Jessi Combs
537 Council Ward Road Sugar Grove,NC
Summary
Compassionate, hardworking, and driven Registered Nurse who is dedicated to providing high-quality, patient-centered care in our mountain community. An adaptable team player with a heart for service, and a proactive, Carolina Cares mission mindset.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit
UNC Appalachian
Boone, NC
07.2025 - Current
- Provide comprehensive care for acutely ill patients with complex medical conditions in a fast-paced environment.
- Prioritize care for up to six patients per shift, utilizing assessment, critical thinking, and clinical judgement to recognize early deterioration and escalate concerns appropriately.
- Administer medications and fluids, perform necessary skills such as wound care, lab or specimen collection, trach care, IV or catheter insertion, monitor vital signs and patient response. Communicate with clinicians and other members of the interdisciplinary team regarding plan of care, changes in condition, concerns, or other needs.
- Respond to changes in patient status and participate in rapid response situations.
- Provide compassionate, patient-centered care while supporting patients and their families during stressful situations using therapeutic communication and deescalation techniques as necessary.
- Precept and train new grad nurses.
LPN, Medical Chaperone
High Country Community Health
Boone, NC
01.2024 - 06.2025
- Working up, rooming, and providing care for patients of all ages and walks of life in preparation for an appointment with the clinician, including medication reconciliation, a detailed review of histories, and symptoms.
- Provide compassionate, culturally competent care for underserved populations, including individuals seeking treatment for addiction through the HCCH Medication Assisted Treatment program, LGBTQIA+ patients, low-income patients, and individuals with chronic infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.
- Assisting with in-office procedures, including trigger point injections, I&Ds, biopsies, aspirations, and cultures.
- Dressing changes, suture, and staple removal.
- Chaperoning medical appointments of both routine and sensitive natures.
- Checking vitals, drawing labs, conducting point-of-care tests, performing EKGs and ear lavages.
- Emergent and routine medication administration.
- Immunization and therapeutic injection administration.
- Taking verbal orders from clinicians, and calling in prescriptions to the pharmacy, as appropriate.
- Training and precepting new clinic employees.
- Conducting routine clinic and lab equipment maintenance and logs.
- Exam room cleaning and turnover.
- Instrument cleaning, autoclave operation.
Medical Call Center Representative
High Country Community Health
Boone, NC
07.2021 - 01.2024
- Answered a high volume of inbound calls on a daily basis in a friendly and professional manner, while scheduling appointments for patients in a fast-paced, rapidly growing medical practice. Followed evolving scheduling parameters for multiple medical, behavioral health, nutrition, transportation, and interpretation providers, and services.
- Followed HIPAA guidelines, facility privacy policies, and procedures when interacting with callers and handling patients' PHI.
- Practiced active listening skills with patients, asked purposeful questions to determine their healthcare needs, and identified barriers to care while engaging in an empathetic and professional manner at all times.
- Entered patient data into electronic health records, and provided detailed documentation of calls and patient requests in telephone encounters, both accurately and efficiently.
- Precepted new medical call center employees, providing extensive training on best practices for working in the call center, and following current scheduling guidelines in a timely manner.
Manager of Medical Call Center
High Country Community Health
Boone, NC
04.2022 - 01.2023
- Effectively managed schedules for twenty-eight medical providers, ten behavioral health providers, three nutritionists, transportation, and interpretation services at multiple locations across Watauga, Avery, Burke, and Surry counties according to HCCH and the Director of Revenue and Reimbursement scheduling parameters in compliance with provider productivity goals, FQHC, and PCMH (Patient-Centered Medical Home) guidelines.
- Demonstrated ownership for effectively solving patient issues, concerns, and inquiries, keeping patient satisfaction at the core of every decision and behavior.
- De-escalated patient and general public crisis calls in a calm and empathetic manner to resolve issues within the Call Center, if appropriate, or connected with internal resources, public safety, EMS, or mobile crisis units, if applicable.
- Created and conducted a daily Team Huddle and Status Board to provide updates to the Call Center team, streamlining information regarding constant changes in scheduling guidelines, procedures, and growth of the practice to cultivate an atmosphere of teamwork, order, and increased patient satisfaction while meeting performance standards.
- Monitored daily operations, including daily call volume (1,500-2,000 calls per day on average), average speed of answer, service levels, patient satisfaction feedback, and other key metrics.
- Acted as the liaison between clinic staff and current, as well as potential, patients.
- Promoted the growth of internal communications between leadership members at all medical offices by initiating a collaborative Roll Call and biweekly Call Center/Quality Improvement/Site Lead Meeting, providing a platform to openly discuss ideas for improvements and solutions to any barriers or issues identified from all perspectives and aspects of the daily workflow process of caring for our patients, to reduce barriers to care and improve the quality of care.
- Developed triage and training materials for new hires on how to handle different types of calls effectively.
- I interviewed, hired, trained, and supervised call center staff, coordinated staff schedule coverage, and approved time for payroll.
- Reviewed employee performance, and provided ongoing feedback and coaching to drive performance improvement.
- Mediated conflicts between employees, and facilitated effective resolutions to disputes, to promote a culture of cooperative teamwork.
- Provided outreach assistance to regional management during merges with additional practices and providers to facilitate a more seamless transition.
Certified Nursing Assistant
Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Boone, NC
06.2018 - 07.2021
- Provided compassionate, culturally competent, patient-centered care to all ages and stages of life (birth through the end of life) in a variety of settings, including long-term care, memory care, assisted living, rehab, MedSurg, IMCU, ICU, ER, Ortho, and SSU Covid units in the roles of CNA and unit secretary.
- Safeguarded patient privacy with strict adherence to HIPAA protocols.
- Answered call lights, responded to codes and alarms promptly, and addressed patient needs accordingly.
- Assisted patients with ADLs, checked vital signs, recorded intake and output, and communicated any changes noted in patient condition with the RN.
- Collected specimens for testing purposes, upon request from physicians or nurses.
- Provided comfort and postmortem care.
- One-to-one sitter for patient safety
- Kept patient rooms stocked with necessary supplies, equipment, and instruments.
- Created and broke down patient charts, updated status boards, and facilitated discharge follow-up appointments with the patient's primary care provider or other designated specialists.
- Maintained an accurate, timely flow of information regarding the patient's care by completing thorough documentation in the EMR.
- Coordinated with EMS, ARHS transportation, and surrounding hospitals and facilities for patient arrival and departure.
- Precepted and trained CNAs on various units.
Registered Pharmacy Technician and DME Specialist
Boone Drugs Incorporated
Boone, NC
04.2008 - 02.2013
- Assisted pharmacists with preparing and filling prescriptions for patients.
- Received written prescriptions and refill requests, verifying information for completeness and accuracy.
- Performed fittings for devices and provided demonstrations of Durable Medical Equipment usage to patients and families.
- Cleaned and sanitized DME according to infection control policies and procedures.
- Completed interviews and inspections in compliance with the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) to facilitate pharmacy certification.
- Input prescription orders into the RX30 and DME Works computer systems accurately and efficiently.
- Verified inventory, submitted daily drug and equipment orders, organized medications, and stocked shelves alphabetically and numerically on a daily basis.
- Compounded sterile products according to established protocols and safety standards.
- Assisted with filling Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy compounds.
- Prepared and processed medical insurance claim forms and records.
- Communicated effectively with doctors' offices and insurance agencies to resolve prescription cost discrepancies and prior authorizations.
- Traveled to multiple Boone Drug locations to train established pharmacy techs during a company-wide transition to a new prescription computer software system, RX30, including Medical Arts, Village Pharmacy, Boone Drug at Deerfield, Crossnore, Foscoe, King Street, and New Market.
- Provided highly exceptional, kind, courteous, and professional customer service to patients when answering phones, performing cashier duties, and assisting with OTC orders.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC04-2027
Associate Degree in Nursing -
Caldwell Community College
Boone05-2025
Practical Nursing - Nursing
Caldwell Community College And Technical Institute
Boone, NC12-2023
Certified Nursing Assistant -
Caldwell Community College And Technical Institute
Boone05-2018
Skills
- 26 Years combined experience in direct patient care and customer service
- 13 Years experience providing patient care in a variety of clinical and outpatient settings
- Team collaboration
- Strong communication and de-escalation skills
- ACLS and PALS certification
- Effective multi-tasking, prioritization, and time management skills
- Cultural sensitivity and competence
- Leadership and staff management
- Team building, training, and mentoring
Accomplishments
- Daisy Award Nominations (Three nominations received since October 2025). Awarded by patients and coworkers.
- High Country Community Health Everest Employee Recognition (Awarded January 2022, June 2023, and December 2024). Recognized company-wide for outstanding job performance and supporting the mission, vision, and values of High Country Community Health.
- Appalachian Regional Healthcare System 2020 CNA of the Year Nominee. Certificate of Excellence.
- Sunflower Award (Eleven Awards received 2019-2021). Awarded by patients and coworkers to CNA's for outstanding work in patient care.
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit
UNC Appalachian
07.2025 - Current
LPN, Medical Chaperone
High Country Community Health
01.2024 - 06.2025
Manager of Medical Call Center
High Country Community Health
04.2022 - 01.2023
Medical Call Center Representative
High Country Community Health
07.2021 - 01.2024
Certified Nursing Assistant
Appalachian Regional Healthcare
06.2018 - 07.2021
Registered Pharmacy Technician and DME Specialist
Boone Drugs Incorporated
04.2008 - 02.2013
Practical Nursing - Nursing
Caldwell Community College And Technical Institute
Certified Nursing Assistant -
Caldwell Community College And Technical Institute
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University North Carolina Wilmington
Associate Degree in Nursing -
Caldwell Community College