Month: March 2022

Provider Spotlight: Taylor Chevalier, PA-C

Provider Spotlight: Taylor Chevalier, PA-C

Barbour Community Health Association (BCHA) is thrilled to welcome Philip-Barbour High School and Alderson Broaddus University graduate Taylor Chevalier to the BCHA Team. Taylor will work as a physician assistant with patients at Myers Clinic.

We chatted with Taylor to learn more about her healthcare experience and what she’s looking forward to the most with serving her hometown.

Tell us a little about yourself — where are you from? What school did you graduate from?

I am a Barbour County local who graduated from Philip-Barbour High School in 2014. I went off to college at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, but then came to Barbour County to study medicine at Alderson Broaddus University.

Why did you choose to work with BCHA?

I’ve always wanted to come back home and put my education to good use by serving the folks of my community.

What drove you to want to work in healthcare?

I have always loved science/medicine and taking care of others. By becoming a healthcare provider, I am able to combine those two passions into a career I love!

 What do you hope to achieve through your role at BCHA?

Since Barbour County has always been home to me, I’ve always wanted to find a way to give back to my community. Through my role at BCHA. I am able to do so as a provider.

What’s the most enjoyable part of your job?

I love the people I work with!  I love being able to interact with members of our close-knit community – both my patients and my colleagues.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I love anything outdoors! In my free time, you’ll most likely find me somewhere in the mountains on horseback, camping, or out on Tygart Lake.

Taylor is now accepting patients at both locations. To schedule an appointment with her, please call Myers Clinic at (304) 457-2800.

Introduction to Nutrition Coaching with Rachel Williams

Introduction to Nutrition Coaching with Rachel Williams

With the month of March recognized as National Nutrition Month, health professionals, wellness coaches, and nutritionists around the country use the opportunity to bring awareness that a well-balanced diet and an active lifestyle can make a huge difference in daily life.

Whether you’re looking to begin a weight loss journey or simply want to enhance your overall health, your nutrition is the first step.

By incorporating proper nutrition into your day-to-day, folks can see an improvement in sleeping habits, mood, gut health, and overall well-being.

That’s why Barbour Community Health Association has hired Rachel Williams as a Nutrition Counselor to manage patients looking to better their overall quality of life through nutrition.

We chatted with Rachel to find out about their experience, BCHA’s new nutrition coaching program, and what they hope to offer to BCHA patients.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in Baltimore but spent most of my adult life in Pittsburgh before moving to Elkins. My family
includes two giant Great Pyrenees dogs, and we love having so many options for hiking and walking
close by. I have always been passionate about food and health, but had jobs in environmental science and forensic DNA analysis before I went back to school to turn that passion into my career. When I am not at work, I may be found cooking, reading, or obsessing over my house plants.

What services are you bringing to BCHA?

I am offering individual, family, and small group nutrition education and coaching. I coordinate with the physicians, PAs, and other providers at BCHA to ensure that services are appropriate for each client. I am also looking forward to being involved in some of the great programs that BCHA already has in place such as the Farmacy program.

What does nutrition coaching entail?

A nutrition intake and assessment is an hour-long session, with follow-up appointments as needed. I have a long list of questions I like to ask, but more than that, I want to have a conversation about how a person is feeling, and of course what and how they are eating. Food habits, preferences, accessibility and budgets are very individual, and it is my goal to meet the client where they are and work together to move forward from there. Related subjects such as body image, sleep, mood, energy levels, and physical activity may also be discussed. A client may leave a session with handouts and recipes, and I do give tips to try for—hopefully delicious—homework.

Who can benefit from nutrition coaching? What are some benefits of nutrition coaching?

I believe that everyone can benefit. It is never too early or too late to learn something new. I truly welcome people of every age, gender, size, and health status. This is a judgment-free zone to discuss health and habits. People who are dealing with chronic health concerns such as hypertension, autoimmunity, diabetes, digestive issues, or food allergies may especially benefit, and I coordinate with primary care and other providers to ensure that I have the best information available on individual client health concerns. I can provide information to those looking to increase their nutrition knowledge for athletics, disease prevention or recovery, or general health and longevity. I am also happy to talk with people just looking for fresh new ideas to feed themselves and/or their families.

What’s the difference between a registered dietician and a nutrition counselor? What path did you take to get into nutrition services?

I have a degree in biology and recently completed a Master of Science degree in human nutrition. I am
currently working toward becoming a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS), a nationally recognized certification which requires having an internship with 1000 supervised hours, passing a comprehensive exam, and continuing education every year to stay up to date with research. CNSs have extensive training on how nutrients from food function within our bodies to promote optimal health. We also have training in all things food related, such as how to order health promoting foods from restaurants and how to make family favorites more nutritious.

How can patients get started?

I currently have office hours at both Belington and Myers Clinics. Clients can ask their provider at their next appointment or call the clinics directly to set up a time to talk with me. This is a free service to BCHA clients.

BCHA is thrilled to be able to offer this new and exciting program to patients. To schedule an appointment, speak with your provider at your next visit or call the Belington Medical Clinic or Myers Clinic.

Provider Spotlight: Morgan Winterbottom, PA-C

Provider Spotlight: Morgan Winterbottom, PA-C

Barbour Community Health Association is excited to welcome Morgan Winterbottom to our healthcare team as a physician assistant. Morgan will work as a provider at Belington Medical Clinic and Myers Clinic.

We chatted with Morgan to learn a bit more about her background and what she’s looking forward to as a PA at BCHA’s clinics.

Tell us a little about yourself — where are you from? What school did you graduate from?

I’m originally from Lothian, Maryland. I graduated from Alderson Broaddus University for both my undergraduate in biology and PA school. I came to Philippi in 2015 and haven’t left since!

Why did you choose to work with BCHA?

After spending many years at ABU and traveling around North Central WV for my PA school rotations, I discovered that I really enjoyed rural healthcare and appreciated how welcoming, genuine, and kind the patients were to me, even as a student. As graduation approached, I realized that I wanted to stay in Barbour County and serve the community who had welcomed me and helped me grow all these years. Working with BCHA was the perfect opportunity to do this.

What drove you to want to work in healthcare?

I wanted to promote health and wellness on a personal level. Interacting and connecting with people has also brought a great sense of joy and purpose to me.

What do you hope to achieve through your role at BCHA?

I just hope to continue providing great team-based care and meeting the needs of the people in this community.

What’s the most enjoyable part of your job?

I really enjoy developing a relationship with my patients and making a difference in their quality of life.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I like to play lacrosse and seek out WV scenery. In the summer, I like driving back to Maryland to visit my family and go crabbing and fishing with my dad.

Morgan is now accepting patients at both locations. To schedule an appointment with her, please call Myers Clinic at (304) 457-2800 or Belington Medical Clinic at (304) 823-2800.

Here to Educate, Help, and Guide – Intro to Chronic Care Management with Erica Weese, RN

Here to Educate, Help, and Guide - Intro to Chronic Care Management with Erica Weese, RN

Here at Barbour Community Health Association, we are constantly working to turn to better healthcare—which is why we are so excited to announce one of our newest endeavors: Chronic Care Management. Ever heard of it? We didn’t think so! Luckily, Belington Medical Clinic’s Health Educator, Erica Weese, RN, was able to sit down and explain what Chronic Care Management is and who it can help.

Q: What is Chronic Care Management?
A: Chronic Care Management is a personalized program designed to assist eligible patients manage their ongoing chronic conditions. After the initial start-up visit or phone call, we draft goal-oriented care plans specific to each patient to help them tackle their health goals. These can range from simple goals like remembering to take medication to more complex goals like managing and changing diets. I spend roughly 20 minutes a month with each patient checking in on their goals and making sure they’re staying on track.

Q: Who is Eligible for Chronic Care Management?
A: To begin, we are only working with Medicare patients, specifically those who have at least two chronic conditions that will last their lifetime or at least twelve months. Some chronic conditions on this list can include Diabetes, Chronic Kidney Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Cancer, and more.

Q: How do patients get started with Chronic Care Management?
A: Patients can be referred by their primary care physician to begin this program. One of the best parts of Chronic Care Management is that it can all be done over the phone. It begins with an initial phone call or visit where the patient and I review their health history and any medications they’re taking.

Q: What are some benefits for people to start Chronic Care Management?
A: There are so many benefits for people to start Chronic Care Management, the biggest being education. A big part of my job is to collaborate with the patients primary care provider and to help aid in the understanding of their health conditions, labs, medications, treatments, etc.

Q: What is the Health Educator’s Role in Chronic Care Management?
A: I’m here to educate, help, and guide. My role is to be the center of the spider web. I’m the liaison between patients and their primary care physician or any other physicians or specialists the patients see. My goal is to help the patient feel more confident in their understanding of their disease processes so that they can be a happier, healthier version of themselves.

If you or a loved one are eligible for this program, don’t hesitate to contact Erica Weese, RN, at Belington Medical Clinic or Holly Holbert, BSN, RN, at Myers Clinic.