Katese Rutherford

Katese Rutherford, DNP, FNP-C, grew up in Ripley, MS. Always having a desire to pursue a career in the medical field, Katese knew her calling was to be a nurse while taking care of her father and mother who both suffered life-threatening illnesses in the same year. Upon graduating from Ripley High School as salutatorian, Katese was accepted into the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) Early Entry Nursing program. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UMMC. After working six years as a registered nurse at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, MS in the Neurosurgery/Orthopedic and Medical Intensive Care Unit departments, Katese received a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. She is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, licensed in both Mississippi and Tennessee.

Katese currently practices in north Mississippi where she has been voted "Best Nurse Practitioner of Union County" in the last two years.

Through nursing, Katese’s desire to influence the lives of others is constantly being fulfilled. She stands behind the notion that we must be the change we want to see in the world by starting in our own communities. Along with three close high school friends, Katese founded a scholarship program in 2013 for Tippah County High School seniors. TBKC Collegiate Outreach Foundation offers recipients financial assistance as well as knowledge about becoming more successful in the competitive college application process.

Her favorite motto is “The best legacy is not what we leave for people, but what we leave in people”. She uses each encounter with her patients as a chance to make a positive difference in their lives. Katese and her husband, Martice, have two sons and a dog. She enjoys spending time with her family and reading for pleasure.

Education

DNP, University of Tennessee Health Science Center

BSN, University of Mississippi Medical Center