Nurse practitioner celebrates 30 years of helping area's children

Barnwell’s first nurse practitioner never planned to stay very long. Fast forward 30 years and thousands of pediatric patients, she’s still here.

“I am on my third generation of seeing some families. I have learned so much through the years. I try to treat my patients like they were my own,” said Sara O’Neal, who celebrated her 30th anniversary as a nurse practitioner at Barnwell Pediatrics on Nov. 2.

After working five years in Clemson, O’Neal’s family moved to Aiken in 1992 for her husband’s job at Clariant (now Archroma) in Allendale County. She contacted Dr. Abe Moskow, founder of Barnwell Pediatrics, to see if he knew of any job openings.

Her timing was perfect as Moskow was in the process of converting his practice to a rural health clinic to serve all children, regardless of their abilities to pay. However, guidelines stipulated that he needed a nurse practitioner on staff.

“At the time, nurse practitioners were not real common in this area,” said Moskow.

O’Neal was hired and officially began her duties Nov. 2, 1992.

“When she came to work with me, we were able to open up the doors to take care of all the children – rich, poor and in between,” said Moskow.

Prescription for Success

“I had to earn the trust of most people because they had never heard of nurse practitioners,” said O’Neal.

Her spirit, genuine love for people, and her compassionate nature created a prescription for success for O’Neal as a small-town healthcare provider. She goes the extra mile and stays up to date on the latest healthcare news so she can better serve her patients, said Moskow.

“I try to get to really know my patients and treat them like they are my own kids,” said O’Neal, who also tries to educate the parents.

“She gained experience and has developed into quite a fine primary care provider,” said Moskow of his long-time colleague. “She is an integral part of healthcare in our area.”

Generations of families from a four-county area (Barnwell, Bamberg, Allendale and Aiken) have placed their trust in O’Neal. She’s now seeing the grandchildren of some of her original patients.

“From being your patient to working side by side with you, it has been the best experience ever. You have been there for countless people, patient or not, for the last 30 years and we could not be more thankful for you. You go above and beyond for each and every person you know and even ones you don’t know. You are such a ray of sun on cloudy days,” said Auburn Walters Ferguson, an employee of Barnwell Pediatrics.

No Place Like Home

As someone who’s always lived in bigger cities like Minneapolis, Chicago and Greenville, O’Neal thought Barnwell would be a brief stop in her medical career.

“My husband didn’t think I’d ever like a small town,” said O’Neal.

Even Moskow knew she planned to work for him for a short while before moving on to Aiken or another bigger city.

But, over time, Barnwell began to feel like home.

She recalls having two flat tires – one in Aiken and one in Barnwell. No one stopped to help her in Aiken, but she said people stopped in Barnwell.

“This is a great town because everybody tries to help one another,” said O’Neal.

Eventually, the O’Neals moved from Aiken to Barnwell where they continue to live.

“I never thought I would be here for 30 years. Barnwell became like family. It embraced me and my family. I would not be anywhere else,” she said.

After years of investing in the lives of the community’s children, the community returned the favor five years ago as she battled uterine cancer.

Throughout her cancer journey, she was supported by her family, work family, and community. She never had to go alone to her 17 chemotherapy and 28 radiation treatments. People also brought food and made sure she knew how she was loved.

“She never complained. I had to make her take a day off,” said Moskow of O’Neal, who only missed a day or two of work during her treatments.

Cancer influenced O’Neal personally and professionally.

“Cancer made me appreciate the little things. Life’s too short to worry about this stuff,” she said. “It influenced me by being more caring. I pick up on things a lot faster, including if a patient is sad or depressed.”

February 15, 2023 will mark five years of being cancer free. That’s a major milestone.

“We have all been so blessed to have you in our lives. You are wonderful at your job and great as a friend and an inspiration as a survivor,” said resident Cindy Smoak.

Growth & Gratitude

Barnwell Pediatrics opened April 1, 1987 after Moskow saw a need for pediatric care in Barnwell.

He started his career in medicine in 1982 working with his father’s family medicine practice in Denmark. After five years of working with his father, Moskow said most of his business was coming from Barnwell County.

“I was told that you can’t do pediatrics in a small town, but we gave it a shot,” said Moskow. “Healthcare without having to go too far is a huge benefit to a community.”

Barnwell Pediatrics began in half of a building near the Barnwell County Hospital. They quickly outgrew their space and purchased the whole building. The addition of more and more patients led to the construction of the current building on Marlboro Avenue in Barnwell 20 years ago. They plan to expand the current building after outgrowing the 12-room building, said O’Neal.

The staff has also grown from just two providers (Moskow and O’Neal) to six, plus seven nurses and six other employees. This has helped ease the workload, which used to keep Moskow and O’Neal in the office until 7 or 8 p.m. sometimes.

Reflecting on her 30 years at Barnwell Pediatrics, O’Neal said she’s seen many changes, from medications that are no longer used to new technology that has improved efficiency. However, the commitment of O’Neal and the entire staff of Barnwell Pediatrics remains the same.

“I appreciate all patients and their parents for trusting me,” she said.

It always makes her feel good when she sees a former patient who overcame health issues or who remembers the impact O’Neal made on their life. She recalls a man she took care of 20 years ago coming up to her recently at CVS Minute Clinic, where she works part-time, to thank her. “He said, ‘I appreciate you and you were such a good healthcare provider.’”

In more recent years, O’Neal said they have seen more children experiencing issues like diabetes and mental health that were once associated with just adults. The effects of COVID have led to a rise in depression and anxiety among children and teens.

She also appreciates her work family for their support and encouragement, especially through her cancer battle, plus Moskow for taking a chance on her 30 years ago.

“Thank you everyone for 30 years of memories! Here’s to many more! I am thankful, grateful, and blessed,” she said.

She is also grateful to her family for all they’ve done, including hearing her phone (or pager in earlier years) go off at night, going places with her, and getting stopped by people who ask her medical questions.

“Sam, Sammy and Jordan have been my rocks,” said O’Neal.

She and her husband Sam, who now works at the Savannah River Site, will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in June 2023. Son Sammy works in the internet technology department for Barnwell District 45 while daughter Jordan is an oncology nurse in Greenville.

New Generation

Though she doesn’t see herself retiring for a long time, she acknowledges the importance of training up the next generation of nurse practitioners.

Nurse practitioners can work anywhere with an attending doctor. They take classes about caring and empathy.

“The medical field is always growing. I feel nurse practitioners are going to be primary providers,” said O’Neal.

O’Neal became a nurse practitioner 38 years ago after first working as a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at a Greenville hospital. After five babies died in one week, she knew she needed a change. This led her to complete a one-year program in Asheville, N.C. to become a nurse practitioner.

“We are here to serve people. If you’re not in it for that reason, you’re in the wrong field,” she said.

O’Neal enjoys working with students who are pursuing careers in the medical field. Many leave their time at Barnwell Pediatrics wanting to work with children.

“I feel like I need to give back because I was a student once too. I want them to learn from my experience,” said O’Neal, who has had some students follow in her footsteps.

After 30 years of helping the area’s children, O’Neal said, “I feel very blessed in my job and being a cancer survivor. God and prayers are what gets me through life.”

As a sign in her office states, the Christian and Disney fan relies on faith, trust, and pixie dust.