Leadership helps Phillips continue to learn and grow

Audrey Phillips was born and raised in Warsaw, living in the home in which she was born. A 1988 graduate of River View High School, she was involved in performing arts and 4-H, taking special projects as well as horse, swine and goat. She also was on the junior fair board and a member of the All-Ohio Youth Honor Choir, which traveled to London.

Phillips was a 4-H Camp counselor at Camp Ohio, eventually becoming a permanent staff member teaching swimming and lifeguarding. She also worked as a lifeguard at the Coshocton County Country Club, Recreation Unlimited and Dari-Land.

After high school Phillips got married to a farmer, helping with their farrow to finish hog operations, sheep, goats, chickens, grain crops, hay and straw. She then began taking nursing classes at Central Ohio Technical Institute at the Newark campus. She earned her associate degree in nursing and went to work at Knox Community Hospital as a staff nurse.

Motherhood soon followed, and as a mom of twins, Phillips spent the next four years as a stay-at-home mom. She re-entered the workforce in 2000 and spent the next several years exploring a variety of roles in nursing: preadmission testing, home health, factory occupational nurse, charge nurse and travel nurse.

Phillips spent several years as the 4-H Camp nurse for Coshocton County and 4-H Camp Ohio board member during this time as well. She said these opportunities to learn new skills took her to many different positions — factories, hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.

In 2017 it was a personal goal to further her education, and in 2018 Phillips received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing as an honors graduate, followed by a Master of Science Nurse Executive in Nursing in 2024 with an honors distinction, both degrees from Chamberlain University.

Phillips currently works at OhioHealth Southeastern Medical Center in Cambridge as a preadmission testing nurse. She calls patients to review their medical and surgical history, then schedules patients for preadmission testing as ordered by their surgeon, as well as testing required from the anesthesia protocol. She reviews patient charts, digging into old history to make sure nothing is missed.

Much of the testing and bloodwork can be done in her office while radiology services are provided by the hospital. Following testing, Phillips will review results and send any abnormalities to the anesthesiologist for review. She said she ensures patients are safe for surgery and educates them on what to expect with their procedure.

Phillips is a member of the Warsaw Lions Club, serving as past president. She also is the Warsaw Lions Show executive producer. She serves on the board of Rogue Elephant Productions and is a member of the Nurse Honor Guard Mid-Eastern Ohio, International Sweet Adeline’s Dogwood Blossom’s Chapter, Coshocton Community Choir and Walhonding Rube Band.

Being born and raised in Coshocton County, Phillips said she thought she knew a lot about Coshocton County but found she felt lacking in her knowledge of business, industry, poverty or social service agencies and wanted to learn more. She also wanted to grow her leadership skills and said she was surprised most by her Real Colors Personality Test color and really enjoyed the Who Moved My Cheese Day and wants to learn more as a Scurry.

Phillips said she has grown since the beginning of the year and has gotten something out of each chapter that made her think and evaluate herself.

When asked her view of the community, Phillips said, “The Port Authority has done an amazing job at growing the community, which in turn helps with growth and innovation.”

She also mentioned the events on Main Street and growth in the musical community. “There is always music playing somewhere and something to do so you don’t have to leave the community to enjoy exceptional talent,” she said.

To make the county stronger, Phillips mentioned the growth in health care in Coshocton and the increase of jobs.

“We are moving toward better collaboration between the city and county governments as well as economic development. But this growth and development is not an overnight fix; it takes time and collaboration,” she said.

Phillips said she would recommend Leadership Coshocton for others.

“I thought I knew a lot about the county, but now I have a better knowledge of basic issues affecting the county. Growing up in agriculture, learning about what TayRae Farms is doing with their goat herd was exciting and innovative, not only locally, but nationally and internationally, as well as the international impact of businesses like Wiley Companies. I’ve met many new people, and it has been really good to expand my network. I’m going to miss it,” Phillips said.