Home health nurse brings decades of experience to new role

In her new role at Salina Presbyterian Manor, Jerri Phillips helps coordinate medical care for independent living residents.

She administers medication, processes doctor’s orders, schedules appointments, and takes vital signs, among other duties. The services she provides help residents live independently as long as possible.

“Anything they need from a health standpoint, I help them navigate,” Jerri said.

She began working in the part-time position in March, but Jerri was already familiar with the community. She worked with Presbyterian Manor during her tenure as a health-care consultant, and a member of her family moved into the community recently.

After graduating from the Asbury Hospital School of Nursing in 1977, Jerri worked in acute care for 30 years. She provided health-care consulting services for 12 years before moving into long-term care.

Jerri earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Kansas Wesleyan University and also holds a Master of Business Administration. She holds multiple certifications, including in infection control and dementia.

Raised in Geneseo, Kan., a small town on the border of Rice and Ellsworth Counties, Jerri moved to Salina to attend college. She has lived here ever since and raised her family here.

She is an avid quilter and enjoys traveling. She also has “eclectic” reading tastes, including books about history. She reads for work, too: A nurse for 45 years, Jerri keeps abreast of the latest advances in the field by reading professional journals.

Although her focus is on independent living residents, Jerri is willing to lend her expertise wherever it’s needed.

“I’m here to serve the whole building,” she said.