The service of nursing: ‘It’s about caring for people’

By Melissa J. Dixon, LECOM Health Corry Memorial Hospital, Millcreek Community Hospital and Medical Associates of Erie

“The administration and nurses are like family.” Maxine Overton says that’s why she has worked part time as a sta nurse for Millcreek Community Hospital (MCH) for more than 30 years.

“The doctors and Mary Eckert (CEO of MCH) and Dr. John (Ferretti, president of LECOM) have always made me feel part of this family,” Overton said. “Once Mary meets you, she will always remember your name.”

Overton started working at MCH in the 1980s. A car accident demobilized her for some time, and then she returned in 2005. She currently works in detox, but she’s served in intensive care and as a medical surgical nurse during her tenure.

Working part time at MCH is only part of Overton’s story.

She was a nurse in the U.S. Army Reserves for nine years. Starting as a rst lieutenant, she was then promoted to captain. During her time of service with the Reserves, she also worked at the U.S. Department of Veterans A airs Medical Center and in cardiac care for a few years at AHN Saint Vincent Hospital.

Overton’s journey then led her to help establish the medical center at the State Correctional Institution at Albion when it opened. She started there as a sta nurse, and then advanced to supervisor and eventually healthcare administrator during her 20 years at the prison.

“It’s about caring for people and treating every person with respect,” she said. “Hopefully, with our proper care, everyone – inmates and patients – comes back into the community.”

It’s easy to assume that caring for inmates would have been the most di cult experience of her career. But those assumptions are wrong.

“The height of COVID-19 has been the biggest challenge of my nursing career,” she said. “Trying to avoid contracting it while providing care at Millcreek to those who had it was very stressful. We suited up in PPE (personal protective equipment) for 12-hour shi s … we looked like spacemen. We never knew what to expect from one day to the next.”

During her career, she also raised four children with

Maxine Overton has more than 30 years of experience in nursing. Contributed Photos her late husband of nearly 40 years. For her, family means everything at home and at work.

Overton graduated with a B.S.N. in nursing from the University of Lowell (now UMass) in Massachusetts.