Page 126 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2018

126 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • June 2018
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JOANNIE EVANS, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Mental Health
Nurse Practitioner Joannie Evans
For Joannie Evans the road to becoming a certified psychiatric mental health nurse began at Long Beach
High School and continued through Pearl River Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi where she received Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Nursing.
“I believe God places people in your life for a reason. I began my psychiatric nursing career at South Mississippi Regional Center where I met someone very special who holds a huge place
in my heart and forever will,” she said. “He gave me the strength and courage to pursue a career in mental health nursing, to reach out for those who cannot speak for themselves and to be their advocate.”
She began advocating for psychiatric patients while working at Merit Health Gulf Oaks Hospital where Dr. Julie Teater, Dr. Angela Burt and Dr. Brian Hammock were her mentors. “They have given me the insight and tools I needed to thrive as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and they continuously guide me along the way,” she said.
After she passed boards for her Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner license, she opened Mindful Matters. “I wanted to give back to
the community in my own way and to have a facility where patients feel comfortable, a safe place,” she said.
Evans believes Mindful Matters is not a typical outpatient psychiatric facility. She wants to assure patients that they will never be just a number. Each patient is greeted by name as soon as they walk in the door. There is also decreased waiting time, increased privacy with numerous waiting rooms, lengthy appointment times with therapy involved, pet therapy, as well as separate areas for children to accommodate different age ranges.