get to benefit from her accomplishments. She has joined Dr. Bert Parker and her fellow anesthetist, Don Underwood, in the anesthesia department at Memorial Hospital, where it all began for her. She is excited to be back, sharing and gaining experience with her more senior associates. She states that, “They have been very welcoming.” She sees the ability to provide anesthesia, especially given the variety of procedures performed at our local hospital, as a “great career opportunity.”

Currently Memorial has a talented crew of general and gynecologic surgeons, augmented by our ophthalmologist, gastroenterologist and visiting orthopedists and ENT surgeons. Kadee says she is glad to be working with us. As an obstetrician now, I am excited to hear her say, “I love OB; it is one of my favorite things that attracted me to my career.”

Personally, I have known Kadee since her childhood. It is just wonderful to see her as part of the professional team that ensures the safety and smooth journey of patients who pass through our operating room. You may meet Kadee at the hospital, around the tennis court, or over the counter at the grocery. Be sure to welcome her back to where it all began for her. She is an asset for our hospital and our community! We should all be glad she is here!