Cullman Regional’s Melissa Mann has been a respiratory therapist for 32 years and said the best part of her job is helping patients. Over the years, she’s cared for a lot of people who have been in crisis, and “being able to care for an individual and seeing them be able to recover fully” has been the most rewarding aspect of her job.

She got into healthcare because she wanted to make a difference.

“I felt healthcare would be fulfilling and I wanted to specialize in lung disorders and treatment to help people manage their disease process and improve their quality of life,” she said.

Mann said her philosophy is to treat every patient “as if they were my family or friend.”

This year has been challenging as the hospital treats patients with COVID-19. Mann said the biggest challenge has been, “Being able to provide quality care to the influx of critical patients at the same time.”

But she finds joy in visiting her son, who is a student at the University of North Alabama. “He helps heal my heart and makes me smile,” she said.