Cindy Vernon White, certified Family Nurse Practitioner (NP-C), has joined the clinical-care team at Northern Urgent Care – a newly opened facility of Northern Regional Hospital designed to meet the needs of patients with non-emergency issues – including flu/COVID symptoms, minor sports injuries, lacerations requiring minimal stitching, and other non-major health conditions or concerns. White served previously as a Nurse Informatics Analyst at Northern Regional Hospital, where she has most of her professional nursing career.
“Cindy brings a wealth of demonstrated clinical knowledge and expertise to her new role as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Northern Urgent Care,” said Brian Beasley, Vice President of Clinic Operations for Northern Regional Hospital, in announcing her appointment. “Since opening its doors two months ago, we have seen and treated a greater-than-expected number of patients at our Urgent Care Center, which has lab and X-ray capabilities.”
With more than 30 years of nursing experience – including hands-on patient care and administrative oversight of quality-assurance protocols and practices – White is comfortable combining traditional clinical-assessment skills with newer, state-of-the-art technologies that enhance the delivery of care. “I’ve seen a lot of changes at Northern – but there are two things that have remained the same: a focus on providing high-quality care for all patients; and a friendly, collaborative approach used by physicians and staff to encourage creativity and further promote a healing environment,” said White.
“I’m excited to begin treating patients in an Urgent Care setting,” she said.
White also is interested in helping patients navigate their physical and emotional needs during today’s global pandemic.
“I advise patients experiencing depression or anxiety due to the coronavirus to stay as active as they can – which might mean walking outdoors or exercising indoors. And if they’re feeling lonely or isolated, they need to reach out to someone – a friend, family member, or even their provider. If you need help, please ask for it,” she said.
While still a high-school student, White’s interest in nursing was piqued when she participated in North Surry High School’s ‘Health Occupations’ program – which arranged internships for students at local healthcare facilities to expose them to the wide variety of professional opportunities available in the healthcare field. Upon graduation, she enrolled in Surry Community College – where she earned her Associate Degree in Nursing in 1986. During the next several decades, White worked in a variety of progressively responsible nursing roles while also continuing her pursuit of advanced nursing degrees – including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (earned in 2013 from East Carolina University) and a Master of Science in Nursing degree / Family Nurse Practitioner (earned last year from Walden University).
After spending her first five years as a nurse taking care of obstetrics and pediatrics patients, White’s focus shifted to case-management and, eventually, home care – which required her to visit patients in their homes.
“My experience as a home health nurse taught me to better understand patients in the context of their families and support system.” she said. She also became proficient in the use of tele-medicine protocols and devices.
For the past 11 years, White has worked as a Nurse Informatics Analyst at Northern – which involves the development and training of clinicians and appropriate staff on the effective use of comprehensive Electronic Health Records (EHRs) – which are used by authorized healthcare providers to track and share clinical data to improve patient care. As part of her training efforts, White introduced quality-improvement documentation and procedures into all off-site practices operated by the hospital.
Now, she is eager to reconnect with patients and their concerns in an urgent-care environment.
White’s husband, Steve, is also a nurse at Northern Urgent Care, which is located at 119 Welch Road, Suite A in Mount Airy, N.C. It is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Call (336) 719-7200.
