At Bethany Children’s Health Center, our employees truly are the heartbeat that drives the organization. Every day, through the care and service they provide, they live our mission of maximizing the potential of every child and exemplify our core values of compassion, integrity, excellence, service and stewardship.
We hope you enjoy getting to know our amazing employees through our Heartbeat profiles.
A Passion for Teaching
How Faith, Hope and Love brought Special Education Teacher Amber Samuel to Bethany Children’s Health Center
The mission at Bethany Children’s Health Center is to maximize the potential of every child in our care, and as a special education teacher, Amber Samuel is grateful for the opportunity to live this mission every day. “From a smile, a vocalization, a movement, an Algebra assignment to taking the ACT – whatever it may be, it’s an accomplishment,” she shares. “I’m blessed to be part of a team that thinks outside the box. We collaborate often on how to maximize a child’s true potential.”
As early as second grade, Amber knew she wanted to be a teacher. It wasn’t until she was asked to help with Special Olympics during her sophomore year of college that she found her calling in special education. “My heart was truly touched. The next week I changed my major from Elementary Education to Special Education. It is truly my passion,” she says.
Amber came to the hospital in 2003 after interviewing with various public schools and then discovering that there are teaching jobs at hospitals. She remembers seeing the “Faith, Hope and Love” banners when she arrived and feeling a nudge in her heart that this was where God wanted her to be. “Carol hired me and believed in me,” she recalls. “To this day, I am forever grateful. I have always told people it’s a place on holy ground with God’s precious angels.”
Working in the bed tower, the hospital’s transitional care unit, Amber meets one-on-one with patients for education sessions and co-treatments with therapists, and also works with the public schools to make sure students are on track. “My goals are keeping patients caught up with school assignments, IEP compliance, assessing patient’s educational needs, and assisting with school transition plans and services,” she explains. Since patients come from all over Oklahoma and out of state, Amber has worked with many different school districts. “Being able to take a patient back to their school for the first time after an accident, illness or life-altering event is the ultimate reward,” she says. “I am truly grateful to be part of an amazing team with co-workers that give of themselves daily for the patients and families!”
Amber stays busy with her twins’ activities and spending free time with her family. She makes sure to schedule monthly dinners with close girlfriends for “mom time.” Amber and her husband have also been members of their church’s plant team since 2017, setting locations for services and recently opening the new church building in Piedmont. “It’s been a very exciting and challenging journey,” Amber says.
Fun Facts:
Hometown: Clinton, OK – “I remember praying while trying to find a teaching job, ‘God, I will move anywhere but the big city.’ I was scared to drive to OKC and didn’t want to move there alone. Guess what? God has a sense of humor!”
Favorite Movie: Remember the Titans
Favorite Food: “Mexican all the way!”
Favorite Music: Country music and Elevation Music – “There’s something about worship music that calms me after a bad day or gets me going in the early mornings.”
Dream Weekend: “A weekend at the beach. I love the sunshine.”
From the Bucket List: “My husband’s family is from India. I’ve been on mission trips to many different countries, but I would like to visit India one day.”