Underscoring a commitment to local health care

Commitment to community is a principle Danville Regional Medical Center holds in very high regard.

Danville Regional has been an integral part of not only the Danville community, but to the Dan River Region as well. Patients expect and trust this hospital to be the leader in health care in the region and to ensure that friends, family, neighbors and co-workers are receiving the care they deserve. At Danville Regional Medical Center, we don’t take that responsibility lightly. Over the years, we have worked to secure the best physicians and the newest technology, and to establish the important partnerships that will secure the future of this hospital for the patients and the community.

We have several examples of our commitment to the Dan River Region to provide the best services close to home.

Our announcement late last year regarding our renewed relationship with Duke University Heart Center, and a substantial commitment to enhancing clinical quality and services for cardiovascular care in the Dan River region was one way we illustrated this commitment.

Our Harvard-trained cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Richard Embrey, is making a difference every day with his skills and determination to help those in need. Our medical director of the hospitalist program, Dr. Frances DeChurch, is nationally recognized for her work in this growing area. And we continue to look for the best talent to provide high quality health care services.

Our recent announcement of the partnership between Danville Regional Medical Center and the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine is the latest effort hospital officials have made in ensuring quality health care is accessible in the region.

The Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, located in Blacksburg, was the first medical school partner of Virginia Tech operating with a collaborative partnership in biomedical research and in student services.

The college prepares osteopathic primary care physicians to serve the rural and medically underserved areas of Virginia, North Carolina and the remaining Appalachian region.

For several years, Danville Regional and VCOM have worked together on numerous efforts to benefit both institutions.

In 2008, Danville Regional donated a bloodmobile to VCOM so a mobile hospital could be created. The mobile hospital allowed VCOM physicians to visit and treat patients in the Blacksburg and surrounding regions who were not able to drive or find transportation to the hospital.

Thus, the decision to partner with VCOM was made through the shared belief and commitment to continue providing the best possible care to members in our communities.

VCOM officials understand the important role a hospital plays in a small community and the great task of being a responsible leader.

Initial funding for the program is being provided through a grant from the Danville Regional Foundation. The Foundation demonstrated its commitment to health and wellness in the region through the establishment of this program with an initial investment of $345,000.

The partnership between Danville Regional and VCOM will bring a post-graduate medical residency program for doctors of osteopathic medicine to Danville beginning in July 2010. The program will prepare medical school graduates to enter fields such as family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine and general surgery in the Dan River Region.

We anticipate many of these physicians will remain at our hospital and in this area following the conclusion of their residency program. We will continue to see the many benefits from having these physicians join our community.

We are very proud of the work we have done to nurture this relationship with VCOM and to establish a partnership that will benefit the medical school, the hospital and the community immensely.

We believe the long-standing commitment to care at Danville Regional Medical Center continues with partnerships like this and truly underscores our mission of providing health care excellence close to home.

Humphrey is the chief executive officer of Danville Regional Medical Center.