Rita lives in Centralia with her husband of 36 years. They have 3 children and 3 grandchildren. Rita obtained her associates degree in nursing in 1985 at Columbia College. She worked as a Certified Oncology Nurse for the first 18 years of her career. Rita joined Gastrointestinal Associates in 2003 where she worked as an RN for 15 years. She then went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing at South University. She has been practicing as an Advanced Gerontological Nurse Practitioner since 2018. She specializes in general gastroenterology, liver disease, and pancreatic disease. Rita loves to spend time with her family and travel.