Return to serve: an AdventHealth nurse's path to hometown care

In the heart of Clay County, amidst its rolling hills, tight-knit communities and bluegrass tunes, home health administrator Mary Ann Roberts learned that home was more than a place; it was a career.

Originally from Manchester, Kentucky, Roberts was born into a life of modest means and mutual support. When she was growing up, her neighbors were like extended family, always ready to lend a hand or share a meal.

“I’m proud of my mountain heritage and the people from this area,” Roberts said. “I care for them as I would my family. We were all raised the same and face a lot of the same challenges.”

It was not long after her acceptance into the University of Kentucky’s animal science program in Lexington that she began to feel the pull of her hometown.

“After three months of classes, I realized that is not what I wanted nor where I wanted to live,” Roberts recalls. “Whatever I decided, I knew I never wanted to leave Clay County again.”

"I knew I was home the first day I went out to see patients."

After returning home and eventually landing a role as a nurses’ aide at the Clay County Health Department, she watched as nurses cared for the town’s growing health needs. Inspired by the difference these professionals made in the lives of her neighbors, she knew she was destined to become a nurse.

Upon graduating from nursing school, Roberts served as a med-surg nurse for six months before a home health position opened at AdventHealth Home Care Manchester. In that role, she understood, firsthand, the challenges that her patients faced, and she felt a deep-rooted connection to them.

“I knew I was home the first day I went out to see patients,” Roberts said. “I knew that I had found my calling and the place the Lord wanted me to be.”

Roberts said she believes that AdventHealth plays a vital role in Manchester, offering community outreach programs that include the CREATION Life Transportation Program, health screening events, a food pantry, summer fitness program and more.

Growing her career within AdventHealth Home Care, from field nurse to waiver coordinator to clinical supervisor to administrator, Roberts’ journey serves as a testament to the impact that a career in health care can have.

“We were able to build a house for our children,” Roberts said. “I always dreamed of a home with a fireplace and big porch, now we have both.”

Roberts is thankful she had the opportunity to take advantage of AdventHealth’s robust educational assistance in a dynamic learning environment as she pursued both her BSN and MBA degrees. Now, as she works to earn her PhD, she urges everyone considering a career in health care, especially Clay Couty residents, to follow their dreams and “go for it.”

The Manchester native prays she’ll have many more years helping those in the community that she loves, doing a job that led her back home.

Learn more about a nursing career at AdventHealth at https://www.adventhealth.com/careers/nursing-jobs.