From a young age, Elizabeth Brownlie (’12) knew she was drawn to the medical field. Growing up in Knoxville, her first exposure to healthcare came as a candy-striper at the old St. Mary’s Hospital.
“I absolutely loved being in that hospital,” Brownlie shared. “I loved walking the halls, seeing all the different jobs and departments. It was like its own little city there. I did all kinds of jobs at St. Mary’s, but when I finally got accepted to do the volunteer nursing program, I knew I wanted to work in that setting.”
After high school, she pursued pre-med studies at Washington University in St. Louis. However, after shadowing various medical professionals at Barnes Jewish Hospital, she realized that nursing, rather than medicine, was her true calling.
This revelation led her to transfer to the University of Missouri in St. Louis, where she earned her nursing degree in 2002. She began her career as a registered nurse at St. John’s Mercy, navigating long shifts in med-surg and ICU while balancing the joys and challenges of new motherhood.
After welcoming her second child, she and her family returned to Knoxville to be closer to loved ones.
“I was lucky enough to stay at home to raise our children until they started school, and at that time I decided to go to the University of Tennessee Knoxville for the master’s program,” Brownlie said.
Her time at college provided wonderful experiences, including a pivotal clinical rotation with nurse practitioner Martha Clinton in Sevierville.
“She was the first nurse practitioner I had seen with her own primary care office,” added Brownlie. “I did not even realize this was a possibility.”
For nearly nine years, she dedicated herself to primary care, but in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she faced an unexpected setback. She was let go from her job and left feeling devastated.
“I was so angry that this corporate medical system put so much emphasis on money and the bottom line that they truly did not care how staff and patients were treated,” she added. “I was so worried as to who was going to take over care for all of these people I’ve treated for years.”
Rather than let this defeat define her, she took a bold step forward. Within four months, she launched Magnolia Family Practice, determined to create a patient-centered, community-focused healthcare environment.
Building her practice was no small feat, but with the support of dedicated colleagues, the practice steadily grew.
“When I decided to open a primary care practice, I knew our team was the most important thing to run our office,” said Brownlie. “We were going to do things differently. I was lucky enough to have Donna Bryzek and Alex Jones take a huge leap of faith to help me start this dream up. They left good-paying, solid jobs to do this. We slowly grew our patient load as well as our staff.”
The now-famous “MFP Dream Team” operates on principles of respect, empathy, inclusivity and teamwork, ensuring that every patient is heard and valued.
Reflecting on her time at UT, she credits the college for instilling a strong foundation in evidence-based practice and critical thinking.
“The importance of keeping up with the most current management of health and really thinking about what is going on with a person head to toe is vital,” she added. “Dr. Pierce would give us a case study and have us make a list of all possible causes. That still sticks with me today to remember to not jump to conclusions, think about all possibilities as well as the possibility of more than one cause.”
Brownlie also believes in the importance of lending a listening ear to patients and accredits UT for that value.
“It was such a small thing, but I remember in one of our lectures a speaker expressed the importance of listening to patients,” she shared. “The speaker provided evidence that patients are interrupted quickly, on average, into a visit and then interrupted frequently. It’s such a small thing but, focusing on hearing my patients’ story has really been effective in my practice and has really made practice much more productive.”
Beyond her own journey, she is passionate about advocating for nurses, particularly nurse practitioners. She emphasizes the need for Full Practice Authority, pushing back against outdated perceptions that diminish the profession’s role in healthcare.
Through it all, she remains deeply grateful for the support of her husband, family, and the team at Magnolia Family Practice. She also honors the example set by her parents, who instilled in her a lifelong dedication to service and purpose.
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CONTACT:
Kara Clark Cardwell (865-974-9498, [email protected])