Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems (SVCHS) has received a generous gift from a retired Washington County educator which has made it possible to open a specialized clinic in the Meadowview town square. SVCHS has proposed establishing the Merrihue Diabetic Education and Prevention Center of Southwest Virginia, named after Thomas Merrihue, who served as a teacher and principal at Meadowview Elementary.
“We’re honored that Tommy thought enough of us — that he entrusted us — to work with Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems to establish a program that is very much needed in this area,” said Jim Wallace, chairman of Meadowview First.
The new center will offer a wide variety of services for diabetics, including diabetes education classes, nutrition and weight management services, medical treatment for diabetic-related illnesses and testing to monitor the condition.
According to Brian Haynes, Chief Executive Officer of SVCHS, diabetes is the most common diagnosis among the 14,000 patients the health systems serves.
“Diabetes is the most prevalent diagnosis among our patients. One of the barriers among these patients is the availability of transportation to receive diabetic services and education,” said Haynes.
