Taft reflects of medical career
By Edna Sailor
A career benchmark passed recently without a lot of fanfare and celebration, almost. Holly Mayer Taft celebrated twenty-seven years in the medical field providing medical services to native people. She has earned a Master of Science in Nursing degree, a four year degree in Public Health Nursing, is a Board Certified Registered Nurse and a nationally registered EMT. She is one of only two tribally contracted IPAs on the Fort Berthold reservation.
"I had a name plate made for her once," husband, Karmon Taft said, "but there were too many letters and I had to have it redone."
It was a backyard barbeque that honored wife, mother and grandmother recently.
"My mother has been an inspiration to us all," daughter, Lexi said.
Mayer-Taft began her career in in 1988 in Red Lake, Minnesota where she was a floor nurse in the hospital. She was then hired at the hospital in Belcourt which forced a very long commute from where her husband was stationed at the Grand Forks Air Force Base.
Mayer Taft then found her way to Fort Berthold where she has been providing health services since that time. She began her work with Hattie Walker, who was the the Director of the Program at the time. When the program shifted from Federal to tribal Mayer Taft was able to retain her IPA status, but left the clinic in New Town. She has worked in the Parshall clinic since that time.
