While the care of our patients is our primary mission, over the past 30 years Longstreet Clinic has proudly watched the development, growth, and successful career paths of many employees. Longstreet Clinic offers the opportunity not only to care for patients, but a variety of opportunities to learn about yourself, explore new things, grow interests, and write your own story. From nurse to administration, medical assistant to nurse practitioner, or scribe to doctor, the stories already written inspire the ones to come.
Kingsley Owusu Otoo and Crystal Butler, FNP-C, are just two recent examples of Longstreet Clinic team members who have chased their dreams within the walls of the Clinic. Thanks to their work ethic, commitment to medicine, and determination both Kingsley and Crystal have taken different routes to reach their professional goals, but they are equally impressive, and Longstreet Clinic is proud to have played a key role in each.
Crystal started at Longstreet Clinic as a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA). She is now a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) at Oakwood Family Medicine, working in the same office where she began her medical career, after earning her Registered Nurse (RN) and FNP designations.
Kingsley, meanwhile, joined Longstreet Clinic as a scribe in the Neuroscience & Orthopedic Center while working his way toward med school and is now getting ready to begin his journey toward being a practicing neurosurgeon after earning acceptance to Georgetown University. Kinglsey says his time as a scribe at Longstreet was instrumental in making that happen.
“Working as a scribe gave me an incredible perspective, and I really got grounded in the idea of what it means to practice medicine,” said Kingsley, a 2019 graduate of Gainesville High School and a 2023 graduate of the University of Notre Dame. “Before my time at Longstreet, I didn’t really have my ‘why.’ I didn’t have anything other than a fairly generic response when medical schools asked me why I wanted to practice medicine.”
“Being a scribe really made me focus on the empathy that I think you need to be a good care provider. I cannot imagine my life without this experience, and I think it’s a big reason why I got accepted to med school.”
Kingsley’s commitment and personality made a big impression at the Neuroscience & Orthopedic Center, where he was just named employee of the quarter for the Clinic. “I remember seeing Kingsley on a local community spotlight webpage and thinking he would do great things, and then when I met him, I saw how hard of a worker he was and that he was the kindest human being I’d ever met,” said Longstreet Clinic neurosurgeon Betsy Grunch, MD, FAANS, FACS. “He always shows up early, is a true team player, and he wants to do the best for everyone – he’s got that drive to be that person that helps others. He’s going to be phenomenal as a physician.”
Colleagues saw many of the same qualities in Crystal. They were proud and impressed when they saw where her grit and determination took her. In fact, Longstreet Clinic was the entity that sparked her interest in furthering her career in medicine- a pursuit she juggled all while raising a family.
“I had done my externship at Longstreet Clinic through Lanier Tech and enjoyed it,” Crystal said. “It went so well, that after I got my CMA, Longstreet called me when there was an opening for a position at their family medicine practice – and I jumped right in. I really enjoyed working with the patients, and I enjoyed working with the staff and Dr. Gibbs there. If I ever had any questions, she gave me feedback – like why she used certain treatment approaches.”
Crystal took that knowledge and put it to good use, focusing on improving her qualifi cations while continuing to work with the Clinic in various roles – fi nally rejoining the same family medicine practice with family medicine physician Marti Gibbs, MD, FAAFP, in Longstreet Clinic’s Oakwood offices. Dr. Gibbs was more than happy to have her back.
“Longstreet, in my opinion, recognized Crystal’s potential from the beginning and saw the value that she brought and continues to bring to our organization,” said Dr. Gibbs. “That’s the beauty of our organization, recognizing the value that an employee’s passion and drive bring to the organization.” The respect and love are mutual, and patients continue to reap the benefits of it in Oakwood.
Meanwhile, if Kingsley has his way, he’d love to be able to come back to Longstreet Clinic as a neurosurgeon to practice in a place that his meant so much to him. “Things rarely work out like you plan. I like to say, ‘man plans, but it’s God’s will that’s ultimately done.’ But you have to stick at it and keep working toward your dream,” Kingsley said. “And Longstreet Clinic has played a big role in help making my dream of getting into medical school come true.”
To see our current career opportunities, click here.
