Charisse Buchanan: Sandra McKinney

CHARISSE BUCHANAN

Nurse Practitioner Specialist

Charisse working after hours on some files at home

By Sandra McKinney

Charisse Buchanan, NP, is a long way from Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, where she was born, raised, and began her studies in the health-care profession. Charisse received a degree in Microbiology and a Master’s Degree in Food Science at The University of Pretoria. She presented her thesis on the study of low-fat cheese, using specific grains from Africa as the fat replacement. But, rather than remain in research and development for food companies, Buchanan wanted more direct-contact with patients and the medical field.

Her father, Alan Buchanan, and mother, Teresa came to the United States in 2009. Alan had accepted a transfer to America as a mechanical engineer with the Timken Company in Canton, Ohio. Her father suggested to Charisse that she also come to America to gain her nursing degree. Charisse left behind all that she was familiar with in South Africa and moved to America. At least her parents were here to greet her and guide her in the new world of America. Working in the medical field must be in the younger Buchanan blood, as Charisse left behind her brother, Glynn, who is a dentist in Pretoria and her cousin, Francois, who is a neurosurgeon in in Bloemfontein of the Free State, South Africa.

Arriving in Canton, Ohio, on December 30, 2010, Charisse celebrated the coming of the New Year 2011 as her welcome to America. She immediately enrolled at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, in the nursing program. She received an accelerated bachelor’s degree in nursing. Buchanan commented, “University studies are a bit more laid-back in America. In South Africa, we did not have summers off, vacations or breaks from college like here in America. In South Africa, getting your college degree was similar to working a job; we went to school from 8:00am to 5:00pm, five days a week.” Consequently, it Gizmo sporting his Bow Tie after attending Puppy Training.

was easy for Buchanan to stick with her studies and work the accelerated program at Kent State. After graduation from Kent State University, Buchanan worked at Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio, as part of allowed training in America after completing a degree.

“I learned that I could not get an American work visa with only my Registered Nurse degree, Buchanan explains. “So I returned to school and received my Certification in Public Health and then my Nurse Practitioner degree at the University of Akron, Ohio.” During summer breaks from school, Buchanan volunteered at a Community Clinic for indigent and underserved patients in Hartville, Ohio. Her work involved care for many of the immigrants who worked the farms in Ohio. Also during her own training time, she taught undergraduate nursing students. Buchanan graduated from the University of Akron with Honors and had many diverse experiences during her education.

“It was then a question of what I would do next,” explains Charisse. “I went on-line to job-search sites and found that RMCH in Gallup, New Mexico, was hiring. I liked the idea of moving West and seeing a different part of America.” She accepted a position as an Adult/ Geriatric Nurse Practitioner with RMCH and came to Gallup, New Mexico, August 1, 2017. Charisse clarifies, “Adult/Geriatric medicine is for patients 18 years and older; children are not within my scope of medicine.” She further explains, “Internal Medicine is for adult care of chronic issues, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, lung issues, and other maladies of the adult patient.”

Charisse speaks Afrikaans which is one of 11 official languages of South Africa. She laughs and says, “I have not had the opportunity to use Afrikaans here in Gallup, but I am attempting to learn a few words of Navajo.” Hallo, my naam is Charisse, hoe kan ek jou help? (Hello, my name is Charisse, how can I help you?) Her father, Alan, was born in South Africa, but his family was from Scotland and he speaks English and Afrikaans. Her mother, Teresa, born in South Africa, speaks Afrikaans as a first language, plus English. So Charisse is bi-lingual in English and Afrikaans.

To ease the pressures of work, Charisse enjoys the sport of running. She can often be seen running the streets and paths around Gallup. Pretoria is in northern South Africa and has a dry heat in the summers. The temperatures in summer are 80-90°, and winter temperatures rarely drop to 32°. During her time in Ohio, the elevation was about 1000 ft. above sea level. Buchanan explains, “I thought New Mexico was going to be something like Pretoria, South Africa; I did not register that Gallup is at 6500 ft.” She had to adjust to the higher altitude before she could pick up her running speed. The colder temperatures and a heavier workload this winter has curbed her running a bit, but she is greatly looking forward to spring and the opportunity to explore new paths and areas to run. One of the other big adjustment she had to make when coming to America was the change in driving habits. “The majority of vehicles in South Africa are standard transmission, as they are cheaper than the automatic transmission,” she explains. “Plus we drive on the left side of the road in South Africa. It was a huge challenge to get used to driving on the right side of the road in the big city of Canton, Ohio,” she muses.

Shortly after Charisse arrived in Gallup, she thought it would be great to have a companion dog to join her on her runs. She adopted a tiny white pup who appeared to be part Maltese and part West Highland Terrier. She promptly fell in love with the little fellow and named him Gizmo. He immediately received his vaccinations, but alas, he came Charisse with her little “Terrorist” Gizmo

down with Parvo just days after his adoption. This little pup had a strong will to live and the perfect new human in his life. He was all of about 4 lbs. when he spent 11 days in the Animal Hospital fighting for his life. When he was able to come home, he still had medical hurdles to overcome with a very sensitive stomach from the ravages of Parvo. Charisse went into high nursing-mode and fed Gizmo a special diet, saw that he received his daily medications, and babied the little pup back to good health. “I now call him the ‘Terrorist’ as I spoiled him so much when he was healing, and he now has an abundance of energy and always wants to play. He has grown to about 15 lbs,” Charisse says with a sigh of relief. They are attending puppy-training classes, and he is very smart and becoming a fun companion for daily walks…and soon the daily runs!

Buchanan feels that it was a good decision to come to Gallup. Besides enjoying our community and the surroundings, she is certainly enhancing her medical knowledge. She is sometimes called Dr. Buchanan, but mostly she is referred to as Miss Charisse at RMCHCollege Clinic. She is a wonderful new voice for our community and a big advocate for us for better health. If you have the pleasure to meet this young woman, please give her a big Gallup welcome. We just hope that it is under fun circumstances and not a visit to her office; but rest assured if it is in her office, Miss Charisse Buchanan will take very good care of your medical needs.