the Office Hours
WITH JILL PERRY Assistant Dean of Health and Wellness
From providing clinical services to cultivating a welcoming atmosphere where students feel at home, Queens Health and Wellness Center has a vast impact on the vitality of the Queens community. Jill Perry RN, MSN ’09 has shaped
the daily operations of the quaint, brick campus landmark during her 15 years serving students, staff, and faculty. On the heels of leading Queens through a pandemic, 2022 marks Perry’s 40th year as a nurse.
QUEENS CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF A TREASURED HUMANITARIAN
Remembering Dr. Ophelia Garmon-Brown
The Charlotte community has lost a respected champion for humanity. However, the legacy of Dr. Ophelia Garmon-Brown, who passed away last November, will live on through her stories of hope and inspiration. The trustee emerita, who served on the Queens University of Charlotte Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2019, will long be remembered as a beloved advocate, advisor and friend. “This was a devastating loss for the Queens community, the city, and
humankind,” said Queens University President Dan Lugo. “Her tireless work as a physician, minister, volunteer, advocate and community leader embodied the spirit of the Queens mantra, not to be served but to serve. Her passion and advocacy will live on at Queens as we continue to celebrate the enduring impact she has had on our entire community.” Dr. Garmon-Brown was recognized with numerous awards for her
extraordinary accomplishments and contributions, including the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest honor a civilian can receive in North Carolina. During the university’s 2018 commencement ceremony, she was honored with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, presented to individuals who exemplify excellence of character and humanitarian service. As the first Black female resident in family medicine at Atrium Health, Dr.
Garmon-Brown’s career included practice with the prestigious Nalle Clinic, where she served as the Urgent Care medical director. In 2000, she co-founded the Charlotte Community Health Clinic. She also served as medical director for the health clinic at the Salvation Army Women’s and Children’s Shelter. She later became the medical director for all Presbyterian Urgent Care Centers and, in 2012, was promoted to senior vice president of business and community wellness and education.
—Keith Pierce
1. Te COVID-19 pandemic required the operations of the center to change overnight. Te open environment where students previously congregated to study and hang out quickly became off limits as Perry and her team had to navigate the uncharted territory of supporting the testing and wellness needs of a vulnerable campus community. Perry recounts how the pillars of fighting the pandemic were vaccination, testing, quarantine and isolation, and will always remember the intimate role her team played in pioneering those efforts on campus. In her office, she keeps a box of tests alongside a bobblehead of Dr. Anthony Fauci.
2. Perry and her team regularly provide travel consults for students in need of a medical clearance prior to their travels abroad. “I have enjoyed living vicariously through the students amidst all of their travels over the past 15 years and Paris happens to be one of my favorite places,” said Perry.
3. On her bookcase Perry also keeps a stash of professional journals, as she is an active member of the American College Health Association (ACHA). She has served
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