Southeast Kansas has always been home. I was raised on a farm/ranch outside Edna with my three siblings by my parents, Lynn and Anne Gregory. We were poor but proud, and my parents taught us the value of faith, hard work, humility, and giving our best in everything we did. Those lessons have guided me throughout my life.
My Journey Home
After graduating from Labette County High School, I attended Coffeyville Community College, Pittsburg State University, KU Medical School, and completed my Internal Medicine Residency in Wichita. My goal was always to return home to Southeast Kansas.
My husband and greatest supporter, Patrick Smith, and I met in 1985 while working at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Together, we have raised five wonderful children and now enjoy three grandchildren. Throughout my life, I have worked many jobs, from farming and babysitting to EMS and healthcare, before becoming a physician.
During my final year of medical school, my father suffered a devastating 38-foot fall at the Coffeyville Refinery and was given less than a 1% chance of survival. Spending months beside him and my mother profoundly changed me. Experiencing the fear and helplessness of having a loved one critically ill taught me compassion and humility—qualities I carry into every patient interaction.
After medical school, I served in emergency medicine, private practice, consulting, critical care, and now hospital medicine. Today, I am proud to be a hospitalist at Coffeyville Regional Medical Center and honored to work alongside physicians I trust with my own family.
It is a privilege to care for the people of the community I have always called home.