Celeste Carnes Celebrates 30 Years of Service at ConnextCare

From left, physician Patrick Carguello, senior vice president and chief medical officer at ConnextCare; Celeste Carnes, NP; Tricia Peter-Clark, president and chief executive officer at ConnextCare; Michael Backus, chairman of the board.
From left, physician Patrick Carguello, senior vice president and chief medical officer at ConnextCare; Celeste Carnes, NP; Tricia Peter-Clark, president and chief executive officer at ConnextCare; Michael Backus, chairman of the board.

Nurse practitioner Celeste Carnes in December celebrated 30 years of service at ConnextCare, formerly Northern Oswego County Health Services, Inc. (NOCHSI).

Carnes began her career at NOCHSI in 1991 as a registered nurse at the Pulaski office. As a life-long resident of Oswego County, she wanted the chance to work in the community where she was raised. At the time, NOCHS I administration agreed to sponsor her through the community general nurse practitioner program, which, along with Onondaga Community College, is where she went to school to get her degree as a nurse practitioner.

Today, Carnes is a cornerstone of ConnextCare and the entire community. Besides providing exceptional car e to her patients, Carnes has become an integral part of training and mentoring new providers herself.

“Celeste has been a trusted and well-respected provider all across the NOCHSI/ConnextCare system. Her humility, generosity and kindness is a constant source of motivation and inspiration, and her dedication and work ethics are exemplary.” said Tricia Peter-Clark, President and CEO of ConnextCare.

“When we need a provider to stabilize services at a practice location, Celeste is the one we can always rely on to go where asked and offer the highest level of care to anyone on her schedule. She demonstrates daily the value of having a primary care provider, someone who know s you and your family, listens to your concerns, coordinates with your specialists and watches for results to come in, even nights and weekends, with personal calls to patients to explain their results and reassure them of the next steps. ”

Physician Patrick Carguello is the senior vice president and chief medical officer at ConnextCare. He says, “Over the years, I have developed a strong appreciation for nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants. I have to give credit to Celeste Carnes and the core mid-level providers that were here when I started at the health center back in 2003. Primary care, especially in rural communities would collapse without the help of our mid-level providers. Celeste Carnes has been such a valuable team player. Over the past 18 years I have heard and read more compliments from patients and other providers about Celeste Carnes than any other provider that I’ve worked with. I am definitely grateful that I have had the privilege to work with Celeste over the last 18 years and I look forward to working with her for many more years to come.”