Rutherford Regional Welcomes Baylee Whiteside, DNP, FNP-BC, to General Surgery

Rutherford Regional Health System is pleased to welcome Baylee Whiteside, DNP, FNP-BC, a board-certified nurse practitioner, to its General Surgery team. Whiteside will begin seeing patients this month and will support patients throughout their surgical care, from preparation and education to follow-up and recovery.

"Baylee is a wonderful addition to our General Surgery team, and we are especially proud to welcome someone with such deep roots in Rutherford County," said Sudandra Ratnasamy, CEO of Rutherford Regional Health System. "Her addition strengthens our ability to support patients throughout their surgical journey and helps us continue advancing surgical care for the communities we serve across our rural region."

Whiteside provides care for patients before and after surgery, including pre-operative and post-operative care, surgical follow-up and patient education. Her areas of focus also include acute surgical care and non-surgical procedures performed in the office.

A Rutherford County native, Whiteside's connection to Rutherford Regional began well before her career as a healthcare provider. She first served at Rutherford Hospital as a young volunteer, commonly known at the time as a "candy striper." That early experience helped spark a path in healthcare that would take her from volunteer to nurse and, now, nurse practitioner serving patients in her hometown.

Whiteside earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina and her Associate Degree in Nursing from Foothills Nursing Consortium in Spindale, North Carolina.

"Rutherford County has always been home, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue growing in my career while caring for the community that helped shape me," said Whiteside. "My journey in healthcare started right here as a volunteer, and it means so much to now serve this community as a nurse practitioner. I'm proud to give back to the place and the people who have been part of my story from the beginning.

Baylee Whiteside is seeing new patients at Rutherford Surgical Associates, located at 330 U.S. Highway 108 in Rutherfordton. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 828-286-1743 or visiting MyRutherfordRegional.com/find-a-doctor.