Katie is originally from Columbus, Georgia and moved to the Bitterroot in the Summer of 2016. Katie can be found spending time with her son, Carson, attending kids sporting events, painting, riding and training with her horses, walking with her dogs, hiking, biking, or enjoying the company of friends.

Katie grew up moving throughout the US during her childhood as the daughter of an Army officer. She lovingly considers herself an Army brat. She has an older brother, Chris, that lives in Florida with his wife and 3 children. She has experienced great loss over just the last few years, having lost her mother, father, brother, grandparents, uncle and a close friend. Her experience with grief and loss allow her to relate to those in her care with a deeper and greater understanding.

 

She graduated with honors from Columbus State University with her bachelor’s degree as a registered nurse in 2004 and started her career working in the emergency department and cardiac cath lab of a local hospital. In August 2005, her career would take a different turn due to a tragic family accident when her 16 yo brother sustained a mortal head injury.
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During her 4 years working as a registered nurse, she took travel nurse assignments at places like Yale New Haven Emergency Department in New Haven, CT where her eyes were opened to true inner city trauma hospital work. This work made her realize that she wanted to provide a higher level of care to her patients. She entered the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA the fall of 2006 and graduated with honors in the spring of 2008.
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Her first job out of NP school was at a family practice under the mentorship of Dr. Woody Jones, at Emory Clark-Holder clinic in West Point, GA. She admired how he connected with the community with his humor, down-to-earth attitude, kindness, care, and commitment. While conversing with one another over lunch hours, she and Dr. Jones would often talk of their future dreams to move out west. Katie voiced her love of Montana which began after reading the book, The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans.   
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After 4 years in family practice alongside Dr. Jones, she left Emory Clinic to seek full time employment back in the emergency department where her career in nursing had initially begun. This change offered better life balance after the birth of her son, Carson in 2012.

In early 2016, Katie was contacted by her dear friend and former colleague Dr. Woody Jones, who had made his dream move to Montana just 3 years prior. He presented her with an opportunity offered by Marcus Daly Hospital, to be the independent nurse practitioner at their future clinic in Darby, MT. A formal visit to Montana for the interview would seal the deal for Katie to make the trek cross country in July 2016.
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Katie lived her dream of being like one of her childhood idols, “Dr Quinn Medicine Woman” working for 6 wonderful years at the Darby clinic for Marcus Daly Hospital, later becoming Bitterroot Health, staffed with just one nurse and one office assistant. This clinic grew despite being centered in a very close-knit community that was a little wary of outsiders - you don’t get much more outsider than being a Georgia native. Darby quickly stole her heart, and she became an accepted member of the Bitterroot community.
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The rapid growth of the clinic, starting with COVID in 2020, quickly outpaced available resources and she became overwhelmed and unable to balance work-life boundaries. Therefore, her time with Bitterroot Health had to come to an end.
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She decided to set down one torch and pick up another that was to mark a new season. A season where she was able to give back to the community in a way that was still meaningful to her while also taking time for living a full-hearted life with her family.

Thus, Serenity Health was born.​​