News & Blog

Take Heart

Posted on February 25, 2021

February is American Heart Month, a great time to think about your heart health. See tips from Fort Sanders Regional to keep your heart healthy.

Valentine’s Day: Colleen and Michael Hurst

Posted on February 12, 2021

Happy Valentine’s Day from Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center! Read about Colleen and Michael Hurst, one couple who works together here.

A Smile to Lend While On the Mend

Posted on February 11, 2021

After a heart attack, Kurt Alexander vowed to spread joy everywhere he goes, including during cardiac rehab at Fort Sanders Regional.

Couplet Care – A Team Approach

Posted on February 10, 2021

Fort Sanders Regional labor and delivery nurses have launched a “couplet care” program to give every baby an even better bonding experience.

Brand New Baby, Brand New Year

Posted on February 4, 2021

Every baby is special, but there can only be one first baby at a hospital at the start of the new year. This year, the first baby born at Fort Sanders Regional is Adel Lee Abbott, born at 1:51 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2021.

Stronger by the Day

Posted on January 28, 2021

Sandra Savage couldn’t have predicted the whirlwind she experienced after contracting COVID-19. When her symptoms worsened, she sought care at Fort Sanders Regional.

Hope for Tomorrow

Corey Cudzilo, MD, pulmonologist at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, reminds the community that the COVID-19 virus can affect anyone. While preexisting conditions are a factor in how sick you may become, they are not always clear indicators.

“It’s important that we all do everything we can, and keep doing what we have been doing,” he says. “We are all susceptible to ‘fear fatigue’ and ‘isolation fatigue.’ I would encourage people to hang in there, because with the vaccine we see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“[The nurses] are doing the heavy lifting with patient interaction,” he adds. “Their job is demanding and sometimes thankless. In many cases, patients’ successful outcomes are a result of good ICU care.”

A Note from Your ICU Nurse

Krista Henley is one of the critical care nurses at Fort Sanders Regional who cared for Sandra Savage.

“I remember when she went home after a long hospitalization,” Henley recalls. “Each day, she got a little better. COVID-19 will infect the people you don’t necessarily suspect; people of any age and gender can be affected.”

Henley recalls the victorious moment when she got to help Savage into her vehicle to head home after a long, isolated stay. It was a celebration for everyone. The staff who cared for her even lined the hallways to cheer for Savage as she left for home.

As a frontline healthcare worker treating COVID-19 patients every day, Henley says, “You want to be with your patients as much as you can and to take care of them. It’s tiring but rewarding.” Her message is simple: “It’s so important to keep wearing a mask, washing your hands, and doing what you can” to prevent the spread of the virus.

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