Transforming Challenges into Impact: The Journey of Natalie Conde, PA-C, MMS
From her first steps into a hospital nursery at just 13 years old, Natalie Conde discovered a calling that would define her life’s purpose. Caring for fragile, drug-exposed infants sparked a compassion for healing that has guided her through every challenge and triumph since. What began as a young girl’s dream has grown into a remarkable career built on resilience, leadership, and innovation.
Her path was far from easy. Balancing the demands of single motherhood with rigorous academic pursuits, Natalie overcame obstacles with unwavering faith and determination. She graduated with distinction, secured a place in a highly competitive Physician Assistant program, and emerged not only as Class President but also as a trusted leader whose voice carried strength and inspiration.
Over the past 16 years, Natalie has cultivated expertise in emergency medicine, cardiology, trauma care, and surgical specialties steadily evolving from direct patient care into influential leadership roles. Today, as Director of Telemedicine for Novant Health Urgent Care, she oversees operations across dozens of clinics and a statewide virtual care platform, pioneering systems that balance efficiency with empathy.
Natalie’s journey is one of persistence, purpose, and passion for making healthcare more accessible and compassionate. Her story affirms that true leadership is not about position but about connection, and that even in uncertain times, integrity and empathy remain the foundation of care.
Early Life & Career Journey
At 13, Natalie began volunteering as a candy striper in a hospital nursery, caring for drug exposed infants. Those fragile lives ignited in her a compassion for healing that never faded.
Her path was anything but easy. As a single mother juggling school, work, and parenting, she often faced moments when giving up seemed easier than pressing forward. Yet, sustained by her faith, she persevered, earning one of only 46 spots in a highly competitive Physician Assistant program out of nearly 400 applicants.Her peers elected her Class President, and she was honored to deliver the commencement address.
In her 16-year career, Natalie has served in emergency medicine, hospital medicine, cardiology, trauma and critical care, and surgical specialties. Each role taught her adaptability and teamwork in high-pressure environments. What began as bedside care has evolved into a passion for leadership and innovation. Today, she leads with empathy, resilience, and the belief that leadership is defined not by position but by connection.
Current Role & Passions
As Director of Telemedicine for Novant Health Urgent Care, Natalie oversees medical and administrative operations for 50 clinics and a statewide virtual platform in South Carolina. She supervises providers, ensures regulatory compliance, implements quality initiatives, and expands access to care.
What she values most is telemedicine’s ability to reach individuals in rural or underserved areas. She is dedicated to integrating empathy with innovation, ensuring patients are not left behind. Telemedicine, for Natalie, is not just technology it is a lifeline that balances efficiency with compassion, allowing patients to feel seen and supported, even through a screen.
Proudest Accomplishment
Natalie’s proudest accomplishment has been transforming adversity into impact. Graduating as Class President, delivering the commencement address, and rising into leadership affirmed her perseverance.
Beyond personal milestones, she takes pride in shaping telemedicine into a lifeline for patients. Leading one of the Southeast’s largest urgent care telemedicine programs has allowed her to close care gaps, support providers, and ensure care remains personal even virtually.
She also considers it a privilege to have served in the ER during the onset of COVID-19, when uncertainty was at its peak. That season tested her resilience, deepened her compassion, and strengthened her commitment to innovation.
Ultimately, she is most proud that her journey from underdog to leader can inspire others. Closing care gaps, developing solutions for the overlooked, and restoring compassion in medicine form the legacy she strives to leave behind.
Overcoming Challenges
One of Natalie’s greatest challenges came with the onset of COVID-19 in 2020. Working in the ER during that time meant treating critically ill patients with limited resources, rapidly shifting guidelines, and little understanding of the virus.
She and her colleagues adapted daily, testing treatments, rationing supplies, and supporting each other through exhaustion and grief. Natalie leaned on her training, teamwork, and faith, finding courage in prayer and purpose in her calling.
That season changed her forever. It sharpened her adaptability, deepened her compassion, and prepared her for leadership in ways she could not have imagined. It reinforced that true leadership is forged in uncertainty, when you steady your team and press forward, even when outcomes are unknown.
Staying Ahead in Healthcare
Staying ahead in telemedicine requires continuous learning, adaptability, and collaboration. Natalie, recently became a member of the American Telemedicine Association, to stay engaged with evolving policies, best practices, and innovations shaping virtual care.
She works closely with departments across clinical operations, IT, compliance, billing, and patient engagement to ensure telemedicine systems remain efficient and practical. Listening to frontline providers and incorporating their feedback is central to her leadership.
Beyond operations, she participates in industry conferences as both a speaker and attendee. These engagements allow her to share best practices, network with leaders, and highlight the importance of empathy and equity in digital health.
For Natalie, innovation is not about adopting technology for its own sake, it is about using it with empathy and purpose. By combining collaboration, compliance awareness, and hands-on involvement, she helps design systems that are sustainable, accessible, and deeply personal.
Advice for Young Professionals
Natalie emphasizes that success is not defined solely by achievement but by commitment. She reminds young professionals that the white coat represents more than a milestone, it embodies trust, responsibility, and service.
She often tells students: when a mechanic listens carefully to a car owner’s description of a rattle or ping, they diagnose the issue. Similarly, patients bring symptoms and stories, and it is the provider’s role to listen deeply, respond with skill, and lead with empathy.
Her advice is simple: listen, build trust, and act with integrity. The white coat is both a privilege and a call to serve not just as a clinician but as a steward of hope and healing. Remember your “why,” and let it guide you through every challenge.
Conclusion
Natalie Conde’s story is more than a professional timeline, it is a testament to how faith, resilience, and determination can transform challenges into purpose. From her early days caring for vulnerable infants to her current role leading one of the Southeast’s largest telemedicine programs, every step has been guided by her commitment to healing.
Her journey reflects courage in uncertainty, strength in adversity, and vision in leadership. Whether on the frontlines of COVID-19, in emergency and trauma care, or at the forefront of telehealth innovation, she has shown that compassion and connection are at the heart of true healthcare.
Natalie continues to shape the future of telemedicine, reminding us that leadership is not defined by titles but by the ability to listen, act with integrity, and keep people at the center of every decision.
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