Celebrating Women in Healthcare: Stories from Exceptional GHR Healthcare Talent

Linda Murray – Director of Nursing

For Linda Murray, nursing was always part of her path. Inspired by both her oldest sister and her grandmother, she set a personal goal early on: to become a nurse by the time she turned 30. She pursued that goal while pregnant with her twin daughters, turning 30 on May 6 and graduating just one week later.

Linda’s career spans psychiatric care, emergency and ICU nursing, surgical and medical-surgical units, and even owning her own staffing agency. Early on, she was certain of one thing: she would never work in a nursing home. Today, she serves as an interim Director of Nursing and finds deep fulfillment in working with elderly residents.

Her experiences have also shaped her perspective on the fragility of life. One patient she cared for in the MICU left a lasting impression—a 40-year-old who suffered a cardiac arrest and remained on a ventilator after not receiving oxygen quickly enough to preserve brain function. Linda remembers the patient’s family surrounding him with photos from beach trips and hikes, playing his favorite music, and his elderly mother visiting daily to hold his hand.

One day, while Linda comforted her, the patient’s mother said something she has never forgotten: “He is still my baby, and I just can’t let go.”

That moment reinforced two truths: life is fragile, and a mother’s love is timeless and unconditional.

Linda believes impact in nursing often happens in subtle ways—through teaching, encouraging others, advocating for patients, and simply being kind and genuine. She also emphasizes that nursing requires both strength and balance.

“Nursing isn’t for cowards,” she says, noting that nurses constantly reprioritize, think critically, and balance compassion with resilience. 

Her advice to those entering the profession is to seize every opportunity, stay open to growth, and never assume you know where your path may lead.

Outside of work, Linda enjoys walking in nature with her dog Blue, painting, and spending time with her daughters and grandchildren. "Just being in their world makes my heart sing!"

Nakima Hampton – Inpatient Coder

Nakima Hampton has been a remote inpatient coder for 13 years, including more than seven years with GHR Healthcare. What began as a stable career gradually became something much more personal.

A defining moment came when Nakima had to take FMLA leave after her youngest daughter underwent an appendectomy at just three years old. The support from her manager and, later, from GHR Healthcare during the uncertainty of COVID-19—helping her secure work and maintain income—showed her the profound impact of a positive workplace culture.

Balancing work and home life as a mother has been central to her experience. “Working from home is just as hard as getting up and leaving the house every day,” Nakima explains. “I love the solitude and quiet, but it requires discipline and focus.”

For Nakima, impact comes through dedication, discipline, and taking her responsibilities seriously. Networking and teamwork are essential, particularly when navigating complex coding cases. She advises aspiring inpatient coders to build a strong foundation in anatomy and physiology, take detailed notes, and commit to continuous learning.

What keeps her motivated on difficult days is knowing others rely on her to do her best work. She also finds purpose in continuously expanding her professional skills.

Outside of work, Nakima finds happiness in life’s simple joys, including spending time with her twin daughters when they're home from college, cheering on her youngest daughter, who is the captain of her high school basketball team, and caring for her three cats.

Iman Abdallah – Respiratory Therapist & Clinical Liaison

Iman Abdallah, a respiratory therapist and clinical liaison with 10 years of experience, finds her greatest impact in moments of patient connection. One pulmonary rehabilitation patient, grieving the loss of her daughter, returned to treatment visibly changed. Iman recalls taking time to sit with her, talk, and cry together—an experience that continues to stay with her.

“True impact comes when patients feel heard and leave reassured and informed,” she says. She emphasizes the vital role of respiratory therapists, often underrecognized, who must remain calm in high-pressure situations.

Iman also reflects on how her identity as a Black and Middle Eastern woman has shaped her approach. “I consider myself lucky to be a part of so many groups. It has made me an empath, and I’m able to connect with my patients so much better."

On difficult days, Iman reminds herself that these are often the days when healthcare professionals make their greatest impact—whether helping someone breathe, supporting families, assisting colleagues, or educating patients.

Outside of work, Iman enjoys spending time with her family and has made it a goal to visit a new park whenever possible, especially when the weather is nice. She also speaks two languages fluently.

Beck Perlo – Physician Assistant

Beck Perlo, a physician assistant with over 30 years of experience and five years with GHR Healthcare, grew up immersed in medicine. With a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather as physicians, healthcare was less of a career choice and more of a family tradition. 

Early experiences—like accompanying her grandfather on house calls in Poseyville, Indiana, where care was sometimes paid with chickens or corn—taught her that medicine is about service, humility, and showing up for the community.

Today, Beck brings hospital-level care directly into patients’ homes, focusing on elderly individuals who heal best in familiar surroundings. The moments that resonate most aren’t dramatic medical saves, but quiet, human interactions: listening carefully, explaining care plans, and building trust.

“Strength doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful,” she says. “Sometimes strength looks like pulling up a chair and really listening. It looks like noticing the unspoken worry. It looks like sitting at a kitchen table instead of a hospital bedside and making sure someone feels truly seen and heard.”

Beck encourages anyone drawn to healthcare to pursue it: "If you feel that pull toward medicine, listen to it. It’s hard. It’s humbling. It will stretch you. But it will also give you stories, perspective, and purpose you can’t get anywhere else."

Outside of work, Beck enjoys driving and traveling with her husband, Doug, caring for their dog, Charlie, and watching fish glide by in her 300-gallon at-home saltwater aquarium, which doubles as her dining table.