Special to 1812Blockhouse
It was an easy decision for Ellen Frazier to accept her current job as a physician assistant at OhioHealth’s Balgreen Medical Offices.
Working in Primary Care, Frazier treats everyone from infants to the elderly.
Now, she gets to do it in the community she calls home.
She was born and raised in the Mansfield/Ontario area of Ohio. In fact, she was born at the very hospital she now works for, known at the time as MedCentral Mansfield Hospital. She graduated from Ontario High School in 2015 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology from Capital University in Columbus.
She then completed her master’s degree in physician assistant studies at the University of Findlay. After living in Upper Sandusky for about two years and working in family medicine in Willard, Ohio, she returned to the Mansfield area, where she is now happily working closer to home.
Today, she’s treating patients at Mansfield’s Balgreen Medical Offices while she and her husband are in the process of moving into a new house in Ontario.
“I’m very happy to be back and thrilled to support the Mansfield-Richland County area again,” Frazier said.
A Family Legacy in Healthcare
Her return home isn’t the only way she’s connected to her roots; Frazier’s passion for healthcare was molded by her parents, who are both physicians.
Her mother, a pediatrician who retired last November, spent over 25 years caring for children in the Mansfield area.
“She was always so dedicated,” Frazier said. “Even after my brother and I were born, she continued to work part-time and took care of us on her days off.”
Her father, an internal medicine physician, now works in Columbus, focusing on insurance. However, he was once deeply involved in patient care, including overseeing nursing homes.
Medical stories and discussions often whizzed back and forth across the family dinner table as she was growing up. Rather than feel confused or bored, Frazier found herself drawn into these conversations.
“Seeing how much enjoyment my parents got from their jobs and how fulfilling it was for them really solidified my decision to go into healthcare,” she said.
Part of it was her love for science from an early age, ignited by a fascination with human anatomy.
“I remember holding this old anatomy book that my parents used in medical school,” she said. “I still have that book, and it was one of my favorite things to look through as a kid. It sparked something in me that’s never faded.”
It only grew. Her parents helped feed that growth by using their connections to help their daughter shadow various healthcare professionals while still in high school.
This early exposure helped guide her toward her destiny in healthcare, making the choice feel almost inevitable.
“It was something I was meant to do,” she said. “I knew from a young age that I wanted to work in science and healthcare.”
Giving Back to the Community
Never forgetting where she comes from is very important to Frazier.
“Being able to come back and help the community that helped me grow up feels like a full-circle moment,” she said.
Frazier intends to stay with OhioHealth for the long term, continuing her work in primary care and strengthening her ties to the community she loves.
“I’ve always wanted to make a difference, and I believe healthcare gives me that opportunity,” she said.
Source, Photo: OhioHealth
