Meet Moore People: Keelie Ingram

Meet Moore People is a series dedicated to the people we meet each day but do not really know; people who make Moore County a great place to live and work.

Say “hello” to Keelie Ingram.

Bubbly, infectious, and loves to laugh — these are keywords to describe Keelie, a resident of Pinebluff.

If you end up going in for a colonoscopy, there is a chance you may run into Keelie. Keelie works as a gastroenterology nurse at Moore Regional Hospital. Gastroenterology is a mouthful, but it deals with the stomach, liver, and colon (among other stuff). It is not a pleasant test, but Keelie has an infectious laugh that can make even unpleasant things pleasant.

She has worked at the hospital since 2017. She graduated from Sandhills Fire Academy in 2013 and worked several years as an EMT and firefighter before switching to nursing. She is currently obtaining her bachelor’s degree in nursing from UNC-Wilmington.

“I love to help people. I have always been that way. I consider myself nurturing,” Keelie responded when asked why nursing.

COVID was tough on those in the medical profession. For Keelie, it was not only exhausting but scary. “I just had a baby, and I didn’t know what I would bring back to my family.” At the time, Keelie was working with patients on the floors.

When asked if things have improved, she said, “It has for me (since she changed positions), but for health care in general, not so much. They are still having to deal with the shock wave of COVID, and its effects on personnel and staffing.” 

She married Brandon, her high school sweetheart, who works as a plumber. They have one little girl, Sadie. Keelie’s brother, Lukas, recently graduated from Pinecrest and works at Chick-fil-A.

Keelie is active in her church, and a few years back, she and her brother teamed up and did a bunch of on-camera commercials for their church. Their evident bond and general wackiness made them an instant hit.

Her favorite thing to do is “to spend time with my family — my absolute favorite hobby.”

When asked where she sees herself 10 years from now, she hopes to be teaching other nurses. “I will have completed my bachelor’s degree and would like to be teaching nursing clinicals.”

Nurturing the next generation of nurses.

If you know someone who you think makes Moore County a great place to live and would like to see them profiled in this series, please send your suggestions to [email protected].

Sandhills_Sentinel~Written by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Chris Prentice. 

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