Emery County says farewell to Lowell Morris, PA

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

Emery Medical Center long-time physician assistant Lowell Morris will be leaving Emery County for Fla. Morris said he has taken a job offer from his brother in law who has a practice in Niceville, Florida. It is in the Florida panhandle. Morris said, “It’s a town with a population of 11,000. My brother in law is the only one in his office and he has been asking me for a long time to come out and help. My wife, who has family all over that region, left the decision totally up to me. It’s been a difficult decision. We really never thought we’d ever leave Emery County, but this is a real opportunity for us to be closer to family and my kids will have cousins to interact with and be closer to their grandparents.
“It’s the right thing for us at this time, I didn’t think it would be this hard. Emery County really has the best people. I lived in Orangeville when I was a child, kindergarten through second grade. My Dad worked at the Desbee Dove mine. When that slowed down, we moved to Arizona and then to Salt Lake. I graduated from Taylorsville High. I served a mission and then attended BYU. That’s where I met my wife Charlotte. She is from Louisiana. I went to Physicians Assistant school in Arizona. From there, I was doing medical rotation in Bicknell when the position opened here at the Emery Medical Center. I knew I wanted to work in a rural setting. Orangeville has always felt like home. In 2003, the position became open and I interviewed and started here at the medical center. We have lived in Orangeville the whole time. My family actually sold the property, the apartments are built on and when we came back we lived in one of those apartments until we found a house.
“One of the things I have loved about the Emery Medical Center is there is a lot of variety in what I do there. You only see this in a rural practice. We do family health and wellness, we see infants, children, teens, adults and the elderly and provide end of life care. There’s a lot of orthopedics and broken bone care and casting. One of the things I fell in love with is the industrial side, occupational medicine.
“I started the WorkPoint program to work with industries. Their needs are different. I’ve worked with the coal mines and the power plants and the gas and oil companies. We do pre-employment physicals, drug testing. Work related injuries are managed differently than regular care. I’ve taught back and shoulder classes, to keep people healthy.
“We’ve even had classes on the dangers of energy drinks, they’re really bad for you. Industrial workers work long hours, their care is different. I’m really proud of the establishment of the WorkPoint Program, Kathy Debenderfer, Kaelene Behling, Amanda Truman helped out with that.
“It’s hard to see the county suffer as the industrial side of the county has slowed down. It’s hard to see the coal mines close.
“There’s really nothing we can’t do here at the medical center. Other providers that come here are surprised by what we do here. We do casting and splints. We do urgent care and stabilize patients who go by ambulance to the hospital. We’ve restarted hearts for patients in cardiac arrest.
“It’s really a unique clinic. I have gained so much experience here. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to start my career than here.
“We have really loved it here. We bought a farm and some cows. The kids have been in riding club. We really embraced the culture here and fit in well. We have five children, Hannah-15, Eli-12, Abigail-10, Jacob-8 and Natalie-3.
“Niceville’s nickname is the Redneck Rivera, Charlotte grew up in Baton Rouge, she has two brothers in Niceville. Her brother there wants me to be a part of his practice. It’s internal medicine. It will be similar to what I am doing now, I will have elderly patients and family care. It’s hot and humid there but not too bad, there’s a gulf breeze. The winters are nice there. My wife is one of 10 siblings, seven of her siblings live between Texas and Florida and her parents are close by. We really wanted to be closer to family. I have a sister in Washington, Arizona and Colorado, and a brother and sister in Utah.
“Everyone is pretty excited about the move. The kids will start school there in the fall.
“This community has been so great to live in. I have enjoyed working with the sheriff’s office on all their medical needs for the inmates. I help out with the national guard when they come here for trainings, I’ve helped with the drug court committee and the drug task force. I’ve been on the search and rescue team. I’ve been on the Orangeville fire department. I was the medical director for the Elements Wilderness program for eight years. It really helps kids and there’s been a lot of success there.
“I am being replaced by Dallen Johnson and he’ll do a really good job.
” In Emery County, I’ve really enjoyed hunting, fishing and climbing. I’ve enjoyed exploring the desert and mostly spending time with my family.
“In Niceville there’s fishing and crabbing and hunting. I’ll be able to hunt white tail, turkey and alligators. It’s really beautiful there, it’s really the opposite of here, they don’t have mountains and they have lots of water. There’s a beach about 10 minutes away and lakes and trees and citrus trees. It’s the deep south, there’s live oaks with moss.
“My wife has been very supportive of me in everything I’ve done. She’s always supporting me and the kids in everything we do. We’ve been very happy here. I am really going to miss the people and everyone I’ve gotten to know. I’ve got some good close friends here.
“It will be a new adventure for us and we’re really looking forward to being around family. The kids can associate with their cousins and aunts and uncles. Charlotte’s parents are converts to the church. They had two children and then after they joined the church, they had eight more. They’ve served missions and all but one is a BYU graduate. They are really an awesome family.
“We are excited, but kind of melancholy in leaving, but I know it’s the right decision for us. We’ve sold the house in Orangeville, but we’re keeping the farm. I have no regrets about coming to Emery County, we have received far more as a family than we’ve been able to give,” said Morris.
Morris has given 13 years of service to the people of Emery County and the Emery Medical Center. His and his family’s contribution to the community will be missed.