Our Staff

Tonia Cook, RN, MSN, FNP-C is a nurse practitioner at Hamlin Medical Clinic. She has a long-time calling to be in health care and enjoys interacting with the patient and has an innate desire to help others. Tonia grew up in a small town in the Texas Panhandle and states that being in Hamlin “feels like being home again”.

Tonia moved to Abilene where she obtained her Associates of Science in Nursing at McMurry University in 1997. After completing her RN degree, she began working at Hendrick Medical Center in post-intervention cardiac care and the cardiac cath lab. Tonia then went to work for Fresenius Kidney Care for 17 years. During her employment there, she served in several roles; Charge Nurse, Clinical Manager, and Operations Manager. Tonia decided to return to school because she had a strong desire to provide direct patient care after years of management experience. Tonia earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 2010 and earned her Masters of Science in Nursing from Texas Tech Health Science Center in 2015.

Tonia was first introduced to Hamlin while being a student in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program. As part of her Masters program, Tonia chose to complete her clinical hours in a rural community. Dr. Chad White graciously agreed to serve as her precept and under his direction, Tonia learned more about Hamlin and the joys of this close-knit community, in which she continues to build her practice. She enjoys working with each patient, based on the patient’s individual needs and developing a treatment plan that will lead to a life of wellness for the patients served.

Tonia has a son and is very involved with his activities which include varsity tennis, livestock shows, and prepared speaking events with FFA. Tonia’s hobbies include gardening, and spending time with her family.

Dee Angela “Angie” Fanning, RN, MSN, FNP-C is a nurse practitioner at Hamlin Medical Clinic. Angie grew up in Fort Worth, Texas before moving to Abilene in 1994. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington prior to completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas Woman’s University in 1991. After graduation, Angie worked at Cook Children’s Medical Center as a staff nurse, Charge Nurse and Nurse Manager on the medical surgical unit. Upon moving to Abilene, she worked at Hendrick Medical Center on the pediatric unit as a staff nurse and Charge Nurse. In 2003, Angie transitioned to the Department of Education, where she worked as an educator for nurses and ancillary staff. In 2009, she started a career at Abilene Regional Medical Center as a procedural nurse in the department of Radiology, but soon trained to be a board certified vascular access nurse.Her desire to broaden her scope of practice and become a Nurse Practitioner had existed for many years, so at 51 years of age, she decided it was time to fulfill this dream. However, she was eager to leave the acute care setting and was drawn to the idea of rural nursing and caring for patients of all ages. She attended Family Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Texas at Arlington and completed two clinical rotations working at the Hamlin Clinic. Angie obtained her Master of Science in Nursing in August, 2020 and completed her certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner in September, 2020.

Angie is the wife of John Fanning who grew up in Abilene. They have 3 children, a dog and a cat, so they’re “on the go” all the time. She enjoys spending time with her family, working outside in her yard or garden, cooking and reading, although she doesn’t get much time to read for pleasure.

Angie considers it a blessing from God to be able to work at the Hamlin Clinic and will strive to provide compassionate and individualized care to her patients.

Nurse Practitioners

Tonia Cook, RN, MSN, FNP-C

Dee Angela Fanning, APRN, FNP-C

Part-Time Nurse Practitioners

Melodie Tarr, RN, MSN, FNP-C

Nursing Staff

Cheryl Lewis, RN

Kendi Kimball, RN, BSN