For nearly 16 years, Sheron Whittier has served at GIA, first as a float nurse and now as a medical assistant, working with Dr. Hannah Jones. “I worked with Dr. Barry Maves for 12 years until he retired, and I am so glad that I got to keep so many of my patients who now are now with Dr. Jones!”
She loves her job, sharing, “I’m a caregiver and a people person, so this profession is very much a good fit. The best part is taking care of people.” As for the team at GIA, “we strive to take care of our patients and we care about them.”
She recalls a story of a time when the team had to be very adamant about next steps for a patient. “She came in and was very jaundiced. Her liver levels were through the roof. Dr. Maves wanted her to go to Vanderbilt, but she was hesitant. I told her to pack her bags and go today! She has a condition that requires lifelong treatment, but she’s very well now and still a patient of Dr. Jones, so I’m glad I got to keep her.”
If Sheron had a billboard with one message to tell people about GI health, she says without hesitation: “Get your colonoscopies! They’re the most important for GI health.”
She’s been with her husband, John, for 15 years and married for five. Their family now includes five children and one grandson. The couple also has two dogs, Jake and Wrinkles. “Jake is a huge baby, a chocolate lab/boxer mix, and he is full of energy. Wrinkles is my old man. He’s 12 and likes to lay around and watch Jake run.”
In her free time, she enjoys fishing – the Tennessee River is a favorite place – and reading romance novels and series.