Lucy Lawrence was in school to become a Medical Assistant when she first worked at St. Charles' La Pine Family Care clinic as part of a practicum rotation. She quickly came to love the team, culture and patients of La Pine, as well as the rewarding experience of serving a rural community. When a job opening came up after graduation, she leapt at the opportunity.
“I knew that La Pine was going to be such a fantastic fit for me, and I loved working for St. Charles when I was a student, so I couldn’t say no,” said Lawrence. “I really do have the best team. The culture in La Pine is something special. We are very closely knit, and everyone is a team player. We have so much fun with each other and I look forward to seeing them every day. We are all very driven by the work that we are doing, and we love what we do.”
Lawrence also spends part of her time as an assistant instructor at Central Oregon Community College, teaching clinical skills to St. Charles Medical Assistant cohorts, a program that pays for tuition in exchange for employment within the health system. She has always enjoyed teaching and she loves being on the other side and being able to pass on the knowledge she has gained working in the field.
“It’s so rewarding to see the students' progression, from being super nervous on the first day of labs, when they’re just learning how to properly wash their hands," Lawrence said, "all the way to the very end when they graduate and are doing these really complex clinical skills, and they are confident and ready to go into the field.”
Though she loves her career as a Medical Assistant, her goal has always been to learn as much as she can about medicine and have the skill set to make the greatest impact possible. With that in mind, she will be starting medical school at OHSU this fall to become a physician.
Along with an appreciation for her team, seeing the difference that the La Pine clinic makes in the health of the community is the most rewarding part of her job, she said. For many of Lawrence’s patients, regular access to health care has been limited due to geographic location or financial limitations, and chronic health conditions are common.
“A person’s health impacts every aspect of their life,” she said. “Poor health limits what you’re able to do, so by helping people become healthier we are positively impacting every part of their life and their ability to do what they want to do, from participating in their community to earning a living and being able to be there for their families.”
