Ep. 48 | Leigh Hendley, NP, Family Medicine, SGMC Health

Transcript

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- Welcome to another

- Episode of What Brings You in Today?

- I'm Erika Bennett. And I'm Kara Hope Rockwell.

- And we wanna thank all of our listeners for tuning in. If you haven't already, please be sure to like and subscribe and leave us a review. And if there's any

- Topics you're interested in hearing about or any particular guests you'd like for us to have on, you can let us know at sgmc.org/podcast

- Alright. So today we are here with Leigh Hendley, who's a nurse practitioner at our SGMC Health family medicine location in Berrien County. So Leigh, what brings you in today?

- Well, first of all, thank you so much for inviting me to be with you today. And pretty much I'm here to talk about primary care, what we can offer in Nashville, some of the challenges we see, some of the conditions we see, and maybe a little bit about myself as to how I came about being in Nashville.

- Perfect. Well, let's start with that. Tell me about your background and your education and kind of what made you pursue a career in healthcare.

- Okay. Well I'm originally from this area. I grew up in Cook County, so I'm Okay. Very familiar with living in a rural area. I don't have any like great inspiring stories to what made me want to be a nurse. I basically knew I wanted to stay in this area. I did not wanna have to go off to school. I was young and in love, ready to get married. So I looked at what VSU had to offer and I just chose nursing. And that's how I ended up being in nursing. Now, I did work several years in a few different areas. At some point I needed a break. I went back, got, actually, got a degree in education and taught high school for about 10 years. Wow. Taught healthcare and a few years of biology. And then somewhere during that time I said, well, you know, it's time to go back to nursing, but I think I would like to go on and get my nurse practitioner. And I was probably, I was probably 40, early forties when I went back. So I worried about that a little bit. Yeah. And how long I had been out of nursing and would it have been too long? Would I be, have forgotten too much stuff? Yeah. Was it gonna be harder on me? But you know, it's, it's been great. I, I love what I do and I love being in Nashville.

- That's awesome. That's interesting. The teaching element, where, which school did you teach at or?

- I was at Lanier County High School. Okay. Very good.

- Yeah, so I'm very familiar with rural communities too. I'm from Alapaha, Georgia, Berrien County. So we were rivals with Cook County, we were in football, but y'all always won. So let's talk about primary care in a rural setting. So what do, who do you typically see? What kind of patients do you see on a daily basis?

- Our typical patients include a lot of high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, COPD. There are just a lot of chronic conditions that we see in this area. So we just get a wide range of those things.

- Yeah. - And a lot of just heart conditions as well, you know, in addition to the high blood pressure, we live in the south. Right. We like fried foods, we like our carbs. So unfortunately a lot of high cholesterol, some coronary artery disease. So just, we have a broad patient base with a variety of conditions. And then all age groups and of course we get our urgent care, our seasonal allergies, flu, COVID, all of those things on top of it.

- Okay,

- So just a wide variety.

- Yeah. Kind of a catch off or anything.

- Right.

- What about those that don't have a primary care provider or had never, you know, they've grad, they went to the pediatrician as a child, now they found themselves 25, 30, have not had any real healthcare since then. Maybe some urgent care visits. What would you say is the importance of establishing a relationship with a provider?

- It's very important to establish a relationship with a provider because you do start seeing different conditions showing up. And I feel like, you know, I don't have any statistics to put out there, but I feel like we see things sooner than we used to.

- Yeah.

- You have kids in elementary school, middle school, high school, that have high blood pressure, they're already diabetic. Obesity is a huge problem. Yeah. Where we live and probably across the United States. Right. Not just where we live. So it's important to just get in with a primary care, get those basic screening labs, know where you stand, know what your numbers are as far as your blood pressure and your A1C to screen for that diabetes. It's just good to go ahead and get established with 'em now. Plus another thing we see is we see guidelines changing where a blood pressure of one 30 over 80 something or 90 didn't used to be considered. You know, it was pre-hypertension. Now they've lowered those things. There's probably a lot of people walking around with high blood pressure, high blood sugars, and they don't know it because those are those things that you, you don't necessarily feel anyway. You know, you feel good.

- Right. What would you say drew you to family medicine specifically? And, and you know, what do you love most about that?

- One of my nursing jobs was as a nurse in a primary care office. So that's what I was most familiar with. And I just feel like, I guess it's a twofold reason. One, I want to be in primary care because that gives me the most broad experience. And then too, I feel like primary care is where I personally can do the good. Especially because I've always known that I wanted to stay in a rural area. I can't explain why other than that's what I'm familiar with. That's how I grew up. But my heart has always been in rural healthcare. So, and I feel like primary care is where I could do the most good for the most number of people.

- Yeah.

- In that area.

- We always say in our organization at SGMC Health that, you know, while we have a large hospital here in Valdosta, so many of our patients are coming from those surrounding communities. And we truly are serving rural patients, rural communities. And they, rural communities shouldn't have to suffer just because they're rural. They should still have access to the same level of healthcare and to enhance their quality of life.

- Exactly.

- What are some of those challenges that you see practicing in a rural setting that maybe people don't know about if they're not experienced it themselves?

- A lot of challenges are that you just have a lack of specialties. Thankfully we have, you know, specialties that once in a while, once a month come to Nashville, we have cardiology. That's great. Our hospital can do a lot of different tests. But just a lack of specialist. Even small towns don't have pediatricians.

- Right. I

- Mean, I, I don't know how many are in Valdosta, but

- We don't even have enough in Valdosta. Really. It's a, it's a national trend, a shortage of physicians, but then specially when you go to rural communities, it's like you see that highlighted even it's a greater need. Right.

- It is. So we definitely need more specialties. And then, you know, you think about a pediatric patient that needs a specialist, they have to drive to Macon, Jacksonville, Atlanta, somewhere like that.

- I think one of the most exciting things that we have as an organization going on is our partnership with Mercer University School of Medicine. 'cause their sole mission is serving rural healthcare in Georgia. And so most of their, I think all their me medical students are Georgia natives. And, and then like they get incentives and things for going out and serving in rural areas. So I'm excited to see how that partnership continues to grow. Because I imagine that a big focus will be on our communities that are surrounding lions. Right. With the very,

- I hope that that will be a great partnership. And because those students are Georgia natives, they will want to come and establish practices here.

- Yeah.

- So that we can get more providers and more specialties.

- Absolutely. Absolutely. That's certainly a goal. What is the most common thing you see and is it more urgent care? Or do you have a pretty good primary care population?

- It's more primary.

- Okay.

- A lot of follow ups for their chronic conditions.

- Gotcha. - We do still get a good bit of urgent care. I would say right now it's allergy sinus infection. Right. That time

- Of year, seasonal illnesses, you cannot escape the seasonal allergies around here.

- Okay. So, but, so it's a little mixture of both, but most of it is, is primary.

- Okay. And what do you tell people about why they should? I mean, how do you encourage, I'm sure you see people out and about and you're like Yeah. You know, work at the, you should come see me. Yes. Yeah. Why are people so hesitant to come to the doctor and get that checkup?

- I don't know. I mean, honestly, even myself. Yeah. How, how good are we even to go yearly

- Yep.

- To get our labs and our checkups. And our screenings.

- Yeah. I - Mean, I, I wasn't beating down the door at 45 to have a colonoscopy. Right. You know, there. But it is important human

- Nature. Yeah.

- It, that human, like, it does help a little, even though I'm not from the Nashville community, my husband is. So we've lived in Berrien County going on 30 years. So I do know a lot of people in some ways that helps. Yeah. You know, a little encouragement,

- Feeling a little more comfortable with who you're going to see.

- The person that's not already established with a primary, they might be more comfortable coming to see me because they know me.

- Absolutely. And along those same lines, like how do you build trust with those patients and develop that relationship over time? 'cause that is unique sometimes to a primary care setting where you're seeing somebody year after year after year and getting to know them pretty well.

- That's true. And I will say, I've gotten a lot of comments on, I guess the longevity of providers in rural areas. They may come for a little while and then they're gone.

- Yeah.

- And I have received a lot of comments asking, how long are here? How long here are you gonna be here? Yeah. How long are you gonna be here? And I tell 'em, well, you know, I live here so I'm gonna be here as long as they'll let me be here. Yeah. You know, I want to be here. And, and just, just, just honesty. Just honesty with your patients and having the time to be able to sit and talk with a patient and find common connections. 'cause you know, it's a, it's a rural area. They want to know who you are. Yes. Who you're married to, who your family is, and say, so you make those connections with those patients and just over time you develop that trust, that relationship with them.

- Absolutely. And you are right about the longevity aspect. Just if you think about Berrien County, and even Lanier County, you have Dr. Nash who's been there for, and Dr. Harrington in Lanier County who's been there forever. And they're like staples in the community. So we're trying, we need some more staples too, because you know, at some point they will retire. So it's coming that next generation of who's gonna be that community.

- Exactly. I mean, Berrien's fortunate to have those physicians who have ties to the community and they have been there a long time and they're great physicians. But yes. One day they're going to want to retire. And we need people who want to be in a rural area and enjoy being in a rural area.

- And I do, it does tell you, I think what you said, being from a rural community, it it, you tend to want to come back and serve in that community. And that, I think that is the key to that longevity, is having somebody that's from the area and familiar and understanding and loves that lifestyle. You know? Right, right. It's not bad, but it's just, it's taking someone from a completely different lifestyle and trying to implant them into a a smaller community can be challenging. Right.

- Yes, it definitely can. 'cause I don't think they know. They may have an idea of rural healthcare and living in a rural area, but then when they actually go live and work in that rural area, they may decide, Hmm, this is not really what I thought it was going to be. Or this is just not what I'm used to. It's too different. So.

- Well, we're glad to have you

- And I'm so glad to be in Nashville. I am and glad to be here on the podcast today.

- Okay. How do you approach health education with patients who maybe don't have the same access to resources as someone does in a bigger city?

- I think with primary care, a big part of their treatment is education and handouts. Depending on their insurance. If it's diabetic education, getting home health, then getting them into, and I realize sometimes transportation is an issue getting, getting 'em down here for diabetes education. But they do offer it in bar and they offer it in Lanier. I mean, we still have to get 'em there.

- Sure.

- But just a lot of different ways, just giving them resources, websites, handouts, things like that.

- I know we do a community health needs assessment every three years at each of our facilities. And something that we see on their consistently for Berrien and Lanier and heck even main campus is the transportation issue. The lack of specialties. And we, you know, so we're always cognizant in looking at how we can better serve and what we're gonna be able to do. The good thing about the new Berrien Ho, well at Berrien we have the new er. So that's like phenomenal to have state-of-the-art facilities there. And then it was built for a two story, I mean, it does have a second story floor on the building. So there's still some opportunity of what we might could be able to bring to best serve the area. Of course you wanna make sure doing your research and bringing what people need and what they want access to. But I know they're constantly looking.

- Yes. And it's a lot of possibilities. And it would be exciting to get some more things that come to Nashville, especially specialties. But then you look at how overwhelmed the specialists that we have are, it's hard. And it's like, well they're already overwhelmed here. Yeah. And then you want to try to get 'em in another community a day, a month, or two days a month or whatever.

- It's challenging. Yeah. And you know, it's not no rest for the weary. Everyone wants to serve and, and be there for the people, but because of the, the need it. Right. It's hard to make sure you're serving the most people. Again, we still are passionate about rural healthcare, so

- Yes.

- What do you think is the biggest misconception about rural healthcare?

- I would almost want to think that some people might think that rural healthcare is not as good if I'm saying that right. Yeah.

- Yeah.

- But it is, I mean, and I will have some people that say they like coming to a small clinic, they feel like someone's taking up more time with

- 'em. Right. True.

- They feel like they're getting more personalized care. And that makes me feel good when I have someone say that because it's not sub care. Right. Or next to anything else. We're just in a rural

- Area, you could do the, you would do the exact same thing in a larger area. Exactly. You just are physically located

- Somewhere else. Exactly. We're just physically in a smaller area with, with less resources. So,

- But obviously, but all the connections. I was gonna say, obviously it's great that you're connected with somewhere that does have more resources.

- Yes. That is so nice.

- And access to specialty. Because the one good thing about if you are a patient of yours and you get into the SGMC Health Network, then we have the MyChart, the Epic platform that, you know, all of the other specialists are on, most of them. And so it's a little bit more integrated level of care, a little bit more convenience for patients when they're having to go somewhere.

- And it's so nice when I refer patients out to be able to see

- What their,

- What their visit was, what their labs or tests or imaging. So I do love when they stay within the SGMC network.

- Yeah.

- As far as that, because it's, it's so much, I'm sure it's easier on the specialist. Right. It's definitely easier on primary care to that continuity of care.

- Yeah.

- And know what's going

- On and easier on the patient. 'cause that's less like, you know, you're not having to navigate different records and different information. You kind of have it all put together in one spot. So that's definitely been a big advancement that we've seen over the last couple years as we've added a lot of different clinics and,

- And that's very nice.

- Has that been, what's the biggest change you've seen over, so you are a nurse and then you went to, to Utah and then you went back to become a nurse practitioner. What was the biggest change you saw over those years?

- It's funny how much of primary care, even just working as a nurse in a primary care office, I mean, I wasn't seeing the patients, I wasn't diagnosing treating them. But it's funny how much I remembered just from primary care. That was still true today. Still true. Yeah. Of course. Things change. Guidelines, change treatments, medicines, all of that. But a lot of it has stayed the same.

- Yeah. Do you feel like you're kind of, these patients, you're like just their coach, you know, you're helping them, coaching them to be the best version of themselves in some way?

- That's a good way to think about it. I, I would like for them to see me that way because I want them to be advocates for their own help. I don't want to just be in the chair saying, this is what you have, this is what you need to take. Yeah. I want people to be educated about their disorder. What can I do outside of clinic visits as far as diet, exercise, mental health, things that they can do to help their condition. And education is key with that. And one just being educated.

- And one good thing about family medicine too is there is that women's health aspect of it as well. So, you know, a lot of times rural areas don't have ob OB OBGYNs either. So women can go see a family medicine provider and get those annual screenings that they need through that as well.

- That's right. And we do have SE a lot that choose to just, they don't wanna have to go to Valdosta to get those. So they do choose to stay and get those with primary care.

- The primary care, the ob, the pediatricians that you brought back. Yeah. And those, that's definitely a focus for our organization as we're moving forward. Because we're seeing that and we, with us opening the new women's and infants tower coming next year, certainly stronger partnerships with OBGYNs, pediatricians, neonatologists in the community and then seeing how we can grow that and provide some more access to rural communities. Because that's where a big need is.

- It is very much so. Especially when you think of, I can't think of one small town really that has a pediatrician.

- No, I know. Yeah. And y'all probably just serve that, that function right now, you know, as best you can.

- Right, right. But it is definitely different. I mean I am, obviously, I'm more comfortable with adults. Right. I do see children, but I'm not a pediatrician, so Yeah.

- Yeah. We gotta, we gotta train some

- More up. That could be. That's right.

- Be here.

- What advice would you give to somebody who's considering becoming a nurse practitioner?

- If it's what they want to do? I think they should definitely pursue it. There are a lot of schools to go through. They have really made it, I'm not gonna say easy, but you do have where you can do hybrid, you can do online until you get to your practicums or clinicals. But because all of them, you do have to complete the practicums in different areas, start looking for those early, I did not realize how hard it would be to find preceptors willing to take students and those that are willing to take students, they fill up quickly.

- Yeah. Yeah.

- So start looking early for people who will let you come back and be a student in their clinic.

- Yeah. And I think what you were referencing was being more accessible probably for those training programs because I'm sure they've had to evolve as the need has, you know, gotten there. Exactly. They're trying to make it make entice more people to pursue those degrees. And so making them more accessible but not necessarily more easy. I'm sure it's very difficult.

- Right. More accessible that yes. That that's the, the much better word than easy. 'cause I'm definitely not gonna say it was easy.

- Nothing in the medical,

- But easy as far as working with your schedule

- And still being able with the working lifestyle. Like recognizing you're probably working while attaining, you know, advancing your education. I think that's what we're seeing kind of throughout the entire realm of all healthcare professionals. Whether it be a phlebotomist or a imaging, you know, technician or what have you. There's such a demand for all these different support areas in healthcare too, that we're really having to get creative with how we're training those to make sure that we continue to fill those positions. 'cause all that support stuff

- Yes.

- Supports our docs and our providers. That's

- True. That's one thing about healthcare, you'll always have a job.

- Yeah, that is true. And that's what I, whenever I taught healthcare, that's what I told 'em. I said, you don't have to be a hospital nurse, you don't have to do this or do I said, but you'll always have a job if you go into healthcare. Yeah.

- There's always a physician available longer. And you, there's so many different avenues.

- There's so nursing especially is so flexible. There are so many different routes you can take as a nurse.

- Yeah. And we have one episode that we did with Cherice Giddens, who's our chief nursing officer, but still who's also from Adel but she's been here like forties plus years or something. And that's wild to me. But just all the opportunities for nursing and that health system is, is just impressive. Right.

- Is there any final piece of advice you'd like to leave with us for patients out there who might be listening?

- Definitely get established with a primary care, just so you are established with someone if you need 'em.

- Right. I would, let me ask one question too before you, what is the advantage? What does is the advantage for the patient if they're already established and then they come down with something, does that then allow them to either call in or kind of help with that with the more sick or I guess urgent situations that aren't necessarily the primary care?

- It does. If you're already established and say you've been in within the past month or two and you call with a question concern needing something, I'm already familiar with you. I'm already familiar with what medicines you're on, what conditions you have. You know, it might be a possibility to treat over the phone without you having to come in, but if you or someone we don't know anything right about, and we don't, don't have any basic history, medicines, anything like that, you know, it's just gonna require that you come into the office for a visit.

- Right. - And then that hopefully, I mean we're, we're not so busy that we don't usually have an opening or a way to work someone in, but it's just a little easier if you're already

- Established. For sure. So it adds a convenience factor for the

- Patient. Exactly. Exactly.

- Okay, now go back to what your question

- Was because I was told That's okay. We were just talking about a piece of advice you would give. So establish a relationship with a provider.

- Exactly. And and, and know where you stand.

- Know your numbers.

- Yeah, exactly. Know your numbers, know your blood pressure, know your A1C. Someone may come in for their initial primary care visit, get their screening labs, they're doing great. And it's like, alright, just see me in a year. Unless you need me before, keep doing what you're doing. You're doing good. Keep doing what you're doing. But at least that way, you know.

- Yeah, absolutely. Gives you some peace of mind.

- Exactly. You're exactly right.

- Alright, well I think that wraps us up for today. And we thank you for joining us. Well thank you for asking and we will link information to your practice there so that if anybody would like to establish an appointment as a new patient, you can go ahead and just check that off the list and be done with that. That's fine.

- Alright. Thank you. See you next time.