Centra Focus 2016 Issue 4

CENTR A FOCUS HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIA | ISSUE 4, 2016

Where the Dream Begins Off to college after recovering from a traumatic brain injury

Time in a Bottle

Smith Mountain Lake winemaker receives life-saving care in Moneta

A Lasting Legacy

Lynchburg Family Medicine Residency celebrates 40 years

+ DANVILLE MEDICAL CENTER

WHEN TO GO TO URGENT CARE COMMUNITY ACCESS NETWORK

Ann Kostal Lung cancer survivor

Lung cancer expertise, right here A lung cancer screening can be the difference between life and death.

It was the first time Ann Kostal has ever been happy to get sick. A severe bout of the flu and pneumonia forced Ann to receive a chest X-ray, CT scan and a PET-CT scan. The advanced images revealed something troubling – early stage lung cancer.

The CT scans allowed her to receive a minimally invasive surgical technique to remove a portion of her right lung with no need for further treatment. Today, Ann is in the clear and has routine follow-up visits at the Centra Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center.

Centra Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center offers lung cancer screenings for people considered to be at high-risk for lung cancer. The goal is to find cancer in its early, most treatable stages.

If you meet the criteria, you are considered high-risk and screening for a yearly low-dose CT scan is recommended: • 55-77 years of age • Have a 30 pack-year history of smoking • Are a current smoker or have quit within the last 15 years

Cancer.CentraHealth.com | 1701 Thomson Drive | Lynchburg

To make an appointment at Centra’s Comprehensive Lung Cancer Screening Clinic, call

434.200.3100 To take a Lung Cancer Awareness quiz to assess your risk, visit

Cancer.CentraHealth.com

Centra E.W. Tibbs Jr., RN, BSN, MBA President & Chief

Executive Officer David Adams Executive Vice President

& Chief Strategy Officer Bill Bass Senior Vice President of

Community Hospitals &

Regional Medical Centers Daniel Carey, MD Senior Vice President &

Chief Medical Officer Michael Elliott Senior Vice President of

Operations & President

of Acute Care Services H. Lester Reed, MD Senior Vice President &

President of Centra

Medical Group Rob Tonkinson Senior Vice President &

Chief Financial Officer Jan Walker Senior Vice President &

Chief Human Resources Officer

Board of Directors Walker P. Sydnor Jr. Amy G. Ray E.W. Tibbs Jr., RN, BSN, MBA Albert M. Baker, MD Michael V. Bradford Julie P. Doyle H.C. Eschenroeder Jr., MD Sharon L. Harrup Hank Hubbard John R. Mack Jeffrey R. Rowan Verna R. Sellers, MD Francis E. Wood Jr. R. Sackett Wood George R. Zippel Officers David Gough David Adams

Chairman Vice Chairman President & CEO

WHERE THE DREAM BEGINS

2

TIME IN A BOTTLE

8

Teen is off to college after a full recovery from a traumatic brain injury

Smith Mountain Lake winemaker receives life-saving care in Moneta

DANVILLE MEDICAL CENTER

12

WHAT’S UP HEALTHCARE

14

A LASTING LEGACY

15

COMMUNITY ACCESS NETWORK

19

This is what commitment looks like

Interim Treasurer Secretary

Foundation Board of Directors George A. Hurt, MD Mark D. Townsend, MD E.W. Tibbs Jr., RN, BSN, MBA Kathryn M. Pumphrey, EdD David Gough Robert R. Chapman III Melanie Christian Theodore J. Craddock Thomas J. Delaney, MD Michael J. Diminick, MD MaryJane Dolan Patsy A. Dooley Paul F. Fitzgerald, MD Robert H. Gilliam Jr. John J. Halpin, MD Janet Hickman, MD Yuille Holt III Augustus A. Petticolas Jr., DDS Mary Jane Pryor Elliot S. Schewel John H. Sorrells III Walker P. Sydnor Tim Tharpe

CONTENTS

Chairman Vice Chairman President Executive Vice President Treasurer

Doctor’s office, urgent care or the ER?

Lynchburg Family Medicine Residency celebrates 40 years

Caring for families in need, in their own neighborhood

ON THE COVER

Medical Staff Officers Lynchburg General & Virginia Baptist Shawn Hayes, MD President Wade Neiman, MD Vice President Bedford Memorial Michael Cook, MD Hillary Basham, MD

President Vice President

Southside Community Kwabena Donkor, MD Kirsten Huber, MD

President Vice President

Emily Hutt makes a full recovery after a traumatic brain injury and fulfills her plan to attend Clemson University in South Carolina.

Editorial Staff William Varner Angela Bryant Dana Poleski Jonathan Parker

Vice President Director Editor Assistant Editor

Contributing Photographers Clemson University , Jonathan Mitchell, Jonathan Parker, Andrew Wilds Contributing Writers Kate Kolb, Diane Ludwig, Jonathan Parker

To place your name on our mailing list, call Centra Communications & Marketing, 434.200.4730.

Centra is a regional, nonprofit healthcare system based in Lynchburg and serving central and southside Virginia. We are comprised of Centra Lynchburg General, Virginia Baptist, Southside Community and Bedford Memorial hospitals, the Centra Medical Group network of primary care practices and specialty centers, senior care services and numerous other health facilities and programs throughout the state.

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Dream Begins Where the

2 | CENTR A FOCUS

A teenager is off to college after a full recovery from a traumatic brain injury

E

mily Hutt’s family kept her Clemson University acceptance letter close by. They read it over and over, wondering if she’d ever step foot on campus.

Throughout high school, Emily dreamed of pursuing a biomedical engineering degree and cheering on the Tigers. Her family encouraged her to chase her dreams, but it’s hard to find joy in an acceptance letter while watching your daughter in an induced coma in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Centra Lynchburg General Hospital.

Of all the college freshmen walking the beautiful Clemson campus, Emily might be one of the longest shots to get there. The only mark left from a traumatic brain injury is a scar above her left temple.

“A lot of bad things happened to me, but despite the bad, I’m extremely happy and confident in who I am,” she said. “I know there are going to be difficulties down the road, but I know I can get through anything.”

During a visit to Virginia in 2015, Emily decided to try out snowboarding. As she raced down the slope, she missed a turn and crashed.

Her mother, Christine Hutt-Campbell, was videotaping her first snowboarding attempt. “You could hear the thud when she hit,” her mother said. “Everyone started running towards her. She was completely out and in an awkward position.”

Nearby officials called 911 and a nurse friend checked on Emily, who was unconscious, before paramedics arrived. Christine took off her jacket and placed it over a horseshoe shaped gash on Emily’s head. “One of the worst things a parent can go through is looking down and seeing her child hurting. It’s nothing I would ever want anyone to deal with,” she said.

Waiting and waiting Christine, who lives in Summerville, South Carolina, beat the ambulance to Lynchburg General’s Emergency Room (ER). The paramedics had to stabilize Emily, who had a seizure on the way. She watched as her daughter was rushed into the ER on a gurney.

It felt like a dream, and the first hours were a blur. She remembers feathers flying after doctors cut off Emily’s down jacket. She kept hoping her daughter would wake up. “I was thinking paralysis of some sort. I didn’t think brain injury,” she said. “I kept wondering, ‘Is she going to be able to walk?’ I thought she was paralyzed from the neck down because her neck was so twisted after the crash.”

A CT scan showed bleeding on the brain and doctors told Christine that Emily had suffered a traumatic brain injury, comparing it to shaken baby syndrome. She was transferred to the NICU so nurses and doctors could monitor her brain swelling closely.

“The first day or so, she was looking very good. It almost gave us a false sense of security because the X-rays showed there wasn’t anything wrong with her neck,” her mother said.

Shortly after the accident, Christine called Emily’s dad, Andy Hutt, in South Carolina. It was a grueling seven-hour trip. “When I got there, I was expecting the worst and wasn’t prepared to see her the way she was,” he said.

Emily Hutt at Clemson University in South Carolina

Jeremy Hardison, MD, medical director of the NICU, led Emily’s care team, telling the family that brain injuries were unpredictable. “The doctors are telling you there are no great treatments for brain injuries,” Hutt said. a ISSUE 4, 2016 | 3

Her father remembers the medical team preparing them for the worst. “They asked us, ‘Who is going to stay home with her?’ It’s going from the day before when she is fine to the next day when you’re prepared to possibly quit your job and stay home with her,” Hutt said.

Dr. Hardison and the nurses kept Emily in a coma to allow her brain to heal, using medication to control the pressure in her head. “Brain injuries are extremely hard to predict,” Dr. Hardison said. “When taking care of NICU patients, it’s like watching the ocean. It’s not each wave. It’s the tide you have to watch. There is slow progress and we try to keep families focused on the big picture.”

Christine said watching Emily battle over the first few days was brutal.

Their visits were limited to keep her calm. The family watched her vital signs on monitors from the window outside her room. “It’s almost this unhealthy obsession to sit and watch because you drive yourself crazy,” she said.

Watching her regain balance and learn to walk was difficult, her father said. Emily first had to take food from a spoon and then chew it. “Once we saw that smile, we thought from here on out, it doesn’t matter, we have her back,” Andy said.

Dr. Hardison and the nursing team cheered on every milestone. “The day you can move her from the ICU to the neuro step-down unit is a huge day,” Dr. Hardison said.

“All those milestones are very emotionally charged, both for us and for the families. It means things are going the right way.”

For a teenager that learned to walk and talk again, no challenge seems insurmountable. “Once I found out about getting into Clemson, I worked really hard to get back to how I was before I suffered the brain injury,” Emily said.

The family met with Hardison and neurosurgeon Dilan Ellegala, MD, a few days after Emily’s brain continued to swell. The doctors wanted to avoid a surgery, which removes part of her skull.

They placed an additional monitor inside her head, giving them another option to control the pressure.

By the fourth day, the pressure began to normalize. Still, the family watched and waited as a sleeping Emily recovered in quiet. “You watch for weeks wondering, ‘Is Emily going to come back?’” her mother said. “I kept thinking, ‘She has to be the same. She has to be fine.’ I wouldn’t let myself think, ‘She’s not going to be fine.’”

Her father knew the journey would be difficult, but just wanted to see his little girl awake. “The first thing was just the waking up. You keep waiting and hoping and praying. When she does, you see her eyes, and you see her smile,” he said, choking back tears. “That was the most beautiful thing, just seeing her smile.”

Growing up, again Once Emily woke up, Centra doctors, nurses and therapists shepherded her down the long path towards recovery. A brain injury takes a toll. She didn’t talk at first, mumbling words to family, and she couldn’t dress herself.

“It’s like watching your child take their first step and reliving their baby years, but at a much older age,” Christine said. “It’s that same kind of excitement whether it was when she was a one-year-old taking her first step or 17 years old. You are so 4 | CENTR A FOCUS

grateful that they are able to take that first step, say a word or get dressed in the morning.”

Once Emily woke up, her family told her about her acceptance letter to Clemson. Her short-term memory was foggy so they told her the good news five or six times over a period of days. Still, the family had largely given up on college.

“The first hurdle to overcome was finishing high school,” Andy said.

“As she started getting better, we thought, ‘Maybe she can graduate high school.’”

After a week in the neurological step-down unit, Emily was transferred to Shepherd Center, a rehabilitation program in Atlanta, Georgia. “When we arrived there, they told us the care she got at Lynchburg General was exactly what she needed,” her mother said.

Emily clung to her acceptance letter at Clemson as motivation during her recovery. When she wasn’t in rehab, she was working on an economics class to meet graduation requirements. “It was another goal for her to get better after she woke up,” her dad said. “Emily’s always been a stubborn and determined young lady. Whatever she’s decided to do, she’s been able to do.”

After a few months, her therapists gave the family the greenlight for college. Despite needing to relearn some math skills after the injury, Emily stuck with engineering. “I know I’m going to have to be patient with myself and work extra hard,” she said.

For a teenager that learned to walk and talk again, no challenge seems insurmountable. “Once I found out about getting into Clemson, I worked really hard to get back to how I was before I suffered the brain injury,” she said.

Her family watched her work hard for months. “It speaks to her pure determination,” her mother said. “It was her goal, she set out to do it, and she did it.”

Emily and her father Andy in the NICU at Lynchburg General

Her father knew the journey would be difficult, but just wanted to see his little girl awake. “The first thing was waking up. You keep waiting, hoping and praying. When she finally does, you see her eyes, and you see her smile,” he said, choking back tears. “That was the most beautiful thing, just seeing her smile.”

A surprise announcement Emily was ranked eighth out of 488 seniors at Ashley Ridge High School in Summerville, South Carolina, before her accident. After the brain injury, she finished eighth in her class and graduated with honors. Weeks before walking across the stage to a loud ovation, she mailed a handwritten graduation invitation to Lynchburg General and the NICU team.

“I sent a note to the hospital because I wanted them to know I appreciate all of them,” she said. “They treated me like I was their own family. I wanted them to see how successful I am because of them.”

Dr. Hardison said nurses were crying as they took turns reading Emily’s note which is hanging in their office. “Having a case like that when you put so much effort into a patient and see what happens, that’s why we do what we do,” he said. “You have this belief that you are doing something that really is going to make a great difference in people’s lives.”

When Emily’s Clemson acceptance letter arrived while she was in a coma, Dr. Hardison and his team doubted she would recover enough for college or even high school. “The fact that she made a full recovery is remarkable,” Dr. Hardison said.

The physician said the NICU staff rounds as a team, including physicians, charge nurses, bedside nurses, pharmacists and chaplains to talk about each patient and the plan for the day.

“The nurses are not only outstanding, but they are committed to the care of neurological patients,” Dr. Hardison said. “We have nurses that have been doing this job for over 10 years; nurses that come and stay and never leave.”

Christine said the staff cared for her family as a whole. “They treated us like their own, like Emily was their daughter. They were worried for her just as we were,” she said, remembering the nurses brushing and braiding Emily’s hair.

“Dr. Hardison was always open and honest with us and willing to talk. He wasn’t all doom and gloom. We were very hopeful for a recovery,” she said. a ISSUE 4, 2016 | 5

6 | CENTR A FOCUS

Dr. Hardison and the neuro staff often have patients visit after their recovery. “Some of them come back because they didn’t get to meet you while they were in a coma,” he said.

“It means so much for them to come back and meet us and show how much better they are.”

Icing on the cake As Emily looks out over the Clemson football stadium with her family, the Clemson Tiger mascot sneaks up for a surprise visit and hands her a shirt. It’s a special welcome for a special student.

“This is the icing on the cake,” her father said. “This is not only the culmination of her injuries, but life in general. She has known for three or four years that this was her goal.”

Emily and the Clemson Tiger

Emily and her mother Christine

Emily and her father walk along the sideline of the empty stadium. It’s a surreal moment. The words Where the Dream Begins flash across the stadium’s big screen. “I’m extremely excited to start Clemson,” said Emily.

See Emily’s journey and learn more about Centra’s neurological care at CentraHealth.com.

Top left: Emily, Natalie, Andy and the Clemson mascot celebrate her acceptance into the university.

Bottom left: Centra’s NICU team (L to R) Laura Gauldin, BSN, RN; Cortney Muddiman, BSN, RN; Jordan Watkins, PA; Carley Shelton, BSN, RN; Jodi King, BSN, RN; Dr. Jeremy Hardison; Haley Martin, BSN, RN; Jamie Gray, BSN, RN; Bridget Gray, RT ISSUE 4, 2016 | 7

Roger Furrow at Hickory Hill Vineyard 8 | CENTR A FOCUS

Time in a Bottle Smith Mountain Lake winemaker receives fast, life-saving heart care in Moneta

R

oger Furrow is a patient man. Every aspect of his life involves waiting. Such is life for a winemaker.

He walks along a row of red grapes, picking them at random for inspection. They are almost ready to harvest and Roger doesn’t mind the wait. “To make really good wine, you have to have the patience to let the grapes ripen properly,” he said.

Roger and his wife Judy started Hickory Hill Vineyards at Smith Mountain Lake in the early 90s. They planted the vineyard and waited four years for a harvest worth selling. It took 10 more years for the vineyard to reach its peak.

“It takes patience in every part of the process,” Roger said.

He first started making homemade wine in the U.S. Air Force. The couple fell in love with the hobby and planted a small vineyard in the 80s on lake property.

“The history of Hickory Hill Vineyards is of a hobby that got out of control,” he said with wide grin. “Over the years, my passion for winemaking just grew.”

They bought their current 42-acre farm, working part-time for eight years before retirement. It’s been anything but a quiet life since. They launched a full-scale winery 16 years ago, growing grapes on five acres. The Furrows work the farm with their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.

with heart problems for 35 years. Six years ago, Centra cardiologists were monitoring several blockages. During a routine stress test, Roger collapsed on the treadmill at Centra Medical Group Stroobants Cardiovascular Center in Moneta.

“Things started to go black,” he said. “I had just enough time to call a nurse before I went into cardiac arrest.”

Laura Bollard, RN, and Chad Hoyt, MD, worked with the rest of the staff to revive Roger, who had no pulse. They began CPR. “Essentially, he was dead,” Laura said.

Dr. Hoyt, Roger’s cardiologist, used an AED to bring him back. Within a minute, he began to wake. Emergency rescuers blocked off Route 122 so a helicopter could land and take him to Centra Lynchburg General Hospital for a catheterization procedure. Four days later, David Frantz, MD, performed bypass surgery to clear the blockages.

With healthcare providers located throughout the region at Centra’s medical centers, primary care and specialty offices, and hospitals, help is never far away.

This network plays a key role in every situation, from emergencies to routine coordinated care.

They grow enough grapes for over 15,000 bottles of wine a year, selling them in stores within a 50-mile radius of Smith Mountain Lake. “It’s not a great business financially,” Roger said. “We do it for the lifestyle.”

Roger feels fortunate the cardiac episode happened at the cardiology office. “It couldn’t have been better,” he said. “I was a lucky man to have the problems right there in the office where they had the best chance to save my life, and of course, they did. If you had to be in cardiac arrest, you couldn’t have picked a better place.”

Dr. Hoyt agreed, crediting quick action from his staff, a fast response from EMS and air transport and the surgeons with saving Roger’s life. “I don’t know if we would have made it if he was somewhere else. We had a skilled team right there. It happened seamlessly,” Dr. Hoyt said.

Lifesavers

Laura, a former emergency room nurse, said when someone “codes” – or essentially dies – in an ER, teams of people respond. The Moneta staff of five jumped in to make sure Roger was cared for. “I think this was amazing,” she said.

After 16 years, the winery is humming. They host music nights during the summer and have a beautiful tasting room inside a renovated farmhouse.

Roger made a full recovery and continues to see Dr. Hoyt for appointments in Moneta. “I’ve been doing extremely well ever since,” he said. a

But Roger almost missed it. The retired engineer has struggled ISSUE 4, 2016 | 9

The gift of time Juggling his full-time engineering job while starting the winery wasn’t easy. Roger looked forward to settling down at Smith Mountain Lake and pursuing his passion full-time.

“Everyone dreams of their retirement and it’s nice to have that kind of continuity,” he said.

There are picnic tables, rocking chairs and swings scattered along the yard behind the tasting house. Relaxing comes naturally at Hickory Hill. The Furrows create a calm and friendly atmosphere that makes the vineyard feel like home.

Over the last few years, the winemakers have perfected 10 different wines, earning over 60 medals in local, regional and international wine competitions.

Roger ages the wines in large metal tanks. They bring in a group of volunteers – known as the “Harvesters Club” – to bottle the wine. The whites age in bottles for a year and a half.

The reds take nearly three years before they hit the market.

“We want the wine to age properly in the tanks and bottles,” Roger said.

After he recovered from surgery, Roger took a bottle of wine to the nurses and Dr. Hoyt in Moneta. “I’m proud to say they’ve taken care of me,” he said.

Roger and his wife walk down a row of vines, tasting and inspecting the grapes. He could pick them now, but waiting another week would yield a tastier harvest. He’s in no hurry.

He’s been gifted more time to pursue his passion and enjoy life with his family.

“I hope to have a very long life and one that’s very healthy,” Roger said. “I can enjoy my family for many years to come.”

L to R : Rodger’s cardiologist Chad Hoyt, MD, Roger and Laura Bollard, RN, enjoy their time together at Hickory Hill 10 | CENTR A FOCUS

Time is precious

Heart care in Moneta

Roger Furrow benefitted from the quick action of trained staff.

Cardiologist, Chad Hoyt, MD, hopes his story encourages others to receive CPR training.

With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the United States, Centra Medical Group Stroobants Cardiovascular Center is dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart and vascular conditions. Stroobants Cardiovascular Center provides the highest quality care available to patients throughout Chad Hoyt, MD central Virginia. Experienced physicians and nurses work with patients to develop a personalized care plan based on individual needs.

“CPR has gotten much easier to learn,” Dr. Hoyt said. “Everyone needs to know it. Time is precious.”

CPR guidelines

Roger Furrow

The American Heart Association updated its CPR guidelines last year. Quick action, proper training, use of technology and coordinated efforts can increase survival from cardiac arrest.

A leading cause of death in the United States, cardiac arrest is caused when the heart suddenly stops. Survival depends on immediate CPR and other actions starting with bystanders.

Here’s how you can help someone who’s having a heart attack:

» »Immediately call 911, placing

the phones on speaker, so the dispatcher can help you check for breathing, get the precise location and provide instructions for performing CPR.

» »Provide hands-only CPR, or CPR

without breaths, pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest to the rate of 100 compressions per minute.

» »However, if you are trained in

CPR and can perform breaths, you should add breaths in a 30:2 compressions-to-breaths ratio.

CPR classes

Centra provides cardiovascular care across the region, including Moneta, to make access more convenient. Chad Hoyt, MD, said patients in Moneta can rest assured they have access to a full range of services at Centra.

“We provide the same level of care in Moneta that we do in our main Lynchburg office,” Dr. Hoyt said. “You are treated by the same quality doctors, just in a convenient location close to home.”

The Stroobants Cardiovascular Center’s team of heart specialists is experienced and knowledgeable about all aspects of heart health, from arrhythmias and cholesterol to cardiac catheterizations and congenital heart disease.

By treating the person, not just the symptoms, physicians forge an alliance to ensure the health and the well-being of every patient. They utilize the latest technology available to pinpoint and treat all types of heart and vascular problems, from the most common to the most complex.

For more information about cardiovascular care in Moneta and Smith Mountain Lake, call 540.297.7840. Centra Medical Group Stroobants Cardiovascular Center in Moneta is located at 1039 Mayberry Crossing Drive, Suite C.

HeartAware online risk assessment

Centra provides CPR classes through the Center for Childbirth and Family Education at Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital.

Heartsaver CPR and First Aid Cost: $65 per person This one day course covers first aid and adult, child and infant CPR. Participants receive a twoyear American Heart Association certification.

For a class schedule or to register, visit CentraHealthRegister.com.

The chance of developing coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control factors that put people at greater risk. The HeartAware free cardiovascular risk assessment will take about seven minutes to complete. At the end, you will receive personalized, strictly confidential information that will help you assess your current cardiovascular health status and identify those medical or lifestyle conditions that may lead to development of the disease.

Visit CentraHealth.com/Community-Health/Wellness-Assessments to take the assessment.

ISSUE 4, 2016 | 11

CENTR A DANVILLE This is what commitment looks like Commitment doesn’t come from a building, but from the dedicated people working inside. Centra Danville Medical Center is full of those kind of individuals. The medical center, which offers primary and urgent care, specialty services, mammography, and physical therapy, is staffed by Danville residents and natives, who want to care for their hometown. These are the faces of true commitment.

Kurtise Wilkes, DPT

Laurie Taylor, FNP

Physical Therapist

Nurse Practitioner, Urgent Care Helping a patient recover movement loss is Kurtise Wilkes’ daily focus. An outpatient orthopaedic physical therapist, Kurtise works with her patients to improve their quality of life. Physical therapists work with patients in private treatment rooms and a state-of-the-art gym, which includes cardio equipment and weight machines. “There are no words to express the joy I feel when I have helped someone accomplish a goal,” she said.

Daurie Bussell, MOA III Medical Office Associate A Danville native, Daurie Bussell is the first face patients see when they enter Centra Danville Medical Center. She wants to make sure it’s a friendly one. Daurie checks-in patients and directs them to the appropriate place for care. “I love the patients.

There is so much to learn from them,” she said. “I really get to know our patients and they become my friends.”

12 | CENTR A FOCUS

Laurie Taylor, FNP, understands patients and their pressing healthcare needs. Before becoming a nurse practitioner, Laurie worked as a critical care nurse for 25 years. It’s not a stretch to say she’s seen it all. Her experience and dedication to serving her hometown of Danville makes her a perfect fit to care for patients in Urgent Care. “When I finished my education to become a nurse practitioner, I was determined I was coming back to Danville because I wanted to take care of people here. It means a lot to treat patients in my hometown,” she said.

Lisa Blackwell, LPN Practical Nurse, Urgent Care Lisa Blackwell, LPN, enjoys the variety of patients in urgent care. A Dry Fork native, Lisa, who has 29 years of experience, has taken care of infants to 90-year-olds. It’s like a family, and she knows all about taking care of a large one. She has six children and eight grandchildren. “I love to help people and it gives me great satisfaction to see people walk out well and know that we care about them,” she said.

MEDICAL CENTER James Milam, MD

Matthew Huffman, MD

Primary Care Physician

Cardiologist

James Milam, MD, grew up watching his father, Joseph, care for Danville as a family practice physician.

It was a natural fit for Dr. Milam to pursue the same calling. Since 1999, Dr. Milam has treated patients – from infants to senior adults – in Danville.

When he’s not in the office, he’s working on the farm, spending time with his family or cheering on the George Washington High School sports teams. “I think it’s important to be a part of the community and to take care of the patients that are also my neighbors and friends,” Dr. Milam said.

Matthew Huffman, MD, believes it’s not enough to encourage cardiology patients to be active. He needs to model it too. Dr. Huffman, who played football at Bridgewater College before attending medical school at the University of Virginia, spends his weekends running and hiking with his family. “I have always liked the science behind cardiology, but most importantly, there is a lot we can help with,” the cardiologist said. “Heart disease is the number one killer in the country and there is a lot we can do to intervene.”

Chasity Kendrick, RT Mammography Technician Promoting women’s health is the reason Chasity Kendrick, RT, comes to work each day. A mammography technician, Chasity was excited to work in Danville. She helps patients stay healthy by encouraging annual mammograms. “I want to make sure all women have a great experience so they will keep having mammograms. This will help find cancer early and give them the best chance for a longer and healthier life,” she said.

CENTRA DANVILLE MEDICAL CENTER 414 PARK AVENUE

Urgent Care

Open seven days a week 8 am – 8 pm

Primary Care

Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm

Physical Therapy

Monday – Thursday, 8 am – 5:30 pm Friday, 8 am – 12:30 pm

Additional Specialties

Cardiology, Mammography, Plastic Surgery, Sports Medicine, Urology

To learn more about our services, call 434.857.3600

ISSUE 4, 2016 | 13

What’s Up

Healthcare

?

DOCTOR’S OFFICE, URGENT CARE or the ER

Knowing the difference between your doctor’s office, urgent care and the emergency room will get you the right care at the right time.

A

ll too often, illnesses or injuries appear out of the blue. You stumble while carrying bags of groceries up a flight of stairs (I’ve personally done this!) and can no longer walk on your swollen ankle, or your child spikes a high fever on the weekend.

When these situations occur, we’re often faced with uncertainty about where to go for care, especially if the symptoms seem severe and our regular doctor’s office is

Doctor’s office Your doctor or primary care provider is the person who cares for you on a regular basis with whom you have a established a long-term relationship. He or she is the most familiar with your health history and is able to help keep you well or care for you when you’re ill. Doctors and providers also can coordinate your care by referring you to specialists when your condition is outside their scope of work.

Urgent care Urgent care centers are designed for patients whose illnesses or injuries aren’t life–threatening, but can’t wait until their primary care providers can treat them. Urgent care centers have extended hours including evenings and weekends. The majority of emergency room visits can be treated just as effectively at an urgent care center.

Emergency room First and foremost, the emergency room is meant for true emergencies and is equipped for any type of medical crisis.

Emergency rooms are open 24/7 and handle traumas and life-threatening situations. This specialized level of care also makes it the most expensive place to seek help.

14 | CENTR A FOCUS

by Diane Ludwig Centra spokesperson

closed. Let’s be honest, sickness and injuries don’t always happen at a convenient time. When visiting any medical facility, remember to bring your insurance card and a list of all the medications you take. This list should include how much of each medication you take as well as how often you take it. Also keep with you a list of any allergies (including medication allergies) and any previous medical procedures or surgeries you’ve had.

When to go where: • • • • • •

Annual physicals Blood pressure monitoring Blood work Diabetes care Health screenings Vaccinations

• • • • •

Cough, cold, flu Ear infections, strep throat Fever, nausea, dizziness Stitches Strains, sprains

• • • •

Chest pain Head injury Severe bleeding Stroke symptoms

Centra Medical Group

LYN CH B U RG FA M I LY M E D I CI N E R E S I D E N C Y A LASTING LEGACY:

40 years of training physicians

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roup photos hang on a back wall inside Centra Medical Group Lynchburg Family Medicine Residency. The photos are of medical residents that spent three years learning the ins and outs of family medicine.

David Gregory, MD, program director, looks at the photos often. He knows each physician. They represent a living legacy to the residency program, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

The residency program, which allows residents to work alongside family medicine providers, has produced half of the primary care doctors in central Virginia in the last 40 years.

“It’s remarkable. I remind the residents that at one point in their career, I hope they take care of my family members,” Dr. Gregory said. “We look to our graduates as people who will care for us and our community in the future.”

Lynchburg Family Medicine Residency blends medical education with an active family practice. Located in The Plaza off Memorial Avenue in Lynchburg, providers care for hundreds of patients a day, from infants to senior adults. “It is the most complex way of practicing family medicine,” Dr. Gregory said.

The residents accompany physicians into exam rooms to learn firsthand how to treat routine and complex issues and just as importantly, how to provide compassionate care. Residents also take rotations in Centra hospitals, other primary care practices and specialty offices. The result is a well-trained physician that understands the value of operating a primary care practice in many different communities.

In 40 years, the residency has trained 168 graduates. Two thirds have stayed in Virginia, one third of whom stayed in the Lynchburg region. Dr. Gregory said the residency program has trained nearly 60 family medicine doctors in the region and most see about 2,500 patients.

Community collaborations are a critical component to the residency’s success. While Centra leads the program, the a Pictured at top (L to R): Dr. Laban Tsuma, Janice Quigley, Valerie Schweikart, Dr. Teddy Brose, Dr. William Crow

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residency draws on the strength of physicians, practices and nonprofit organizations throughout the region.

The program started 40 years ago as a small clinic in Forest before moving to Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital, then to an office on Langhorne Road and finally to The Plaza where an old storefront was renovated into a modern teaching clinic.

The medical practice also treats a wide range of patients, many from low income communities.

“One third of Lynchburg citizens don’t have access to regular primary care,” Dr. Gregory said. “We are needed to help fill those gaps. We are a proven practice and the community trusts us.”

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RESIDENTS Residents are physicians who provide supervised care within the community. A residency program trains physicians after medical school to become fully independently practicing and boardcertified family physicians.

The residency program has a reputation for producing quality doctors. Graduates have a 100 percent pass rate on their licensure exams over the last six years and a 97 percent rate over 40 years. “We are doing great work and we are producing great doctors that are staying in the area,” Dr. Gregory said.

“We love what we are doing.”

Dr. Gregory said he and other faculty members are dedicated to duplicating their efforts for future generations. The staff has over 75 years of combined teaching and medical practice experience. They lean on the next generation of doctors for support.

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Pictured at top (L to R): Dr. John Keenan and Dr. David Gregory Pictured at bottom, (L to R): Dr. Rucha Kharwa and Dr. Neeta Rao; Dr. Semiha Uray; Angela Jackson

Dr. Gregory’s primary care doctor is a former patient, Peter Gibbs, DO, at Centra Medical Group – Nationwide. “My impact is beyond the patient in front of me. It’s 20 years or more because I’m training the next generation of doctors in my community,” Dr. Gregory said.

For more information on Centra Medical Group Lynchburg Family Medicine Residency, please visit CentraHealth.com.

Centra has a long tradition as a place of learning and teaching Beginning with the School of Nursing in 1912, Lynchburg Family Medicine Residency in 1976 and continuing with the College of Nursing and numerous clinical programs, Centra and the extended medical community mentor and train hundreds of health professionals.

College of Nursing

Medical Education & Student Affairs

The Centra College of Nursing graduates are prepared to engage in healthcare’s best practices through critical thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration and building community relationships.

As the medical industry expands, area schools look to Centra’s Office of Medical Education and Student Affairs (OMESA) to provide a quality medical learning experience for the next generation of healthcare professionals. Unlike a traditional teaching hospital, Centra offers an innovative approach to medical and allied healthcare education, building precepting models geared towards interdisciplinary teams in acute and primary care settings. Types of preceptorships include: • Nursing preceptorships • Medical school clinical clerkship rotations • Internships (clinical and administrative) • Short-term shadowing • Long-term shadowing

The college’s three programs are the: • Associate Degree in Nursing • Practical Nursing Program • RN-to-BSN Degree

Centra employees throughout the health system meet the learning needs of a wide variety of aspiring health professionals or continuing learners already in the medical field. Types of learners include: • Residents • Medical students • Physician Assistant students • Nurse Practitioner students • Nurse-Midwife students • Allied professional students • High school students

In the five-semester Associate Degree in Nursing, students are admitted twice a year, in August and January. They also are enrolled at Central Virginia Community College for general education classes.

Clinical experiences are provided at Centra hospitals and other community agencies.

For the 12-month Practical Nursing Program, students are admitted once a year, in January, and also enrolled at Central Virginia Community College. Clinical experiences are provided at Centra hospitals as well as long-term care facilities.

The RN-to-BSN Degree offers a post licensure, three-semester, oneyear educational program which prepares current Registered Nurses to obtain a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. Various Centra facilities and community agencies are used as practicum sites.

For more information on the Centra College of Nursing, call 434.200.3070 or visit CentraCON.edu.

Centra awarded the first scholarships to seven students from the first Lynchburg College Master of Physician Assistant Medicine class of 2017. Pictured (L to R) front row: Joni McGinn, Taylor Lavery, Rebecca Brewer. Back row: Missy Nemec, Brooke McNamara, Indre Lithyouvong, Christopher Rigney, with Jeremy Welsh, DHSc, PA-C, EM-CAQ, CMI, DFAAPA, founding department chair, program director and associate professor of Physician Assistant Medicine at Lynchburg College

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Centra has affiliation agreements with schools throughout the region, including: • Central Virginia Community College • Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine • Hampton-Sydney • Jefferson College of Health Sciences • Liberty University • Lynchburg College • Randolph College • University of Virginia • Virginia Commonwealth University

For more information about the Office of Medical Education and Student Affairs, call 434.200.6509.

Career Camps Centra offers a variety of programs for students of all ages to introduce them to health careers and support their ongoing career exploration into early adulthood and through college.

Opportunities to explore a career in healthcare are available for elementary, middle and high school students.

Elementary school: • The Great Hospital Adventure Puppet Program Middle school: • Health Careers Exploration Days at Lynchburg General and Virginia Baptist • Medical Career Camp at Virginia Baptist and Bedford Memorial High school: • Health Careers Camps • Undergraduate and graduate opportunities • Internships, externship, medical school and clinical rotations • Observation and shadowing opportunities

For more information on career camps and programs, call 434.200.6511.

Pharmacy Residency Program Centra’s Pharmacy Residency Program offers its residents an array of hospital pharmacy experiences. Each year, the program employes two post-graduate, year-one residents and is supported by 12 faculty members who have extensive experience caring for a variety of patients, including neonatal babies, the critically ill and the elderly.

For more information on the Pharmacy Residency Program, call 434.200.3500.

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Nurse Aide Education Program Certified nursing aides (CNAs) work under a nurse’s supervision helping patients with daily care and tasks. Since they have extensive contact with their patients, CNAs play a key role in their lives and in keeping the nurse informed of vital information about patients’ conditions.

Over the course of five weeks, Centra’s Nurse Aide Education Program provides hands-on learning in a skills lab and a long-term care facility, preparing students to take the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) State Certification Examination.

For more information about Centra’s Nurse Aide Education Program, call 434.200.2234.

Medical Laboratory Technician Program Our Medical Laboratory Technician Program provides students with the clinical and academic skills needed to prepare for a career as a Medical Laboratory Technician. The program is a cooperative effort between Centra and Central Virginia Community College (CVCC).

Upon completion of the program, graduates will have earned an Associate in Applied Science Degree from CVCC and a Certificate of Completion from Centra. Graduates are eligible to take a national certification exam and are qualified to perform highly complex laboratory procedures.

In addition to hospital laboratories, graduates may choose to work in private laboratories, health department laboratories, physicians’ office laboratories or industrial medical laboratories.

For more information about the Medical Laboratory Technician Program, call 434.200.4551.

CARING FOR FAMILIES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD

Community Access Network Architect’s rendering of the Community Access Network’s Fifth Street Community Health Center

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f you have driven on Fifth Street near downtown Lynchburg recently, you probably haven’t gone far without noticing construction – everywhere. The economy is growing, families are setting down roots, and the general feel to the area is that growth is happening in a very positive way.

reaches the needs of people in the community that would otherwise go without essential healthcare provisions, or who are utilizing the local emergency room for primary care. By caring for this population, the CAN helps people avoid a visit to the emergency room on a routine basis.

But that hasn’t always been the case for families living nearby. For many years, that area and its surrounding communities have lacked access to a very essential need – healthcare.

Perhaps one of the most unique features

With over 17,000 uninsured residents in this community, 37,000 residents with Medicaid and Medicare who do not have access to primary care, and a poverty rate of 96.3% among AfricanAmericans around Fifth Street, the need for access to affordable care was great. The Community Access Network has been working tirelessly to meet the healthcare needs of that population.

An active member of the community, the Community Access Network (CAN)

An active member of the community, the Community Access Network reaches the needs of people in the community that would otherwise go without essential healthcare or who are utilizing the local emergency room for primary care. By caring for this population, the network helps people avoid visits to the emergency room on a routine basis.

of the CAN is that it is comprised of local healthcare providers from varying facilities and organizations that work together to address the lack of access to healthcare and the social factors affecting the communities’ health.

It was this collaboration that brought a group of people together from the Free Clinic of Central Virginia, the Community Access Network, Centra and the Centra Foundation to begin discussing a more permanent solution to serve the people of the Fifth Street corridor.

Together, that group developed the vision for the Fifth Street Community Health Center which will be located on the corner of Fifth and Federal Street in downtown Lynchburg.

This past September, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to officially begin work on a center that will be more than just a building for the community — it will provide access to healthcare services and access for an underserved population. a

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This center, which will be an additional Free Clinic site, will provide: • Walk-in immediate and primary care services to high-risk, underinsured and uninsured patients • Mental health services through collaborative community partnership • Access to specialists

Through partnerships with nonprofits and social service agencies in the community, the center will be equipped to address social issues affecting patients’ health, such as: • Inadequate housing, transportation or a lack of financial resources

Members of the Community Access Network, Centra and several other community healthcare leaders took part in the groundbreaking celebration.

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Having all these services under one roof is truly unique. The facility has been carefully designed with patients of all ages and their families in mind, with construction happening, largely in part to the generosity of the Centra Foundation committing $6.4 million to the project and Centra pledging another $3 million over the next three years.

This area was specifically chosen in order to increase access to healthcare not only with this singular facility, but also the services of Centra PACE and the Johnson Health Center which are located across the street. A healthcare corridor will be developed with the addition of the Fifth street location, bringing the community back to its roots in many ways.

“Historically this has been a healthcare corridor. Fifth Street is where many African American medical professionals have had their offices — dentists, pharmacists and doctors,” Free Clinic and Community Access Network CEO Christina Delzingaro said. “So today if you look at the need in the community, it is great.”

The medical center is slated to open late 2017, and providers and staff are eager to open their doors to the community and continue building relationships for years to come.

Pictured top left: Jen Stowers, director of the Community Access Network and Christina Delzingaro, CEO of the Free Clinic and CAN Pictured top right: Dave and Katrina Marple and their four children live near the new health center.

If you have questions about the mission or work of the Centra Foundation, please call Kathryn Pumphrey, Ed.D., CFRE, executive vice president, at 434.200.4790 or visit CentraFoundation.com.

Turn it around.

He’s sick and has no way to access help.

He has no one to check in on him.

He’s waiting for someone to care.

He needs help.

And, you can turn it around.

Call the Centra Foundation today to see how you can make a difference.

434.200.4791 | CentraFoundation.com

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1920 Atherholt Road Lynchburg, Virginia 24501

Your family. Our priority.

Join us for a special grand opening!

Centra Urgent Care – Forest Grand Opening Celebration Sunday, January 22 | 2:00 pm Tour the new Urgent Care Center and meet the staff while enjoying refreshments.

Our new home is almost ready! We look forward to celebrating the opening of our new clinic which will offer urgent care, X-ray and laboratory services.

From itches to stitches, to coughs and colds, and everything in between, we’ve got you covered. Our team is eager to show you – our friends and neighbors – the next level in providing Excellent Care For Life.

16890 Forest Road | Forest | 434.200.7210

Open to patients January 23, 2017 Walk-in, 8 am – 8 pm, seven days a week 16890 Forest Road, Forest

434.200.7210