By Jon JohnsonAssistant EditorPublished on Sunday, August 30, 2009 7:48 PM MST
After growing up in Utah and living in Phoenix for six years, the Mount Graham Regional Medical Center's first-ever female pharmacist, Trisha French, is proud to call the Gila Valley her home.French grew up in Cedar City, Utah, and said the hometown feel of the Gila Valley reminds her of her birthplace with one major difference – she doesn't have to deal with copious amounts of snow.After graduating from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, French went to graduate school at Midwestern University – Glendale Campus and fell in love with Arizona. Trisha French is the Mount Graham Regional Medical Center's first-ever female pharmacist.
Photo by Jon Johnson
She stayed in the Phoenix area and worked at the large Sun Health Boswell Hospital in Sun City, but she and her husband, Thatcher native Micah French, soon decided they wanted to live near family.The couple first moved back to Trisha's hometown in Utah, but she soon realized she had become acclimated to Arizona's warmer weather and they decided to move to the Gila Valley."I couldn't handle the snow," she said.While in Cedar City, Micah applied to nursing school at SUU and the Eastern Arizona College. He was accepted at both institutions, and the decision was made to move back to Arizona.The couple arrived in March, and Trisha began working as a pharmacist at Wal-Mart. It was there where she first experienced the Gila Valley's small-town feel, which she now says is one of her favorite parts of the Gila Valley."I like the people," she said. "The people are very friendly and get to know you. You always feel welcome."She joined the hospital staff as its first-ever female pharmacist Aug. 20 and said, besides feeling a little pressure to perform well, she didn't think it was a big deal."It's good to let people know that, 'Hey, you can do it,' " she said. "Gender is not a factor. It's what you know and who you are."Trisha said she liked working retail and at hospitals equally, but added that MGRMC was special because it has the same small-town feel as the community."I went to eat lunch on Monday, and Dr. Lee (came) up and (sat) down and started talking to us," she said. "You don't get that in a big hospital. You usually stay in your little departments. I think that's amazing."Trisha said she has fallen in love with the Gila Valley and hopes her husband will be able to find a nursing job after he graduates so they can continue to live here. One of her long-term goals is to teach a class or two at EAC because she loves to teach. She said there are various specializations of pharmacy that makes it a wide-open field for those interested in the business."I think it's easy to fall in love with this little town," she said. "We would love to stay."
This came out the sunday I was working at Walmart. I had over 3 customers/friends ask for an autograph that day. The funniest one was the on Monday I was at the bank and a random guy comes up and asks me if I am the person in the paper then asks for my autograph in a teasing matter. I was a little embarssed by that. I guess I am big news in Gila Valley.
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