Alumni Profiles

The passions and professions of our alumni reflect the lasting impact of our school’s Mission statement. Read on to see how three Ensworth alumni are facing current challenges and opportunities. Shannon Neidermeyer ’02 is profiled regarding her experience on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic at Johns Hopkins Medical Center; we interview Tavarres Jefferson ’09 about the effects the pandemic has had on his Executive Residency Program at HCA, and Kobie Jarmon ‘13 shares her perspective as a Black woman on current events.

Compiled by Kirby Wiley ’10 Communications Coordinator

Alumni Focus: DR. SHANNON NIEDERMEYER ’02

Dr. Shannon Niedermeyer ‘02 is used to taking care of some of the sickest patients who come to the hospital. After completing her residency at Duke University in 2019, Shannon began her fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Pulmonary and Critical Care where she mostly sees patients who are suffering from lung disease and other life-threatening illnesses.

Since COVID-19 first hit the Baltimore area, her work has been almost entirely with coronavirus patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit, most of whom require prolonged support on mechanical ventilation.

“If a [COVID-19] patient is sick enough to need ICU-level care, we anticipate a long duration of illness. This cannot be understated,” says Shannon. “Even though it’s a small portion of patients with COVID-19 that get really, really sick, it’s tragic and life-altering and devastating for that person and their family. While this is also the case in aspects of COVID-19 care that make it unique for providers, patients, and families.” Like many medical facilities across the world, coronavirus forced Johns Hopkins to completely change the way the hospital runs. From creating new intensive care units throughout the hospital to recruiting fellows who were primarily doing research back into a clinical setting.

“Taking care of these patients is tough, emotionally, but also physically because of the personal protective equipment required for providers,” explains Niedermeyer. “We have broken it up traditional ICU care, there are certain

into shift work so that nobody is in the hospital for more than 12 hours at a time, and nobody is working more than four days in a row.”

Shannon says one of the most emotionally challenging things as a provider is fighting a virus that is still so new, with no known treatment.

“There’s no—that we know of now—single drug or therapy that we can give or do to cure this disease. We work to support their breathing, support their blood pressure if they need it, support other organs that might fail. Ultimately we are left closely monitoring the patient and hoping that our support is enough to get them through. This, I think, is emotionally challenging for providers.”

As the pandemic continues to bring new challenges to individuals and communities across the world, Niedermeyer says there are a few positive things she’s seen come out of the crisis.

“In ICU care in general, your day is filled caring for the critically ill,” she says. “You really have to hold it together as you go from room to room to talk to each family. In the world of physicians, the emphasis and importance of talking about workplace stress have increased over the last few years. I think this pandemic has really opened that door even more.”

Alumni Focus: TAVARRES JEFFERSON ’09

A 2009 graduate of Ensworth, Tavarres Jefferson has been working for HCA for the past six years. He earned his Masters of Business Administration at Trevecca and his Bachelor of Business Administration from MTSU where he was a two-sport scholarship athlete. Tavarres is currently in the Executive Residency Program for HCA at MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas.

Tell us a little bit about your role at HCA & about the Executive Residency Program.

I am currently an Administrative Resident and in an Executive Residency Program that trains and prepares you to be a future hospital executive within HCA. This program includes rotational exposure to key healthcare functions, physician relations, labor and staffing analysis, and benchmarking and costsaving analysis. My role as a hospital administrator is to help manage all operations within the facility.

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me always starts with rounding and touching base with my direct reports. For example, Respiratory Therapy is one of the four departments that I oversee at MountainView Hospital. During this Respiratory Pandemic, it is essential to have constant communication with the Director and bedside therapists to make sure they have everything they need to do their job at the highest level of care for our patients. After rounding, I look over all of the daily metrics that we need to hit for the hospital; this ranges from productivity with labor-management metrics, quality of care metrics, and patient experience surveys. Hospital Administrators support all aspects of the hospital’s operations, monitor and track trends to improve processes or celebrate successes. Providing exceptional care for our patients is the most important thing, and that care can be at any time of the day. That means that I need to be available 24/7 to make the best decisions for our patients.

How has your schedule/job changed since the COVID-19 pandemic?

When COVID cases first rose, I found myself at the hospital more often than not. I have spent a lot of time implementing new social distancing guidelines amongst our staff and advocating for the needs of our frontline employees and their patients.

What’s been the most challenging thing for you?

The most challenging thing has been just the unknown of COVID-19. Is there going to be a second, third, or fourth wave? Does everyone have the proper protective equipment they need to stay safe while treating patients who might have the virus? I spend a lot of time preparing for all scenarios, just to be ready.

What have you been surprised by?

I have been surprised by just how contagious the virus is and how quickly it can spread without a mask or practicing social distancing.

What have you learned?

I am learning that adversity brings out your true character. Our leadership team has been tested during this time, and I am impressed with our CEO’s ability to keep the staff remaining calm, informed, supported, safe, and overly communicating on any changes or updates that could occur. It is teaching me how to become the leader that I want to be.

From the pandemic to the death of George Floyd, and the broader debate over police brutality, how have all of these current events affected you personally?

Wow, well, the timing of everything happening at once for a black man who works in healthcare has been a little overwhelming. On one hand, the most important thing when I go into work is to make sure my staff is taken care of. That way, they can give the patients the best outcome, quality, and experience as possible. On the other hand, being a black man and having to manage the feelings of pain, fear, and grief that comes from incidents like the killing of George Floyd while also doing my job can be difficult. It has been tough, but unfortunately, George Floyd is not the first incident of an unarmed black man being killed by a police officer. However, his killing happened during a global pandemic where people are out of work, and there are no sports, festivals, or really any distractions, which has forced everyone in the world to look at it. I feel this could be a huge turning point for America because people who didn’t realize there was an issue are now sympathizing with many Black Americans, which is great.

The theme of this edition of Ensights is ‘opportunity.’ How do you think people and communities can use these challenging times as an opportunity to grow?

Between COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a challenging time for everyone in all communities, and it is an opportunity for all of us to grow. I like to find the good in every situation, including this one. If you are out of work, it may be a time for you to pursue that passion you always wanted to do. If you have children who are home more than usual, it’s a great time to teach them to give kindness and love to everyone they come in contact with, no matter their ethnicity. If you were unaware of the history of African Americans and how the country got to this point, it’s a great time to educate yourself on it. Have some open dialogues, listen, ask questions, in the words of Ensworth “Search for Truth.”

Ensworth Background

What ‘house’ were you in? Vitality!

What activities where you were

involved in? Football, Basketball, Track, Soccer, Story & Song Festival.

What do you remember most about your time at Ensworth/

favorite memory? What I remember most about Ensworth is how close the ’09 class was. We were one of the first graduating classes at Ensworth, and it felt like we helped build the school. My favorite memory is my peers selecting me to give our graduation speech.

What is the most valuable thing you learned during your time at

Ensworth? To get out of my comfort zone and to build relationships with people that didn’t have a similar background to myself.

Favorite teacher? David Whitfield

Alumni Focus: KOBIE JARMON ’13

I joined Ensworth as one of the new students in my grade for high school. Coming into a new environment where everyone knew each other already, where it was a new learning structure, and where I was one of only five Black girls in my class of 111 students, I was in a whole new world. I like to think I am sort of a chameleon; I can adapt to any situation and make it work in my favor. This comes from always being the only Black girl in many situations throughout my life. I cannot thank my teachers at Ensworth enough for encouraging me, supporting me, and having true confidence in me that I could be great. I’ve always struggled with asking for help, and if it wasn’t for Mrs. McGlasson sitting down with my parents and me to create a plan, I would still be struggling.

I graduated in 2013 and have had many years to reflect on my time at Ensworth. I made many lifelong friendships and gained mentors and life advisors as well as a community of people. I learned many life lessons attending Ensworth and I cherish them to this day. I’ve learned to challenge things that do not sit right with me and fight for the best outcome. I’ve learned that regardless of my gender or race, I am extremely valuable in every way.

Over the years since I graduated, I have accomplished a lot more than I ever dreamed of. I’ve won eight D1A national collegiate dance championships as a University of Louisville Ladybird. I’ve also won eight dance national championships as a coach. I starred in a reality TV show about my college dance team. And I graduated with two college degrees, a Master of Science in Sports Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.

This year has been a very interesting time in this world. With some of our greatest heroes dying unexpectedly, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the continued fight against systemic racism and police brutality, a lot has transpired quickly. It’s a challenging time to be a Black woman and a recent graduate right now; the unknown is scary. Turning on the news or checking social media apps and constantly seeing another Person of Color murdered, harassed, or falsely accused at the hands of a White person or police officer is heartbreaking. I believe that my generation and those around it will be the ones to make and create change.

I love being a Black woman unapologetically. I’ve never had a problem speaking my mind, standing up for what’s right, and being an advocate for those who need it. Not until I became a dance coach did I realize how much younger girls and boys look up to me. I am a mentor, leader, and friend, and my time at Ensworth has helped mold me into the woman I am today.