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Pamela Purkey retires from the Hamblen County Health Department after 30 years of service.

Purkey who provided health education to the county for several years and a vital member of the department will leave the department at the end of June

She began working at the department in 1994, in a different role then she served for the most of her career.

“I started to work at the Public Health Department in 1994,” she said. “I started working with medical case management and I assisted families with their medical case management.”

“Then in 1996 I transferred from that program to health promotion and I’ve been with that ever since.”

Although she enjoyed case management her true passion was educating others.

“Education is truly where my heart is,” she said. “With case management, I learned a lot but with health promotion I can teach people about how to stay healthy and how they can take care of themselves.”

As she looks back her love for the job stems from the variety of tasks she was entrusted with and collaborating with other organizations.

“What I have loved about the job is that it’s a little bit different every day,” she said.

“One day I may be teaching senior citizens about how to keep themselves healthy and the next day I may be talking to a group of three year olds.”

“I enjoyed the variety and I have enjoyed being out in the community and working with our different community partners.”

Purkey recalled some of her favorite programs and initiates she was a part of with the health department.

“I have worked with several initiatives to raise awareness of health issues and do those things we have to do to keep ourselves healthy,” she said.

“I have worked with the Senior Farmers Market Program where we offer fresh fruit and vegetables vouchers through the farmers market to those of our older community members.

“I always look forward to that program each year. It’s really beneficial and we always get joy out of that program.”

“I have also worked with the Hamblen County Health Council and with Healthy Hamblen to try to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition.”

“A new program that I have worked with is an escape room for students to try and escape a room where they are trapped with other vaping and that’s been a very fun and interactive program to provide.

As the chapters closes on this part of her life Purkey hopes that the lessons she taught the community sticks with them.

“I hope that something I presented or taught to a group of people or just an individual has resonated with them,” she said.

“I hope that when they are making a health decision that they remember something I taught them or a lesson I provided helps guide them.”

“One of the most satisfactory things is when a student or someone I talked with comes up with me in public and tells me ‘Hey you’re the lady from the health department who came and spoke to my group.’ That makes me feel good to know that they remembered and that opens up the opportunity to talk to them further about healthy living.

Although Purkey is leaving the Health Department she plans to continue to serve the community.

“In my retirement I hope to devote more time to those community initiatives that I hold dear to my heart,” she said. “I will also do more community oriented things now that I have more time for myself.”

“I look forward to this new chapter of my life.”