Paramedic Vicki Westmoreland recently retired after more than 40 years with North Mississippi Medical Center.

A 1975 graduate of Nettleton High School, Vicki graduated from Draughon’s Business College and worked as a legal secretary for a year before moving to Texas, where she worked as a church secretary. She moved back to this area and joined the NMMC staff working nights as a nurse’s aide on 3 South in August 1980.

Vicki often worked with emergency personnel when they delivered patients to her unit, and she became interested in a career change. In May 1981, she became certified as Emergency Medical Technician-Basic and transferred to the Emergency Department and Ambulance Services, where she spent the remainder of her career. In 1984, she was certified as an EMT-Intermediate, and in 1989 she became certified as a paramedic.

“I really enjoy patient care,” Vicki says. “I like taking care of people, and I also enjoy teaching others to do what I do, sharing what I’ve learned.”

Medical careers run in her family – brother Dereck Young is a pharmacist at NMMC-Tupelo and brother-in-law Brent Sanders, who is married to her sister Johnnie, works as director of Radiology at NMMC-Pontotoc.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time here, and I’m proud that I’ve been able to stay at NMMC for so long,” Vicki says. “I’m going to miss it. Retirement is going to be quite a change, and I hope to be able to come back and volunteer some.”

In retirement, Vicki looks forward to spending time with her children and grandchildren – Stephanie Johnson of Longview, Texas, and her children, Bailey and Taylor; Chase Betts of Mooreville and his daughter, Ariana; and Jarret Betts and wife Hayleigh of Tupelo and their daughter, Bryleigh.

She also plans to drive her parents, Bill and Joan Young, “anywhere they want to go.” She looks forward to helping with her mother’s flowers, learning to crochet, reading and visiting coffee shops.