Good Friends Retire Together from Hospital
Posted on Wednesday, June 9th, 2021
Good Friends Retire: Sally Stephens, supervisor, and Paulette Manning, RN
spent a combined 75 years associated with Mercy Health/Love County Hospital.
“I’ve been out here 40 something years. It’s time I give someone else the pleasure of doing what I did,” said Sally Stephens, as she trained a replacement for her job supervising central supply at Mercy Health Love County Hospital. Stephens retired on May 28. “I loved my job. I will miss my friends here and the privilege of serving the community,” she said.
For the past 30 years, Stephens has worked as a one-person buyer and manager of all materials the hospital uses, except furniture and large medical equipment. Coworkers stopped at her department to pick up medical and work supplies for their duty stations at the hospital, clinic, and ambulance service.
She took time to listen and get to know everyone. “All the coworkers have been a family, and we all pitched in to help each other,” Stephens said. She was a careful recordkeeper and she cooperated closely with Mercy Hospital Ardmore on joint orders, saving money for both institutions.
Stephens grew up in Thackerville. She joined the hospital in 1981 and trained in physical therapy. She provided patient care for more than 10 years before moving to the materials management office.
Retiring the same day was her good friend Paulette Manning, RN. The two women worked together since 1984. They raised children the same age and their families frequently socialized on weekends. Now both are looking forward to spending time traveling to see young grandchildren and, for Manning, tending to her “beautiful” flower garden at home.
Marietta Elementary put up a banner to bid “Nurse Manning” farewell and children dropped by to express their feelings on her retirement. Manning had been school nurse there and at Greenville for the past 5 years. The visiting nurse program is a joint service of the hospital and the schools.
Earlier in her career, she was charge nurse at the hospital’s Adult Day Center and a floor nurse in the hospital. Mid-career, she took 16 years off to care for her family. Then, in 2015, Manning took months of coursework to renew her RN license and rejoin the hospital professionally. She had never gone far because she had been serving as a volunteer in the gift shop in the meantime.
“I love my job and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. People need to understand how unique this place is, where everyone is like a family member and four or five will run to help you when you need anything. It makes you feel comfortable and secure in providing the best patient care you can,” Manning said.
While Manning retires, her family tradition in health care continues. Son David Manning is an RN in the emergency room. Grandson Alex Manning is paramedic with the ambulance service. Back home in Texarkana, Manning’s mother was a career RN and two aunts were LPNs.