Still here, still smiling — the first ER nurse

September 12 marked the end of an era for TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital, as long-time department nurse Dottie Wimpee officially retired after more than 45 years in nursing.

Dottie, affectionately known as “Lolly” to her grandchildren, is trading in her white hat to spend more time with her husband and family, a well-earned next chapter after decades of service.

She was one of the first two nurses hired when TriStar Greenview opened its emergency room in 1985. For more than four decades, she has been a steady, compassionate presence in one of the facility’s most critical departments.

“It was a different time back then,” Dottie shares with a smile. “Physicians could still smoke in their lounge — so many things have changed.”

But one thing never changed: Dottie’s unwavering commitment to her patients, her team and the art of nursing. Her colleagues speak of her with admiration, sharing stories of how she listens with intention, delivers care with kindness and brings a smile to everyone’s face.

Her director, Lisa Nicewinter, recalled their one-on-one meetings fondly. “I’d always ask her, ‘Tell me something good’,” Nicewinter said. “And Dottie would smile and say, ‘I’m still here and I still love my job.’”

As she steps into this new chapter, Dottie’s legacy of compassion and joy will continue to echo through the halls of TriStar Greenview’s emergency department, a department that she helped build.

Her story reminds us all to find the good.