Northbound Georgia Peach

Lori McCoy/Pelham Medical Center CRNA

I was born and raised in Atlanta. I lived there until I left for college at the University of Georgia. I had a great childhood in Atlanta and love the city, but over time, it has grown too big, and is one of the reasons we were ready to move elsewhere.

I was working as a nurse in Atlanta, when I met my husband, Joe, and we got married. He’s an architect. He went to Clemson University and then got his graduate degree at Georgia Tech. In 2017, we moved to Birmingham and I attended Samford University to become a CRNA, a certified registered nurse anesthetist. We loved our time in Birmingham, but it’s so far from our families and parents. My parents are retired and living at Lake Hartwell, and my husband is from High Point, North Carolina. Atlanta was closer, but just too big. We wanted something smaller and more comfortable.

We had visited Greenville and loved the vibrant downtown, the community and the revitalization. There’s always something exciting going on. We thought it would be a good fit, with access to family, and good for us in regard to size, connectivity and activity in the surrounding areas. We are in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and just a quick drive to the beach. It was all very attractive to us and we moved here in April of 2020.

We have a 4-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter. We’ve been exploring all of the things that brought us here. We love to go hiking at Paris Mountain and Table Rock, as well as visit Furman University’s campus. As a family, we love being outside. Obviously, with our oldest about to start kindergarten we looked at schools before moving here. Greer and Greenville offer so many great schools to attend. We are excited there are so many options for parents, not just for elementary, but through middle and high school as well. That was a huge priority for us.

When I was looking for a job, I applied to the Pelham Medical Center in Greer. Thankfully, I was hired into their anesthesia department. I absolutely love the community and the culture at Pelham. It’s very evident the minute you walk through the doors here. It’s a state-of-the-art facility, beautiful inside and out. The resources and equipment available are excellent. The majority of procedures performed include spine and orthopedic surgeries, as well as general and robotic cases. The team always puts the patients first and that’s evident from the president, to the nurses, to the staff. It makes me love what I do.

Our goal is to get more plugged in and raise our kids in a way where we can engage with the community. We feel lucky to live in a place where the city prioritizes that too, and offers resources and events that bring the whole family and neighbors together – whether that’s downtown concerts, fireworks, or movies. Greer is just thriving and we hope to see even more great things to come from it. We have such a bright future here.