Patients Come First

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Jonathan Hemler, a pediatric allergist with UVA Health Children's, who joins us to discuss his work, the topic of allergies, new advancements in UVA's pediatric food allergy treatment program, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Evan Silverstein, a pediatric ophthalmologist with Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, for a conversation about how a personal medical experience in his youth inspired his career, a case study about the potential for early detection of eye-related issues in smartphone photos, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Jay Taylor, Chief Growth Officer at Backpack Healthcare, who joins us to discuss his career journey, behavioral health access amid rising service demand, a new partnership between VHHA Solutions and Backpack Healthcare, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Nicole Stauffer, a therapeutic recreation therapist with Sheltering Arms Community Programs. Our conversation covers her work, path to rehabilitation therapy work, the Club Rec program that supports patients with disabilities, a new hydroponic vertical micro-farm at the Sheltering Arms Midtown location, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dani Bowie, DNP, Senior Vice President of Solutions Design and Workforce AI at Aya Healthcare. This conversation highlights Dr. Bowie's career in health care, workforce development efforts, the impact of AI in health care, her upcoming participation in the 2025 Virginia Healthcare Workforce Development Summit on May 13, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Mark Nantz, the President and CEO of Valley Health, a Winchester, VA-based health system, and the newly elected Chair of the VHHA Board of Directors. This conversation covers his career journey, thoughts on health care leadership and public health, how his personal story of adoption and early financial challenges shapes his approach to the ministry of care, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Juan Pablo Arab, a transplant hepatologist and director of alcohol science with the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease at VCU Health. This conversation covers liver health, insights gleaned from recent research into U.S. liver disease prevalence, the impact of early screening and targeted intervention, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Katisha Vertrees, a young woman from Norfolk, VA woman whose story of being diagnosed with lupus and renal failure, through finding a kidney donor, and transplant at Sentara Health, has captured media and public attention. She joins us to talk about her life, journey through illness and recovery, and a new project of hers to support people in need of kidney transplants. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Christopher Sulmonte Jr., Administrative Director of Biocontainment at Johns Hopkins Special Pathogen Center, who join us to discuss his work, the biocontainment process, his participation as a featured speaker during the upcoming 2025 Virginia Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Summit on April 16, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Anita Vincent-Johnson, a nephrologist with UVA Health, who join us during National Kidney Month for a conversation about her work, the UVA Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Rebecca Segal, the President and CEO of Fauquier Health, a Lifepoint Health facility located in Warrenton, Virginia. She joins us for a conversation about her career in health care, the work of Fauquier Health, which recently celebrated its centennial anniversary, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Jie Sun, PhD, a professor and researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, whose work focuses on immunology and infectious diseases. Among other things, our conversation explores Dr. Sun's career, recent research his team published on the long-term impacts of COVID-19, and what that could mean for patient care. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. K. Singh Sahni, Medical Director of the Neuroscience and Gamma Knife Center at Johnston-Willis Hospital, an HCA Virginia facility. Dr. Sahni is a repeat guest who joins us for a conversation about his work, a recent Gamma Knife surgery milestone, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Hannah Khan, a nurse and clinical research coordinator with the VCU School of Nursing, who joins us to discuss how she overcame her fears to pursue a health care career, a research fellowship at VCU focused on dementia patients, and much more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Tina Buck, a double transplant patient who receives ongoing care from Sentara Health, who joins us to share her story as a 30-year heart transplant survivor, the experience of meeting the family of one of her organ donors, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Mateo Ziu, a neurosurgeon from Inova, who joins the show to tell us about his medical training journey from Europe to America, an innovative new procedure to treat patients with brain tumors, and much more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Steven Munger, PhD, Professor and Co-Director of Research for Otolaryngology at the UVA School of Medicine. He's joins us to discuss the human senses of taste and smell, how they work together, medical disorders that affect them, the newly launched UVA Center for Smell and Taste Disorders, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Kimberly Green, who is the Director of Acute Care Services at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare. She joins us to discuss her inspiring story of coming to nursing and advancing into nurse leadership after dropping out of high school, health care workforce development efforts, Chesapeake Regional's innovative Nurse Draft Day program, and much more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Jason Papin, PhD, a professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia Medical School, for a conversation about his career, exciting new developments in research on targeted antibiotics, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Debbie Campbell, Riverside Health System Director of Community Engagement, who joins us for a conversation about a new health system collaboration with LINK of Hampton Roads, and much more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Jennifer Kennard, Nursing Professional Development Generalist for Mother Baby and Lactation at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. She joins us for a conversation about her work, Sentara's “I Gave Birth” bracelets, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Nancy Boykin, DNP, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Retreat Doctors' Hospital, an HCA Healthcare facility. She joins us for a conversation about herself and her career, efforts within HCA to foster colleague development and support, a local campaign to expose young people to professional opportunities in health care, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Carli Holtzhauer, a Carilion Clinic Child Life Specialist, for a conversation about her professional journey and work, Carilion's new Fun on Wheels program to benefit younger hospitalized patients, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Chris Finley, HCA Healthcare Capital Division Associate Vice President of Community Engagement. He joins us for a conversation about his career, an ongoing effort by HCA Virginia to support mental health and wellness among teens, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Delegate Rodney Willett, who represents the Henrico County-based 58th House District in the Virginia General Assembly, for a conversation on his work and legislative career, his role as Chair on the Select Committee on Advancing Rural and Small Town Health Care, and much more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Nick Chuquin, President of Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital, for a conversation about rural health care, Riverside's evolving drone medication delivery program, and much more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Fern Hauck, Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences at the UVA School of Medicine and Director of the International Family Medicine Clinic at UVA Health, for a conversation about her career, her recent recognition for her work with refugee families, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Kaitlyn Lynch, an occupational therapist at VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill, VA. She joins us for a conversation about her work, an experience that set her on her career path, and how her life has been linked to the hospital for years. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Andy Spicknall, the inaugural president of Bon Secours Harbour View Hospital, a facility in Suffolk that's slated to open in 2025. He joins us for a conversation about his professional journey, the work of establishing a new hospital to serve community health needs, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Bernie Ammons, a nurse and the Clinical Program Coordinator for Vascular Surgery at UVA Health, for a conversation about her work, the importance of heart and vascular screenings, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Iaisha Penn, a Family Nurse Practitioner at Sovah Health in Martinsville, VA for a conversation about her personal and professional path, her approach to patient care, and the importance of breast cancer screening. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Denise Butler, a Geriatric Assessment Coordinator with Riverside Health, for a conversation about working with people experiencing cognitive challenges as they age, an innovative Memory Café she helped pioneer, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Sue Henneberry, a Richmond-area woman who volunteers at Sheltering Arms Institute, a provider she previously encountered as a rehabilitation patient following a limb amputation. During our conversation, we'll learn more about Sue, the medical condition that led to amputation, her impressive athletic achievements since then, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Amy Rosa, DNP, Vice President and Chief Nursing Informatics Officer for Sentara Health, for a conversation about her work and professional journey, and some insight about how smartphone technology is being leveraged in Sentara hospitals to enhance patient care. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Seung Lee, a transplant surgeon who is associate surgical director of liver transplant and living liver donor at VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center, for a conversation about his work, liver health and transplant, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Saad Haque, a physician with VHC Health who specializes in gastroenterology and hepatology. Our conversation covers how his pursuit of medical training brought him to the U.S., the importance of digestive and liver health, information about the VHC Health Digestive Center, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Sivabalaji Kaliamurthy, Director of the Addictions Program at Children's National Hospital, for a conversation about his career, addiction prevention for teens, combatting fentanyl addiction, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Julia Siegel Breton, a VCU Health physician who leads the innovative Hospital at Home program. Our conversation delves into her professional journey and what inspired her to pursue geriatric medicine, an overview of how the VCU Health Hospital at Home program works, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features features Dr. Rachel Moon, a UVA Health Children's Hospital pediatrician and safe-sleep expert, who joins us for a conversation about her career, and to share information about safe sleeping practices to safeguard the health of infants. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Arturo "Art" Saavedra, a physician leader and scientist who serves as Dean of the VCU School of Medicine. He joins us for a fascinating conversation about his path to medicine after dreaming of an aerospace career as a youngster in Puerto Rico, his professional stops and days competing as a triathlete, the work of training future clinicians amid ongoing health care workforce shortages, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Keyur Shah, Chief of Advanced Heart Failure at the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center. Dr. Shah joins us for a conversation about his career, working with heart failure patients, the VCU Health experience with life-saving left ventricular assist devices, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Paula Ferrada, a board-certified surgeon, mentor, and educator who serves as the Division Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at Inova. She joins us for a conversation about how family influence attracted her to medicine, her early days as a beauty pageant winner and television host in her native Columbia, her path to the U.S. to pursue her medical career, her views on the importance of mentorship, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features a conversation with Jessica Williams, a nurse and lactation consultant on the mother-baby unit at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, about her work, the hospital's recent recognition for excellence in lactation care, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Michael O'Malley, an orthopaedic surgeon at Carilion Clinic, who has served as a team physician for professional athletes in the world of baseball, basketball, and hockey. Dr. O'Malley joins us for a conversation about his work, his time as team physician with USA Hockey, his past as a college hockey player, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Joe Bamisile, a graduate student at the VCU College of Health Professions and a guard on the VCU men's basketball team, who joins us for a conversation about life, hoops, mental wellness, his work to develop the Maunda mental health mobile app, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Pam Smith, a recently retired radiology technician who earned the nickname “X-ray Pam” during her 38-year career at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. She joins us for a conversation about her career, bone density scans, workforce development, her retirement plans, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Mark Witcher, a functional neurosurgeon with Carilion Clinic, who joins us for a conversation about his work with patients experiencing movement disorders, chronic pain, epilepsy, and to discuss a recent trip he and neurosurgery residents took to a far away nation at the top of the work to help patients and share their expertise. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Clifford Meyers, a board-certified neurologist and clinical neurophysiologist with Twin County Regional Healthcare, a Lifepoint Health facility in Galax, VA. He joins us for a conversation about his career, health care delivery in rural Virginia, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Bob Trestman, Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Carilion Clinic for a conversation about his work, mental health, collaboration with the Virginia Coordinated Clinical Research Network, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Aamir Khan, the medical director of VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center's Islet Cell Transplant Program. He joins us for a conversation about his work, the Hume-Lee Transplant Center, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA's Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Fouzia Siddiqui, a physician and neurologist who is Director of the Sleep Center at Sentara RMH Medical Center. She joins us for a conversation about her career, her journey from Pakistan to the United States to pursue her passion, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.