For two years, Haley Hunt lived in a rural village in southern Albania, walking each morning past olive trees on her way to a school where she taught children about healthy habits and environmental health.
Now, just months after completing her service with the Peace Corps, she’s back home in Kenton, the community where she grew up, as a nurse in the emergency department at OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital.
“I’ve always had a desire to travel and help other people,” Hunt said. “When I heard about the Peace Corps and the opportunity to learn from another culture while also serving a community, I was sold.”
Her assignment placed her in a village of about 300 schoolchildren, where she lived with a host family and worked in a combined first- through 12th-grade school. Her role focused on health education, helping students learn about topics ranging from hygiene and nutrition to sexual education.
“I wasn’t there just to deliver information,” Hunt said. “It was also to learn from the community about their culture and collaborate with teachers on what worked best for the students.”
She especially enjoyed working with younger children and helping introduce new classroom technology like smart boards and interactive learning tools.
“Albania is such a beautiful country with such a rich culture,” she said. “The people are incredibly hospitable. You could just be walking down the street and someone would hand you an apple from their tree or invite you into their home for coffee.”
Living in a developing country also gave her a firsthand look at the challenges communities can face when access to healthcare and resources is limited. In her village, there was a small community health center, a nurse who stayed on call for emergencies and a hospital located nearly 45 minutes away.
That experience shaped the way she now thinks about patient care back home.
When her Peace Corps service ended in December, Hunt knew she wanted to return close to family and the community where she grew up. She joined Hardin Memorial Hospital in January.
“It was exciting to come back and give back to the same community that raised me,” she said. “Being in Albania helped me realize how important it is to connect with people and support your community.”
Today, she says those lessons continue to influence how she cares for patients in the emergency department.
“Usually when someone shows up in the ER, there’s more to the story,” she said. “There are often other things that have affected their health over time. I think my experience taught me to really listen, connect with patients and understand where they’re coming from.”
She also believes strong community-driven care plays an important role in helping patients feel seen and supported close to home.
“It helps people trust their local hospital,” she said. “Knowing there are people here who understand them and care about them makes a huge difference.”
While she’s grateful for the experiences she gained abroad, she says she doesn’t see herself as bringing something extraordinary back to Kenton, but rather joining a team already deeply committed to caring for the community.
“When I started at Hardin Memorial, it was incredible to see the care patients are already receiving,” Hunt said. “The staff really works to make sure patients feel supported when they walk out those doors. I’m just excited to join in that passion that already exists here.”
To learn more about care and services at OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital, click here.
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