Connie Roberts, RN, has retired from the Center for Digestive Health after 30 years with North Mississippi Medical Center.

A lifelong resident of Baldwyn, she graduated from Baldwyn High School in 1976 and then worked at the Blue Bell shirt factory for 13 years. “Nursing is something I had always thought about,” said Roberts, who started nursing school after her father was diagnosed with colon cancer.  

After earning her associate degree in nursing from Northeast Mississippi Community College in 1991, Roberts joined the NMMC staff on 3 North working with gastrointestinal and genitourinary (GI-GU) patients. In 1999 she transferred to the Endoscopy Department at the hospital’s main unit. In April 2001, she moved to the Center for Digestive Health at 589 Garfield. As a nurse there, she has helped perform colonoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

During her career, Roberts says scopes have improved tremendously. “When I first started, the physician was looking through the scope and he was the only person who could see anything,” she said. “Around the mid-1990s, scopes began using video screens and then everyone assisting with the procedure could see what was happening.”

Early on, only the patients’ oxygen level and blood pressure were monitored during endoscopy. Now, each patient also gets an IV and a heart monitor. “We’ve come a long way,” she added.

Now that she has retired, Roberts looks forward to cheering on her grandchildren at school and sporting events. Daughter Crystal George (Greg) lives in Saltillo and has three children—Carlie, Parker and Claire. Crystal followed in her mother’s footsteps as a nurse and works for NMMC Home Health. Son Cory Roberts (Mallory) lives in Mathiston and has two children, Case and Camp.

Roberts says she has some projects around her house to tackle, and she enjoys fishing, reading and traveling.

“I’ve really enjoyed my co-workers and our doctors. They’ve been great,” she said. “We’re more like a family.” After a bit, Roberts hopes to return to work at the Center for Digestive Health one day a week.