Hi, I’m Ginger.

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For 24 years, I’ve had the privilege of caring for people across many areas of healthcare.

I’m proud to have spent part of my nursing career at Duke University and my experience has included intensive care, cancer care and chemotherapy, hospital float nursing, chronic-disease education, case management, home health and infusion management, and medication management.

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Over the years, my eyes were opened to just how difficult and fragmented our healthcare system can be. Through chronic-disease education in heart failure, diabetes, and COPD, medication management, insurance navigation and prior authorizations, and working alongside a group of inpatient physicians, I saw firsthand how overwhelming healthcare can become for patients and families.

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For much of my life, I imagined becoming a physician.  But after years of working alongside physicians and other healthcare providers, I began to see healthcare from a different perspective.  I realized that what called to me most was not becoming a doctor, but helping people understand their health, ask better questions, and feel more empowered in their care.

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That eventually led me to explore becoming a naturopathic physician, where I discovered an approach to health that deeply resonated with me.  However, naturopathic medicine is not currently licensed in South Carolina, and the educational path would have required relocating far from home.  As a caregiver and advocate for my nephew with special needs, leaving was not a realistic option.

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So the dream evolved. Rather than abandoning it, I began asking how I could bring together my nursing experience, advocacy, curiosity about whole-person wellness, and belief in the healing power of community.  

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My nursing career has also given me opportunities to lead, educate, and advocate beyond the bedside.  I've served in leadership roles, contributed to an Evidence-Based Quality and Patient Safety Committee, and currently serve on a Human Rights Committee in Horry County.  I am also a member of the American Holistic Nurses Association, reflecting my continued commitment to whole-person care and a more connected approach to health and healing.  These experiences have strengthened my belief that every person deserves to be heard, respected, and treated with dignity.

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I’ve experienced profound grief through the loss of several immediate family members, and I've spent years caring for and advocating for two young men with special needs.  Those parts of my life have shaped not only how I care for others, but how I see life itself.

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I've seen how overwhelming healthcare can become.  People are often trying to make important decisions while they're scared, exhausted, grieving, or simply unsure of what questions to ask.  I believe people deserve someone in their corner who can help them understand their options, find their voice, and feel less alone in the process.

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I also believe everyone deserves to feel seen, respected, and safe when seeking care, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or who they love.

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But living well is about more than healthcare.

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Outside of nursing, I've learned to appreciate the art of simply living.  I find joy in creating pottery, kayaking, riding my bicycle, strength training, sharing good food, reading books, listening to music, or sitting on the steps with a good cup of coffee and soaking up the sun.  I believe these ordinary moments matter.  They remind us to slow down, reconnect with ourselves, and notice the beauty that can easily get lost in the busyness of life.

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Travel has also shaped the way I think about health and community.  I've always loved experiencing different places, cultures, and ways of life.  Along the way, I've seen communities where connection, shared meals, movement, time outdoors, and caring for one another seem to be woven more naturally into everyday life.  Those experiences reminded me that health is not created within the walls of a healthcare system alone.  It is also shaped by how we live and how we care for one another.  I believe healthier communities are built one person at a time, through individuals choosing to contribute, connect, and support the well-being of those around them.

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That belief is part of what inspired Wild Ginger Healing Collective. I wanted to create something that brings together my experience as a nurse, advocate, caregiver, and human being.  A place where people feel heard, supported, and empowered to navigate their health and their lives with greater confidence.

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Because after everything I've experienced personally and professionally, one thing has become very clear to me:  People need people.