The Ledger

By Becky Holland

For Brittany Brown, healthcare has never simply been a job. It has always been personal.

Brown, 33, serves as the Emergency Room Manager at Bleckley Memorial Hospital, where she combines years of experience, compassion, and quick thinking to help care for patients during some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Before becoming a nurse, Brown spent nine years working as a respiratory therapist — a path inspired by her grandfather, who suffered from COPD.

Brown said, “That’s what led me into respiratory therapy.”

After years in the field, Brown realized she wanted to do even more for patients. She returned to school and became a nurse in 2020.

Today, she helps lead the emergency room team at Bleckley Memorial Hospital, a critical access hospital equipped with modern medical technology designed to handle a wide range of emergencies close to home.

Brown first came to Cochran after moving to the area and taking PRN work at the hospital. PRN, short for “pro re nata,” refers to healthcare staff who work on an as-needed basis rather than a full-time schedule. Not long after, a permanent position opened, and she applied.

She quickly found a home both in the hospital and the community.

“I loved it here,” Brown said.

Her days begin early — around 6:30 a.m. — checking in with the night shift crew before handling office responsibilities. But the running joke is her office rarely needs cleaning because she is hardly ever in it.

“I am always back in the ER helping,” she commented.

Brown said the best part of nursing is simply being there for people when they are at their most vulnerable.

“We treat our patients like family,” she said. “That’s important to me.”

She also brings experience from working in pediatrics, something she believes benefits local families by allowing many parents to receive care for their children close to home.

Outside the hospital, Brown enjoys life on the farm with her family, where they spend time caring for goats, cows, and other animals.

As for advice she would give her younger self?

“Don’t sweat the small stuff and don’t worry about things you can’t control,” she said.

Bleckley Memorial Hospital recently celebrated Nurses Week and Hospital Week, following closely behind Lab Week and Radiology Week. Staff members joined together throughout this week for themed celebrations, including western-themed day where Brown sported a cowgirl shirt matching her bright personality.

Known by many as hardworking, knowledgeable and well-liked, Brown’s leadership style seems simple — stay present, help where needed, and care deeply for the people in front of you.