Cynthia Wheelis Ingram, BSN 1994

Assistant Vice President of Women and Children Services, St. Tammany Health System

Cynthia Wheelis Ingram currently serves as the Assistant Vice President of Women and Children Services at St. Tammany Health System, where she oversees seven departments, including Neonatal Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Inpatient, Pediatric Emergency Department, New Family Center (labor and delivery), Mother Baby, and Lactation. She has been with St. Tammany Health System for over nine years, having previously worked with the LSU Health System as Assistant Director of Nursing and Director of Quality. She has been married for 28 years to Mike Ingram and they have two daughters, Claire and Grace. Cynthia also received her master’s degree in Nursing from LSU Health Sciences Center in 2011 and is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice with a concentration in Nurse Executive Administration, with plans to graduate in December of 2022.

 

Learn more about Cynthia:

Why did you choose to attend Southeastern?

I chose Southeastern because it was close to home and offered the BSN if wanted.

Is there one thing or iconic place on campus that reminds you of your time spent at Southeastern?

The place that I think of most is Friendship Circle with the massive oak tree that was there at the time.

What is your fondest Southeastern memory?

My fondest memory is the friendships I developed while in the nursing program.

Did a Southeastern professor inspire you? Who was that and how was that person inspirational?

Dr. Ann Carruth was one of the kindest professors. Nursing school was very stressful and she was always supportive and compassionate with her students.

How did your Southeastern degree prepare you for success in your career?

My degree taught me to set goals and continue working towards them no matter how difficult the path may seem.

What do you enjoy about your current position/profession?

I enjoy working with the nurses within my various departments and ensuring that our patients receive quality compassionate care.

What unexpected experience or event has shaped and/or influenced your current professional life?

A change in ownership of the hospital I previously worked brought me to St. Tammany Health System and given me new opportunities and experiences.

What advice would you give to a driven college student about to enter the "real world"?

Always be prepared for the unexpected life sometimes takes turns you didn’t anticipate so always be ready to face new challenges.

What advice should they ignore?

The larger the institution the better the education and the more successful you will be, this is absolutely not true. You should choose the place that you feel most comfortable attending. .

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy reading, having friends over and vacationing.

Do you have a fun or interesting fact that you would like to share about yourself?

I enjoy adventures including parasailing and white water rafting, and given the opportunity, I would love to experience being a passenger in a fighter jet taking off from an aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean.