Garrett Carver’s Commitment to North Sunflower Medical Foundation Runs Deep
This profile is the fifth in a series about the people helping make our community better by serving as members of the North Sunflower Medical Foundation Board of Directors.
Garrett Carver’s commitment to North Sunflower Medical Foundation started with his mother, Katherine, a longtime board member and community leader.
We lost Katherine to cancer in 2019, but Garrett now serves on the board and thinks of his mom, who cared deeply about the hospital and its role, as the heart of the Delta.
Garrett recently talked to us about his mom, the positive things happening at North Sunflower Medical Center, and the impact of the pandemic.
This father of two spent his whole life in Ruleville, except for time studying at nearby Mississippi Delta Community College and then Mississippi State. And he’s followed the hospital’s growth.
“I have seen the transformation. What was once a small town, struggling little hospital has grown into a modern medical center,” Garrett tells us. “I believe this wouldn’t have happened without Billy Marlow and the leadership team. Somebody had to take the reins, and they did.”
He said the COVID-19 pandemic showcased the hospital’s importance to Delta residents – and the dedication of the staff.
“They were at the front in having testing and then the vaccinations. They were on top of the regulations and the best research,” he says.
Garrett said his entire family got their vaccinations at North Sunflower Medical Center. He saw the compassion and dedication of the center staff.
“Everyone is invested and happy with what they do. They care about their jobs and this place,” he says.
Garrett is a fourth-generation farmer growing corn and soybeans on the family farm that straddles Leflore and Sunflower counties.
When Stacy Davis asked him to join the board, he had several reasons to say yes. First, he says, he wanted to get involved in service and be part of something important to everyone.
“Everybody I know has been complimentary of North Sunflower Medical Center,” he says. “When you live in a rural area, one of the poorest areas in the country, it’s great to know you don’t have to go to Jackson or Memphis to have critical care. It’s right here in Ruleville, Mississippi. It’s a jewel.
A second reason for Garrett to say yes is to maintain the critical resource that keeps people in the region and helps unify the community.
“When you go to North Sunflower Medical Center, there’s a family-type atmosphere. They know you. That’s very comforting,” he said.
Garrett has a final, more sentimental reason to serve.
“My mother and I were very close. She served on the board early on for many years until she got sick with cancer. She enjoyed it. I wanted to experience what she was doing. I wanted to get involved in the community, to make a difference. My mother left some big shoes to fill,” he says. “I think she’d be happy that I took up the mantle.”
If you are interested in learning more about the North Sunflower Medical Foundation or making a contribution, contact Stacy Davis at stacy.davis@nsmedicalfoundation.org or call (662) 756-4129.