Nursing director sets students up for a healthier future
Missy Jackson teaches patients how to care for themselves
Health care goes far beyond fevers and vaccines for Missy Jackson.
As director of nursing and care management at UGA’s University Health Center, she’s not only helping to treat patients, but she’s also setting them up for a healthier future.
“There is such a unique opportunity to change the trajectory of their health care for the rest of their lives,” she said.
Jackson earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1998 from the Medical College of Georgia and worked in labor and delivery at St. Mary’s Health Care System until 2004. That same year, she earned a master’s degree from Georgia State University as a women’s health nurse practitioner.
She worked in private practice for a few years and then taught women’s health and pediatrics and pathophysiology at Augusta University School of Nursing. From there, Jackson worked in prenatal care in a community setting.
Her time at the University of Georgia began in 2017, when she started her role as a nurse practitioner in the UHC’s gynecology clinic. Jackson’s husband, Travis, UGA’s employee wellbeing senior director, and a nurse from UHC who came to train with Jackson both encouraged her to apply for a position that opened in the clinic when another nurse practitioner retired. In January 2021, she became director of nursing for the University Health Center.
“Coming here has been the greatest gift to me,” she said. “I love working here. I feel like every job I ever had unknowingly prepared me for this role.”
Jackson pointed out that she learned how the business side of the medical field works from her time in private practice, how to work with students from her time teaching and the importance of evaluating and addressing health equity metrics make a difference from her time in community practice.
She took on her current role amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The UHC already incorporated telehealth into its strategic plan, but those efforts sped up with the pandemic. Jackson joined a committee to start implementing telehealth in two to three weeks, rather than five years. Being part of that team gave her more exposure to the administrative side of the UHC, and when the position opened, several people encouraged her to apply.
“I felt like there were opportunities there not only for me grow professionally, but also to help move the health center beyond the work of the pandemic,” she said. “We knew health care had changed forever, and what it was going to look like was unknown. I felt like I could play a part in moving us forward.”
Jackson thought she wanted to be a teacher and even began pursuing a degree in education. Eventually, she knew that wasn’t the path for her, but education still plays a role in her work. In many ways, she’s teaching UGA students how to care for themselves. And that leads to more academic success and better health outcomes in their future.
“We have an opportunity here to increase their health literacy, teach them how to navigate the health care system and to educate them on their health and how to best take care of themselves,” she said.
As director of nursing, Jackson oversees a staff of around 70 nurses and clinical support staff. For the care management part of her role, she oversees the UHC’s quality and health equity program. She also oversees the integrated care department, which includes behavioral health care managers and case managers. They recently implemented a complex care team for students who need multidisciplinary care. This allows providers for those students to come together to form a comprehensive health care plan.
Jackson continues to spend time with students, helping teach a First-Year Odyssey seminar and serving as a mentor. She also hires student workers and interns. She’s also a student again herself, working toward a doctorate of nursing practice.
Outside of work, Jackson enjoys reading and various forms of crafting like flower arranging, painting and cross-stitch. She also spends as much time as she can with her family, which includes three grandchildren.
And people are just as important when she is on campus.
“I think my team is just amazing, and I think that the work we do here is so pivotal to the health and well-being of students and we have an opportunity to have an impact on them for the rest of their lives,” she said.
