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He said getting into healthcare was an easy decision after his humble beginning.

“The best part of the job is being able to help people in some of the most diffcult times of their lives,” he said.

Conversely, he admitted the least palatable part of his career is when children are involved. “Oh, man,” he said, “seeing children come into the hospital in pain is hard. I can’t stand seeing children scared or in pain.”

His soft spot for children is probably home grown. He is a single dad to 7-year-old Jonathan, who is his traveling buddy and sports partner.

“He is a star soccer player,” Dad, who is also Jonathan’s soccer coach, said proudly. “He is also doing very well in all his classes. We spend a lot of time playing sports outside. We get to spend a lot of time together that way.” As a kid, Countryman began playing golf in Midland, something he and Jonathan have begun to enjoy together.

“I think it’s so important to have things like that you can do together,” he said. “I played a bunch when I was a kid. I won a tournament as a 10-year-old. I golfed a lot with my own dad when I was growing up.”