Content provided by Carilion Clinic, LewisGale Regional Health System and the Salem VA Medical Center.
Carilion Clinic
Being the new people in town can be stressful. While you’re worried about making new friends, finding your way around, settling into a job, etc., Carilion Clinic is here to make your move a little easier.
When moving, it’s important to find the right health care to serve your family. As the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and innovative provider in more than 70 specialties, Carilion Clinic strives to make sure patients are happy and healthy. Whether you need a primary care physician or an orthopaedic surgeon, Carilion has you covered. Check out the tips below to learn how you can begin your health care journey.
Q: I’m new to the Roanoke area, what’s the next step in my health care journey?
A: There are many access points to care, but it is important to have someone that you are established with who can understand your medical history, the details of your family history and be familiar with you.
Each individual should have a primary care physician. They can serve as the person to help you navigate through what, nationwide, is a very complex health care system. In addition to standard wellness check-ups, they work with patients to refer them to necessary specialists and medical services.
For those moving to the Valley with a young family in tow, Carilion Children’s is an excellent resource for pediatricians. It is the area’s only hospital for children and pediatric Level 1 trauma center and is a hub for highly trained and experienced general pediatricians and pediatric specialists. Carilion Children’s is also home to the region’s only neonatal intensive care unit, caring for the area’s smallest patients.
Carilion offers physician referral services such as Carilion Direct [800-422-8482 or direct@carilionclinic.org] and Find a Doctor tools on CarilionClinic.org that can help you get established with a physician.
Q: What factors should I consider when I’m choosing a medical provider?
A: It’s important to keep in mind the location, hours of availability and means of physician-patient communication when choosing a provider. In an age when people are very mobile, make sure your provider communicates using technology that suits your needs. A great tool is MyChart, which allows patients to communicate electronically, manage their personal health care and their provider to access information for them.
One other item often overlooked is inquiring into the provider’s extended network. While specialty care may not necessarily be a concern in the present, it is good to be partnered with a provider that can refer you to qualified, experienced medical specialists.
Carilion is proud to serve patients throughout the entire spectrum of care. With around 1,000 providers across a wide range of specialties, partnering with a Carilion primary care provider means that you are a part of an expansive health care team of experts.
To see a full list of Carilion services, go to www.CarilionClinic.org/services.
Q: Finding the right provider is important, but how can I prioritize my health outside of the doctor’s office?
A: In Roanoke, there is no shortage of wellness opportunities. Go hiking on some of the area’s nationally renowned trails, kayak down the Roanoke River using one of the city’s kayak launches to get started, go jogging on the greenway and check out the city and all of its neighborhoods firsthand. Take your wellness into your own hands and get active!
Carilion practices what it preaches, incorporating wellness facilities into its amenities. With five locations across southwest Virginia, getting healthy is convenient with Carilion Wellness.
Wellness is more than just being fit and working out. Carilion Wellness facilities offer a wide range of programs and services designed to help our community achieve wellness. From karate to nutrition consultation services, Carilion helps individuals of all ages and abilities achieve wellness. For more information, visit www.CarilionWellness.com.
LewisGale
LewisGale Regional Health System – Leading the Way with Advanced Medical Technology, Compassionate Care, and Tomorrow’s Health Care Leaders for Southwest Virginia.
When it comes to health care in Southwest Virginia, have confidence knowing you can receive the best care, as quickly as possible, through the LewisGale Regional Health System – a growing, integrated, regional network of 44 patient-care facilities that includes four hospitals, one standalone ER, and two regional cancer centers as part of HCA Virginia, the largest and most comprehensive health care provider in the Commonwealth.
For more than 100 years, the LewisGale name has been synonymous with high-quality health care, and today, that unwavering commitment to patients has led to LewisGale being ranked as one of the top hospitals in Virginia and the nation for quality of care – including patient safety, patient satisfaction, and health outcomes.
A regional care network delivering high-quality health outcomes quickly
Quality of care and health outcomes depend, in part, on skilled providers who have access to the latest medical technology available, make patient safety a top priority and focus, and deliver care with compassion.
Quality patient outcomes also depend on speed of care, and nowhere is this more important than inside a hospital’s Emergency Room. ER wait times matter, as it’s been proven that wait time impacts individual patient results, with even just a few minutes making a difference for critically ill or injured patients. LewisGale’s five Emergency Rooms – including its newest, the standalone Cave Spring Emergency Room providing the same services found in a hospital-based ER – feature the region’s shortest wait times before being seen by an ER physician.
Equally important is the quality of care patients receive, and in this area LewisGale continually strives for clinical excellence while making patient safety a top priority. LewisGale’s medical care is consistently recognized nationally for patient safety, satisfaction, and health outcomes, as evidenced by some of the following quality indicators:
All four LewisGale hospitals in Southwest Virginia received the Healthgrades 2019 Patient Safety Excellence Award, placing the hospitals in the top five percent of all short-term, acute-care hospitals nationwide reporting patient safety data.
Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR) is a proven, research-based partnership that encourages patients to take a more active role with their clinical care team to help improve patient experience and surgical outcomes. LewisGale implemented ESR and already it is delivering improvements in outcomes, as well as shorter hospital stays and a reduction in pain medication needs.
LewisGale Medical Center ranks significantly higher than both the national and Virginia averages for the percentage of patients receiving appropriate care for severe sepsis and septic shock – a life-threatening condition where the immune system has an overwhelming response and instead of fighting an infection, attacks the body.
Advanced medical technology improves outcomes, reduces pain, shortens patient stays
LewisGale offers a wide range of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures performed by highly trained surgeons and staff. With access to the latest, advanced technologies, surgeons perform laparoscopic and other minimally invasive approaches resulting in less pain and scarring, and faster recovery. Some of the Health System’s newest medical technologies include:
Southwest Virginia’s only robotic system for spine and neck surgery. LewisGale Medical Center is the first hospital west of Richmond to add a robotic system that surgeons can use to perform spine surgery. While surgeons at LewisGale have been using other types of robotic systems for several years to perform general surgery and gynecological procedures, this platform provides a robotic option for patients requiring spine surgery.
Robotic-assisted lung resections – Certain types of surgery to treat lung cancer are now being performed through minimally-invasive, robotic-assisted procedures, resulting in fewer complications and shorter recovery times.
Magnetic sphincter augmentation – LewisGale is now performing a revolutionary new surgical procedure to install a medical device that treats acid reflux. Heartburn sufferers’ lives are improved significantly by eliminating their symptoms and discomfort while providing a permanent solution for a disease that’s notoriously difficult to control.
Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute – In 2020, LewisGale joins the Sarah Cannon Cancer Network of Excellence, further expanding patients’ and LewisGale hospitals’ access to leading-edge cancer treatments and clinical trials. Sarah Cannon offers modern therapies for people facing cancer across the U.S., and this partnership provides patients with personal, individualized care while benefiting from the network of resources Sarah Cannon offers.
Caring for the communities we serve
LewisGale and its employees care about your health and take an active role in caring for the communities they serve, live in and work in. In addition to providing outstanding health care to patients, LewisGale supports numerous health awareness events at area employers and throughout the community annually to further strengthen and improve health and wellness.
At one of LewisGale’s newest community-focused events, volunteers from LewisGale’s Cave Spring ER partnered with the Roanoke County Police Department for a “Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day at the Cave Spring ER where community members were invited to safely and anonymously dispose of unused or expired prescription medications. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse, and encourage the proper disposal of these medications.
Training tomorrow’s health care leaders
Looking to the future, LewisGale is helping train tomorrow’s exceptional physicians through its Graduate Medical Education Program (GME) in internal medicine and psychiatry. The program expanded recently with new GME opportunities in Family Medicine, and looks to expand further in the future with the addition of Emergency Medicine, Transitional Year and medicine subspecialties, bringing the programs’ potential enrollment to more than 140 residents. In addition, LewisGale partners with local schools and colleges to help build relationships that foster the growth and professional development of future nurses. Through these partnerships, several nursing programs hold their clinicals at our hospital, some of our staff members serve as students’ clinical instructors, and other nursing staff members sit on the advisory board at Virginia Western Community College and the University of Lynchburg.
LewisGale’s Mission and Vision
While these quality awards, new initiatives and opportunities, and advanced medical technologies are important for both patients and the Health System, above all else, LewisGale’s focus remains on its mission of unwavering commitment to the care and improvement of human life, with a vision of being recognized as the health care provider of choice in Southwest Virginia.
Salem VA Medical Center
Some of the country’s bravest men and women call the Greater Roanoke Valley home, and local veterans trust the professionals at Salem VA Medical Center (Salem VAMC) for all of their health care-related needs, including long-term care, primary care, a women’s health program and more.
The medical center specializes in providing outpatient care and rehabilitation services to patients who are experiencing complications associated with combat, stroke, amputation, spinal cord injuries, surgery, chronic illnesses and much more.
Caregivers also play a key role in nursing patients back to health. Through the facility’s caregiver support program, loved ones are reassured that they are not alone in the process. The medical center is there to assist with tools and emotional encouragement.
For veterans whose medical treatment plans require a prescription, the medical center makes getting pharmaceuticals as simple as possible. The Salem VAMC pharmacy processes more than 1,800 prescriptions on a daily basis. Veterans can refill their prescriptions online or via phone or mail.
In an effort to be at the forefront of emerging medical breakthroughs, the medical center also features a research and development program that explores numerous areas of study including cardiology, mental health, pulmonology, endocrinology and nephrology. Patients have the opportunity to participate in studies as well.
When veterans walk into the doors of the Salem VAMC, they can rest easy knowing that all of their needs will be met with compassion and experience.