Shellisa Martin – Houston Healthcare’s Chief Nursing Officer

Houston Healthcare has a new Chief Nursing Officer, Shellisa Martin. Martin however, is not new to Houston Healthcare.

Martin was first hired on as the orthopedic nurse manager in 2010, and then was later promoted in 2015 to director of nursing. On Jan. 25th of this year, she began her new promotion as Chief Nursing Officer.

“I am very excited to serve in this new role,” Martin said. “I have worked both at big and small hospitals, but have really enjoyed being here at Houston Healthcare. It is like a family oriented, tight knit, close group of people. They truly support and value their employees here.”

Martin was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. She graduated high school from Saint Ursula Academy, and earned her bachelor’s of nursing degree from the University of Toledo and Medical College of Ohio. Martin said she never got her nursing license from Ohio because she immediately moved to Georgia after graduating college.

“When I was 12 years old my maternal grandfather had a brain tumor, which turned out to be cancer,” Martin said. “So I watched my mom and family with the nurses and how they took care of my grandfather. My dad also had some strokes in his early 50s, so I was always exposed to the medical field. That inspired me to become a nurse, and I stuck to my goals, and here I am today.”

Martin first began here career in Atlanta working at Wellstar Health Systems for 10 years, to which she spent most of her time at the Cobb Hospital and then transferred to Kennestone Hospital.

“I got married and we then relocated to the Griffin, Georgia area where I worked at the Henry Medical Center,” Martin said. “We then came to the Houston County area in 2010. My husband works at Robins Air Force Base as an industrial engineer planner, my daughter is a volleyball player at Perry High School, my son attends Mossy Creek Middle, and I have a step-daughter who is about to graduate from Houston County High School and a step-son who lives in Florida. I love my family, and my son is autistic, and he inspires me to do better each and every day.”

During her time at Houston Healthcare, Martin went back to school and earned her master’s degree in nursing administration and MBA with a focus in healthcare. She said her goal is to always improve patient care, quality of care, and make the working place a good environment.

“Improving patient and quality care is always the main priority,” Martin said. “I want to continue to do so and make it the very best here at Houston Healthcare.”