Wellsboro, Pa. – When Brooke Krall first walked through the doors of UPMC Wellsboro in February 2013, she wasn’t wearing nursing scrubs or leading a department. Instead, she began her career as a member of the hospital’s housekeeping team, helping maintain a safe, clean environment for patients, visitors, and staff.

More than a decade later, Krall serves as director of UPMC Wellsboro’s Emergency Department, overseeing one of the hospital’s busiest clinical areas and helping shape the future of nursing at the community hospital she has long considered home.

Her journey from environmental services to nursing leadership is one marked by perseverance, education, and a deep commitment to serving the region where she was raised.

“It was definitely always something that I wanted to do,” Krall said of becoming a nurse. “I just couldn’t financially continue the RN program I had started, so I had to take a step back until I could afford to return.”

That opportunity came through UPMC Wellsboro’s licensed practical nurse (LPN) program. While continuing to work in housekeeping, Krall completed her LPN training and joined the hospital’s Medical-Surgical Unit in 2014.

After the loss of her mother, she found renewed determination to continue her education and pursue her long-term goal of becoming a registered nurse.

“Life is so short,” she said. “It was always my goal to go back and become an RN, and I realized this was the time I needed to start thinking about that again.”

Krall enrolled at Pennsylvania College of Technology, completing prerequisite courses before entering the LPN-to-RN program. While attending school, she worked in Same-Day Surgery at UPMC Williamsport, where she gained experience caring for patients with more complex medical needs. Following graduation, she continued working in Same-Day Surgery and the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU).

Although the experience strengthened her clinical skills, her goal remained clear.

“My roots were here,” Krall said. “That was always my plan, to come back and serve this community.”

She returned to UPMC Wellsboro in 2021 and quickly took on additional responsibilities. During that time, she joined the hospital’s forensic nursing program, later becoming coordinator of the forensic nurse team and earning certification as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for adults and adolescents.

Krall continued to advance professionally, earning her bachelor’s degree, serving briefly as a nurse educator, and recently completing a Master of Science in Nursing degree.

Nine months ago, she accepted perhaps her biggest challenge yet: leading the Emergency Department.

Initially, Krall was uncertain about stepping into the role.

“Other than my forensic nursing background, I hadn’t really been an ER nurse, and I wasn’t sure how that would look,” she said.

Her perspective changed during UPMC Wellsboro’s transition to Epic, the health system’s electronic medical record platform. Working closely with Emergency Department staff throughout the implementation allowed her to build relationships and better understand the team’s needs.

“I wanted to make sure they had a leader who was going to support them,” Krall said. “Honestly, taking this role was one of the best decisions I’ve made.”

She credits many of her early experiences for preparing her to lead, including her time in housekeeping.

“I learned how to navigate the hospital, but I also learned how much work goes on behind the scenes that people don’t always see,” Krall said. “It gave me a tremendous amount of respect for the Environmental Services team and everything they do.”

Raised in Liberty, Krall remains deeply connected to the region she serves. She believes that connection is one of the greatest strengths of community hospitals.

“We’re always changing and improving, but we’re doing it with the community in mind,” she said. “Being able to hear feedback from community members and see how much trust they place in this hospital makes the challenges worthwhile. Wellsboro has always been my second home, and my heart is here.”