Welcome to Centra Today!
May is a month brimming with celebrations from graduation ceremonies and the close of life seasons to new beginnings and the welcome of sunny days! This month, our edition of Centra Today is filled with stories of how you, our Caregivers, are working to pursue excellence, inspire hope and advance health and healing for central and southern Virginia.
May is Mental Health Month and Stroke Month, so many of our stories this month are centered around these themes. Keep scrolling to read about one Caregiver who has dedicated over three decades of their career to Bridges Treatment Center, explore the cutting-edge technology Centra has implemented to enhance stroke care and learn about the upcoming Hospital Week festivities!
Revolutionizing Stroke Care One Call at a Time
Innovation Close to Home
Did you know there is a national shortage of neurologists who specialize in the emergency treatment of strokes particularly in rural regions? Working to prevent this shortage from affecting our patients, Centra has partnered with Sevaro to provide innovative telemedicine services specifically designed to provide excellent stroke care at each of our emergency rooms and within all inpatient spaces. The technology uses precise cameras to allow a neurologist in another location to complete a full neurological assessment of the patient, even zooming in to see the constriction of their pupils.
Sevaro helps healthcare systems to eliminate gaps in coverage by providing a U.S.-based neurologists that is vascular or neuro-critical care trained on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Other telemedicine services for stroke care often create gaps in care because the phone number is for a call center that subsequently connects the hospital to a neurologist rather than connecting the hospital directly to the physician.
This can cause delays in care and cause care teams to have to wait 15 to 20 minutes before the neurologist can provide a consultation for the patient. With Sevaro, this gap is eliminated, because the hospital has OneCall™. This gives Centra providers and nurses the ability to directly dial the neurologist on call with one centralized number.
While there are approximately 5,000 hospitals in the United States that could be using this innovative, swift model of care, only 120 hospitals currently utilize Sevaro. Centra serves multiple rural areas, and being able to provide this innovative technology means that even patients in rural settings will be treated by neurologists who have worked at or run programs at the leading stroke care institutions in the United States.
Bedford Mental Health Collaborative: Strengthening Community Care through Synergy
Strategy in Action
By Stacey Vaught, MBA, MSN, BA, RN
The Bedford Mental Health Collaborative is an interdisciplinary community action group that BMH Leadership pulled together in response to our Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) data around lack of mental health and substance use resources in our community. The stated purpose of the group is “To bring together an interdisciplinary team to provide a safe and healthy community for residents experiencing mental health and substance use disorders.”
Bill Bass, BMH’s former president, myself and Mary Kirby, BMH’s Community Engagement Specialist came up with this idea in one of our CHNA implementation planning meetings. We were talking about the (perhaps perceived) lack of resources within our area, and the disconnect we sometimes felt with other community partners. Additionally, we pondered what other agencies were facing and what we could potentially accomplish if we got together to work on bettering our community.
With the first meeting held in November 2022, BMH was able to act as the convener, bringing as many to the table as possible to work together for the good of our community. The organizations actively involved has grown to include:
- Town of Bedford Police Department
- Bedford County Police Department
- Bedford County Fire & Rescue
- Bedford Emergency Management
- Horizon Behavioral Health
- Department of Social Services
- Bedford Community Health Foundation
- Free Clinic of Central Virginia
- Virginia Department of Health
- Bedford County Schools
- Centra Medical Group – Bedford
- Centra Behavioral Health
- Centra Emergency Department
- Centra Community Engagement
- Centra Administration
The monthly meetings are a robust conversation around what needs to be done in our community with following conversations around how we, as community leaders, can assist and support in that being accomplished. We have access to those that can support with grant funding on the committee which can then translate into meaningful actions when identified and needed.
Through this group we have been able to connect a variety of resources, sometimes not originally connected at all, to improve continuity of care for our community.
One of the outcomes has been increased education and resources for our CMG-Bedford partners, who have been facing increasing numbers of primary care patients needing mental health resources, sometimes in near crisis mode when they present. We have also been able to be part of the ongoing work with our partners, including Horizon, to help spread the word about available community services.
As the collaborative has continued to meet, we have noticed more connectivity among all of the resources and organizations along with recognition and support of current work already in place. For instance, Bedford County Fire & Rescue has a program where they, along with social services, make home visits to high utilizers of their services, attempting to find the root cause of multiple calls, such as food insecurity, and address them. We are then able to connect them with our own Centra Community Paramedic Group as well as other community members that can aid with food, housing or transportation. Information sharing has been a huge piece of this meeting, which we, along with many communities tend to struggle with.
Lastly, I believe that this is a pivotal meeting aligns with Centra’s strategic priority of Community Health & Value-Based Care as we seek to align care, provide resources and make connections with already available resources for the advancement of health in our community.
My journey into healthcare…
Candice Oliver, RN
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to work in healthcare. I have always felt drawn to taking care of others. My first job was as an aid in a physical therapy office. I loved being able to take care of people and making a difference in people’s lives. Now, after being in the field for over 20 years later, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
I started with Centra as an extern on the Neurological Intensive Care Unit my senior year of college. I was blessed to be hired as a new grad into the ICU right out of school. I worked there to become a charge nurse and then a shift manager.
I decided to take the next step and entered management, where I served as the unit manager on Acute Rehab for three years before returning to bedside nursing as a member of the Internal Travel Team. I am currently in a place that feels like “home” working on the Neurological ICU and fulfilling roles as a preceptor, charge nurse and as a Code Stroke Nurse.
Having spent most of my career in Neuro, I have had the unique opportunity to watch the role of the Code Stroke Nurse emerge and evolve over time. When I first began my career there was not a Code Stroke Nurse role. At that time the neurologist alerted the staff if they thought a patient was a candidate for Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA).
As time went on the care of stroke patients advanced and the process of calling a Code Stroke emerged. Now, there is a designated, trained nurse that responds to provide the quickest intervention possible. This role is different from a charge or a bedside nurse's role in that as the Code Stroke Nurse you must be proficient in National Institutes of Health (NIH) assessments, know the inclusion/exclusion criteria, and be able to swiftly communicate with neurology and the NeuroIR to ensure timely assessments by these specialists for intervention. This is truly what collaborative care means to me.
I love the diversity of healthcare at Centra, particularly in nursing. I have had the opportunity to work in management and at the bedside which has allowed me to have a better understanding of how our company works to provide the best healthcare possible, and I truly love making a difference in a person’s life during difficult times.
CentraCares
Making Care Accessible: Farmville Bridge Clinic
As we celebrate Mental Health Month, we’re highlighting some of the efforts being made across our system to provide healing and hope for those with psychiatric and behavioral health needs. One of these efforts is the Farmville Bridge Clinic.
The Farmville Bridge Clinic is an extension of the CMG Addiction Treatment Center in Lynchburg. The name "bridge" embodies its purpose—to serve as a crucial link between the emergency department and patients seeking treatment for substance misuse. Patients start their journey here, receiving the support and resources they need before transitioning to further treatment.
The clinic, which is located at 935 S. Main Street in Farmville, is open to any individual seeking treatment for substance misuse. Centra worked to open the clinic after it was identified as a top need in the Farmville Community Health Needs Assessment in 2021.
While the services offered aren’t revenue generating, Centra recognized that it was more important to eliminate barriers for patients seeking care. By providing an accessible, local clinic, patients aren’t faced with the challenges of transportation or finding extended time when seeking the care they need.
Looking ahead, the Farmville Bridge Clinic seeks to forge meaningful partnerships with local law enforcement and the Department of Social Services. Together, they will aspire to provide comprehensive support to families grappling with substance misuse, mitigating its impact on individuals and our communities.
VBH 100: A Full Circle Moment
Cindy Tweedy's Story
Cindy Tweedy knew at an early age that she wanted to be a nurse, but at the age of 16, her uncle who was a dentist convinced her to pursue becoming a dental hygienist instead.
Many years later, Cindy was 31 weeks pregnant with her first child and working full time as a dental hygienist when she experienced bad back pain. This led her and her husband to go to the hospital and she delivered their first son, Justin, at Virginia Baptist Hospital that night.
Justin spent 36 days in the Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) at Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital (VBH) and Cindy explained that they were impressed with the nurses and consistently had the thought, “this is an amazing place,” the entire time they were there.
Two and a half years later, Cindy was pregnant with their second child and experienced the same back pain she had while pregnant with Justin. This led her to visit the hospital immediately and avoid an early delivery. Fortunately, her second son, Adam, only had to spend one week in the ICN, but what didn’t change was the extremely positive experience that Cindy had on the unit.
After she returned to work as a dental hygienist, Cindy was talking to her stepdad about how she would still love to be a nurse and how attending the Lynchburg General Hospital School of Nursing would only take two years. During their conversation he encouraged her with the advice, “life’s too short to not do what you want to do.” Sadly, two weeks later, he passed away from a heart attack which only made his advice to Cindy more relevant.
In August 2012, Cindy began attending the Lynchburg General Hospital School of Nursing and was a part of the first group that transitioned to Centra College and its new building. When graduating, she knew she wanted to be a part of neonatal care at Virginia Baptist Hospital, so she sent an email to the manager of the unit who she had kept in touch with after each of her boys were born. Landing an interview led to a job, and the rest is history. She has worked on the unit since 2014!
Cindy’s son, Justin, became a firefighter with the Lynchburg Fire Department (LFD) in the summer of 2023 and when he graduated, Cindy told him that if he ever had to transport a newborn to make sure to bundle them up and keep them warm.
Fast forward to this year, Cindy was at work during the shift change when she received a text from Justin saying that he and the crew from LFD were transporting a newborn baby to the ICN that had been delivered at home. Soon, Justin and his team arrived with the baby, and after they had safely transitioned the baby into care on the unit, Cindy brought Justin over to another nurse who works on the ICN.
Lezley Scott had been the primary nurse to care for Justin when he was in the ICN, so it was a full circle moment for Cindy and Lezley to experience as Justin helped bring another baby to the unit. Amazingly, it was also the week of his 21st birthday, so the week had marked 21 years since Lezley had cared for him and now, he was helping to ensure that another preemie could receive the care they needed from the ICN Team.
Cindy went on to say, “Justin reassured me that he had remembered my advice. When they transported the baby, the crew made sure to crank up the heat in their truck.”
Hospital Week is quickly approaching! Join us May 12-18, 2024 as we celebrate ALL Caregivers across the organization for their contribution to our patients and our communities throughout the year. Our 2024 theme is “A Summer State of Mind” as we welcome the warm days of summer that are just around the corner.
We look forward to seeing each of you as we celebrate all that you do to improve the health and quality of life for the communities we serve.
View the full schedule of events by clicking here!
Mission Moment
By Cray Callahan
It has been an honor and pleasure to improve the health and quality of life for the communities we serve by spending my over 34-year career at Bridges Treatment Center helping children and adolescents. My Centra career began as a third-shift frontline Caregiver in one of the residential buildings on the Leesville Road Campus. Working the third shift allowed me to eventually complete my master’s degree in education and teaching certification in special education.
The director at the time, Bill Gorman, then offered me a teaching position. Little did I know that my career would forever be impacted by that offer. Making the career transition to teaching allowed me to grow and develop both as a professional and as a person. As the Bridges Program grew, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to lead the educational program. Some years later, I also had the honor of serving as interim director.
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work alongside dedicated leadership and teams of professionals in all disciplines. The make-up of these teams may have changed over the years, but the devotion to helping children and families has been evident to me throughout my career. Placing these youngsters (some as young as six years old) in a long-term residential program is always a difficult decision, but the continued referrals to Bridges from parents and other community-based service providers from throughout the commonwealth reflect the continued dedication of our team of Caregivers that I have been so proud to be a small part of.
I want to take the opportunity to thank those who have trusted Bridges with providing comprehensive care, treatment and educational services. Additionally, I want to thank Centra and my Bridges “family” for allowing me to be a part of such a special group of providers during my career. I am confident Bridges Treatment Center will continue to carry out Centra’s mission and be a preferred treatment provider for years to come!
Thank you for reading May's edition of Centra Today!
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