Julie grew up in Columbus, Mississippi. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Language in 2000 and taught high school for a few years before returning to school. In 2006, she earned an Associate of Science Degree in Nursing at Mississippi University for Women, and worked at Baptist Memorial Hospital on the inpatient oncology unit for almost a year. In 2007, she moved to Oregon, where she worked at Salem Hospital Radiation Oncology for several years, while also earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Mississippi University for Women. In 2010, she was recruited to help build a GYN Oncology Program at Salem Hospital in collaboration with OHSU. In 2012, she returned to school to complete her graduate degree, and in 2014, she completed a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from University of Cincinnati, with a focus in adult-geriatric primary care.
Prior to joining Oregon Oncology Specialists, she worked as a Nurse Practitioner Lead and Clinical Director at Salem Hospital in the Palliative Care Department, where she served as their first supervisor and helped build the Palliative Care OP Symptom Management and Supportive Care Clinic – palliative care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. In 2019, she accepted a position at Oregon Oncology Specialists as Director of Clinical Excellence.
When she is not working, Julie enjoys running and has completed 27 marathons, including Boston, Chicago, and New York. She also enjoys gardening, organizing, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her husband, teenager, two adult children and 2 pups.