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At Weems Medical Center West in Apalachicola, Brenda Carroll is known as someone patients and colleagues can count on.
Whether she’s assisting patients, supporting her coworkers or stepping in wherever an extra hand is needed, Brenda brings a strong work ethic and a team-first attitude to her role as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Those qualities have earned her recognition as Weems Memorial Hospital’s September Employee of the Month.
Brenda joined Weems Memorial Hospital two years ago, and has become a valued colleague, known for her dependability, willingness to help and the positive relationships she has built with patients and staff.
No matter what the day brings, Brenda is always willing to take on different responsibilities to support her team and help keep the clinic running smoothly.
“Brenda is the kind of employee every organization hopes to have,” said David Walker, CEO of Weems Memorial Hospital. “She’s dependable, hardworking and always willing to step in wherever she’s needed. That kind of teamwork makes a real difference for both our patients and colleagues. We’re fortunate to have her at Weems, and we look forward to many more years with her on our team.”
Brenda’s dedication and willingness to go the extra mile reflect the commitment to patients and teamwork that Weems Memorial Hospital values across its facilities.
Weems congratulates Brenda on this well-deserved recognition and thanks her for the hard work and dedication she brings to the Weems Medical Center West every day.
After more than 47 years of caring for patients in Franklin County, longtime Weems Memorial Hospital Clinical Laboratory Technologist Jean Roberts has retired.
For Roberts, a career at Weems was also a return home. Born and raised in Apalachicola, she graduated from Chapman High School in 1965 before moving to Indianapolis, Indiana, where she attended the Indiana Institute of Technology and earned her degree as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist.
Roberts began her career in Indianapolis, working in a physician’s office and managing its laboratory. In 1978, she returned to Apalachicola and joined Weems Memorial Hospital that October.
She would remain a familiar face in the Weems Laboratory Department for the next 47 years.
Over the decades, Roberts cared for generations of Franklin County residents, including many patients she had known for much of her life. Her knowledge and experience made her an important part of the laboratory team, while her friendly, positive nature made her someone patients and coworkers came to know and trust.
“Jean represents something very special about Weems,” said David Walker, CEO of Weems Memorial Hospital. “She came home and devoted nearly five decades of her career to caring for people in the community where she was raised. The experience and dependability she brought to our hospital are remarkable, but just as important is the way she treated people. We are grateful for everything Jean has given to Weems and to Franklin County.”
Roberts’ long tenure has been recognized by Weems throughout the years. In 2023, she was named Employee of the Month after being nominated for her dedicated work in the Laboratory Department and the friendly and positive attitude she brought to caring for patients.
Her own explanation for staying at Weems was much simpler. In a 2020 employee feature, Roberts said, “I love my job and the folks I work with!”
That love for her work carried Roberts through a laboratory career spanning more than five decades and a Weems career that began in 1978.
Weems recently celebrated Roberts and her retirement with coworkers, friends and family.
“Nearly forty-eight years with one hospital is an extraordinary legacy,” Walker said. “Jean has been part of Weems for so much of its history, and she will always be part of the Weems family. We wish her a wonderful and well-deserved retirement.”
Friday, August 14, 2026
APALACHICOLA, Fla. — George E. Weems Memorial Hospital is one of seven rural hospitals participating in a regional collaborative awarded nearly $11.2 million in Year 1 funding through Florida’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), administered by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
The five-year Specialty & Acute Care Bundle, led by Calhoun Liberty Hospital, will expand access to specialty care, strengthen emergency services and improve care coordination across Northwest Florida.
The collaborative includes:
- Calhoun Liberty Hospital
- Doctors Memorial Hospital (Bonifay)
- Doctors’ Memorial Hospital (Perry)
- George E. Weems Memorial Hospital (Apalachicola)
- Jackson Hospital (Marianna)
- Madison County Memorial Hospital
- Northwest Florida Community Hospital (Chipley)
Together, the partner hospitals serve residents across Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Walton and Washington counties.
Expanding Access to Care Close to Home
For patients in Franklin County, this initiative means greater access to specialized care without traveling long distances.
As the program is implemented, Weems patients will have access to:
- Cardiology, oncology and neurology specialists through secure video visits
- Expanded behavioral and mental health services through telehealth
- Faster emergency stroke evaluations with immediate specialist consultation
- Shared technology that helps participating hospitals securely coordinate patient care
Implementation will occur in phases during the program’s first year as participating hospitals complete readiness activities. Specific service launch dates for Weems will be announced as they become available.
“This partnership gives Franklin County patients access to specialty care without a long drive to get it,” said David Walker, CEO of George E. Weems Memorial Hospital. “Our patients will be able to connect with cardiology, oncology and neurology specialists by video right here at Weems, and reach stroke specialists quickly when every minute matters. This is about increased access to care for the communities we serve.”
The Florida Rural Health Transformation Program is designed to strengthen healthcare delivery across the state’s rural communities by supporting regional partnerships that improve access to care, expand services and enhance patient outcomes.