Citizen of the Year

Written by: Top of Virginia Regional Chamber

“Where would we be without Dr. Nicolas Restrepo? I’d rather not think it. We are indeed fortunate that he is with us,” Dr. John Lamanna said in conclusion of his nomination for the Citizen of the Year Award winner. After hearing and reading Dr. Restrepo’s qualifications from the Circle of Excellence, it was easy to understand why he had been nominated, but all of his work with Valley Health in collaboration with the Lord Fairfax Health District and Shenandoah University scratches the surface of his accomplishments.

Dr. Restrepo was nominated for the Citizen of the Year for his work as a catalyst for the Northern Shenandoah Valley Substance Abuse Coalition. He recognized the epidemic level of substance misuse in our region, starting to work with law enforcement and community stakeholders in 2014. “Through his work with the Coalition, he has helped to improve the level of treatment and care for those suffering with the disease of addiction. His work with the SBIRT program has helped identify individuals at risk for substance use disorder and provide them with intervention and treatment services,” stated Winchester Public Defender Tim Coyne.

The SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) program has allowed Valley Health to screen more than 65,000 unduplicated patients since the program was implemented in 2017. Through Dr. Restrepo’s continued leadership, additional grant funding became available to expand like programming in our region. A 2019 expansion of the program increased efforts to include treating pregnant mothers struggling with substance abuse.

If that was not enough, Dr. Nicolas Restrepo is the Vice President of Valley Health and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Winchester Medical Center. In his tenure, he has implemented “My thoughts on Nick... Very forward thinking, calm individual who definitely puts others before himself. He has a calm demeanor and realistic approach to difficult situations that change in a seconds notice. He is not afraid to voice his opinion, which most times are based on data and facts, and can see issues from a number of different sides. He is willing to listen and be one who gets things done when needed. He is dedicated to his profession and community and is a true partner to the community. I am sure he will be humble with the nomination and if he is fortunate enough to win, although he will be thankful he will feel embarrassed by the fuss of it all.”

- Deputy Chief Kelly S. Rice Winchester Police Department

many safety measures that have been adopted by five other Valley Health hospitals, according to a 2019 article by Winchester Star reporter Josh Janney. Dr. Nicolas Restrepo has been a force in the fight against the Coronavirus, working with health officials and peers to control the spread and eventually lead to the vaccination push throughout the community. Now to echo the thoughts of Dr. John Lamanna, “Where would we be without Dr. Nicolas Restrepo? I’d rather not think it. We are indeed fortunate that he is with us.” With so many kind words and accomplishments within our region. We would rather not think it ourselves. We are indeed fortunate that Dr. Restrepo is part of our community and look forward to what he will accomplish next.

Congratulations to Dr. Nicolas Restrepo for winning Citizen of the Year. His fellow nominees Jenn Shea-Roop, Lauren Gwinn, Sheriff Lenny Millholland, Sabra Veach, and Tina Stevens-Culbreath have significantly impacted our community. Where would we be without any of them? We’d rather not know.