Elise Jenkins Finds Holiday Cheer at North Sunflower Medical Center
This is the third in a series of profiles about the people who are helping make our community better by serving as members of the North Sunflower Medical Foundation’s Board of Directors.
During the holidays, Elise Jenkins is thankful that Ruleville has a small-town hospital with big-city amenities.
“It’s important for people to know what an amazing resource they have here. For such a small rural area, North Sunflower Medical Center has a wide berth of services,” Elise says. “We have things you’d find in a large metropolitan area. And we have it right here without having to travel for miles.”
She is celebrating the success of the North Sunflower Medical Center by finding ways for the North Sunflower Medical Foundation to give back to hospital staff, like holiday gift cards and events.
Elise is a bit of an expert on this. She’s a founding member of the North Sunflower Medical Foundation, which helps the nonprofit hospital raise money for equipment, educational grants, and programs.
“Billy Marlow came to me. He was looking for something to ensure the long-term success of North Sunflower Medical Center. He had me at go.” Elise says. “Billy had a vision that had not been seen here – in putting together people and resources. He was pivotal in seeing that we turned it into the amazing place it is. Our hospital had been through some trying times. We didn’t ever want to see that happen again,” she says.
And the foundation is fortunate to have Elise’s leadership. She retired after a 28-year teaching career at Delta State University. The skills that she used in higher education are now used as she leads the foundation’s main yearly fundraiser, the Birdies and Backhands golf and tennis tournament, and other events.
“I’m deeply rooted in voluntarism. To have a strong viable community, you need community effort and participation,”
Elise tells us.
Elise has seen the benefits of the hospital’s services, through care for her late mother, her husband, and herself. Elise and her husband, Butch, have taken advantage of the wellness center, which she says is a gamechanger for the region.
“People look at a hospital and think you only need it when you are sick,” she says. “We were just thrilled when the Beacon Wellness Center was built. It’s an asset. We’re seeing people living longer. There’s so much proof that even in the workplace encouraging wellness saves businesses money.”
When Elise is not donating her time in the community, you’ll find her helping Butch at Mississippi Police Supply Company. Her husband of 24 years, Butch is a lifelong Ruleville resident, and Elise also grew up in the Delta.
You may also know her as a celebrity expert in barbecue. She serves on the Memphis Barbecue Network Board of Directors and has been involved in BBQ competitions for several decades.
She says Ruleville is fortunate to have a caring team at all levels at North Sunflower Medical Center. Many employees of the hospital are also donors to the foundation – because they see the benefits of equipment and educational grants for training for staff, Elise says. “The Foundation is very attentive to making sure we are investing money properly. We are good stewards of every dime donated,’’ she says.
She hopes you consider supporting that work as we head into 2022.
If you are interested in learning more about the North Sunflower Medical Foundation or to make a contribution, contact Stacy Davis at stacy.davis@nsmedicalfoundation.org or call (662) 756-4129.