By Sarah Morgan Johnson
Tammy Benjamin, MSN, CRNP-PNP (MSN 2023), has a passion for community service that has been the guiding light of her academic and professional nursing career.
Benjamin is committed to caring for mothers and children, especially in rural settings. When she and her family settled in Huntsville, Alabama, Benjamin began working at New Hope Children’s Clinic in New Hope, Alabama, a small town 10 miles outside of Huntsville. This school-based, non-profit primary care pediatric clinic serves 1,000 children.
Benjamin fell in love with her work there and treasures the relationships she has built with her patients.
“We are extremely passionate about the community and work to provide the absolute best care possible for our patients and their families. Because it is a small clinic, we can establish very personal relationships with our patients,” Benjamin said.
Eight years into her work at the New Hope Children’s Clinic, one of the clinic’s nurse practitioners moved away. Benjamin decided to pursue her Master of Science in Nursing in the Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Specialty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing to further invest in her community. The UAB School of Nursing was her first choice because it allowed her to balance work and school as she continued to make an impact in her community.
“Part of me had always wanted to go back to school, but between having three children and a husband in the military it never felt like the right time. When I realized that my family was going to settle in Huntsville and that there was a need for another nurse practitioner at the clinic, I decided to return to school to do something for myself, my community and this incredible clinic,” Benjamin said.
Thanks to support from generous scholarship donors, Benjamin, who received a Board of Visitors Endowed Nursing Scholarship, was able to prioritize her studies without worrying about finances. The support also paved the path for her to return to her work at the New Hope Children's Clinic after graduation.
“Without a scholarship from the Board of Visitors, pursuing my MSN would have been much more difficult for me. That scholarship gave me the opportunity to work at the nonprofit clinic after I graduated and take time off to study while I was in school. Their support made my education less of a financial burden,” Benjamin said.
In 2022, Benjamin received the School’s Florence Nightingale Endowed Award for Scholarly Work to implement an evidence-based practice plan to treat adolescents suffering from depression. This award, endowed by Mrs. Jane Brock, supports the School's Florence Nightingale Initiative by providing financial awards to faculty and students whose scholarly projects have the potential to positively impact the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities around the globe.
Benjamin’s project, “Mental Health Action Plan for Adolescents in the Primary Care Setting,” provides a treatment plan for New Hope Children’s Clinic patients that score in the mild to moderate range in a depression screening. The plan includes a toolkit of evidence-based tools to improve mood. It has been so successful that other physicians at New Hope Children's Clinic have also been using it.
“The qualitative outcomes we’re seeing are overwhelmingly good. These kids have an improved mood, and we are bridging the gap between when I see them next or when they have their next therapy appointment,” Benjamin said. “This project and the funding from the donors have changed lives. It has absolutely improved the moods of these kids and saved lives.”
During her time as a student, Benjamin also was part of the Graduate Nursing Education Primary Care Scholars, an initiative that provides mentoring, individualized content relative to rural health issues and other opportunities for professional and leadership development to nurse practitioner students who plan to provide primary care in one of Alabama's rural-designated counties upon graduation. Her advisor, Instructor and Director of the Graduate Nursing Education Primary Care Scholars Program Melanie Baucom, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC (BSN 2009, MSN 2010, DNP 2019), encouraged her to apply for the Florence Nightingale Endowed Award.
“Dr. Melanie Baucom has been my right hand throughout this entire process. During my time at the School, she helped me reach my goals and provided me with opportunities to better serve my rural community,” Benjamin said.
After graduating and returning to work full time at the New Hope Children's Clinic, Benjamin is more grateful than ever for the education and support she received during her time at the School.
“The UAB School of Nursing made it possible for me to serve this community that I love, and I felt like the program was curated just for me. This wasn’t like attending any other university; I attended a school that cares about me, that values what I care about and felt specifically designed for my needs and interests,” Benjamin said.