In The News
Making Plans to Be a Gardener Once More
By LeAnne Akin
news@barrowcountynews.com
Dec. 28, 2009
Bill Beshears has been coping with pain, sometimes screaming pain, for many of the past 15 years since his retirement as a minister.
The pain got so bad he was forced to give up gardening, a hobby he has pursued since he had his first garden as a 7-year-old.
Beshears said he had come up with a numbering system for his pain. He had taken to using a cane, calling that his number one level of pain. A walker would be used if the pain was worse. He’d stay in the chair alongside Felix, the black and white cat, at pain level 3. Staying home from church was number four and it was back to bed when the pain reached number five. After that? He didn’t want to think about it.
But Beshears has overcome health-related worries before. While training for the Peachtree Road Race 24 years ago, he was forced to undergo open heart surgery but was back into a running regime months after his recovery. The running and the surgery yielded a strong heart, but years later, pain would be his companion.
He and wife Grace bought their Evergreen Lane home in Winder a quarter-century ago and the 50x100 back yard garden has produced a bounty through the years. Those early years entailed much work to transform the compacted red clay into fine soil, enriched through the years with newspaper covered with mulch to hold moisture in and discourage weed growth which would be tilled into the soil after harvest. "There is no richer soil in town than that," he said. Sharing the garden’s yield was a blessing.
Seven years ago he would work in the garden for five minutes and need to sit down for 15 minutes to allow his pain to subside and he gave up gardening five years ago after having only one row for that final garden.
In recent weeks, Beshears has newfound energy and spirit with only minimal pain now coming as a welcome sign that he is again active. He is now planning to again share the bounty of his garden in a different way.
After seeing doctor after doctor in a search for pain relief, he is now singing the praises of Reginald Strother, M.D. of Spine Care & Pain Management in Winder. "He listened to me and he examined me and was able to give me the steroid shot in just the right place," said Beshears, who had been receiving other treatment from other physicians but to no avail. The day after his Dec. 3rd visit with Dr. Strother, Beshears said he had found relief.
"This is my number one Christmas present," said Beshears, who will celebrate his 80th birthday next June. "And I’ve got my husband back," said a grateful Grace Beshears.
"I’ve been working and organizing the shed to get ready," said Beshears. Putting in five to six hours of work a day is now a pleasure again. "I’ve decided to start gardening again," said a smiling Beshears. He is also inspired to open up his gardening opportunity to others after seeing a television program about so many people being without food, a necessity of life. "I want to resurrect my garden," said Beshears. "I used to raise sweet potatoes and corn and so much more."
He has a vision to involve others in the harvest but also in the project. "I want to provide vegetables for the food pantry for the Church of the Month to distribute," said Beshears, who is familiar with the Plant a Row effort which John Gladney, a fellow church member, is heavily involved with. He said he had talked with Gladney about partnering but that didn’t materialize as the Plant a Row project is established at Raymond Butler’s Double Bridges Farm near Statham.
Beshears said he wants his centrally-located garden spot to be a place where volunteers can help plan, cultivate, hoe, harvest and share the bounty.
"Once the word gets out, I am hoping we’ll have volunteers to help," said Beshears, who is already looking to tune up his 25-year-old tiller to get a first-plow effort under way. He welcomes volunteers with tillers to assist. "They can call to get on board," said Beshears. By March, he wants to have a plan in place and volunteers organized to get to work. "I want them to be involved in the plant selections."
Donations of seeds, plants and other needed materials would also be welcome.
If his pain returns, Beshears said he hopeful the volunteers would continue with the community project. "I hope we’ll be organized enough that the volunteers can press on," he said. He and Grace have two overseeing chairs near the garden if needed.
For information about the plans for the community garden spot or to volunteer to be involved, contact Bill Beshears at (770) 867-0021.
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November 2009
Spine Care & Pain Management Opens a New Location
On Friday, November 13, 2009 Spine Care & Pain Management celebrated the opening of their newest office building in Winder, GA. The occasion was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. Guests included Mayor George “Chip” Thompson III, local elected officials, medical colleges, Barrow County Chamber of Commerce members and good friends of Spine Care & Pain Management. Attendees had the opportunity to meet with the physicians and staff of Spine Care & Pain Management, enjoy a catered lunch and tour the new facility.
Dan Bryant, practice administrator, opened with remarks of thanks to all of those who helped make the new building possible. D. Janene Holladay, M.D., company founder, spoke of how proud she is of the company and the amazing rate of growth Spine Care & Pain Management has experienced since November 1999. “The practice has grown from one small rented office with one employee we couldn’t afford to pay to seven locations with over 90 employees”, said Dr. Holladay. She also said, “I think this move gives us greater visibility in the community and will make it easier for the patients to utilize our services. I want to thank the community for their support”.
Richard Campbell, M.D. expressed that he is especially grateful for the remarkable Spine Care & Pain Management staff and that he truly enjoys working side by side with them each day. Mayor Thompson took a few minutes to talk about how pain has affected his life and how important it is to have committed and caring physicians. He went on to say that Barrow County is fortunate to have Spine Care & Pain Management as a member of their medical community.
Spine Care & Pain Management is dedicated to high quality healthcare and to helping each patient live their best possible life.
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October 2009
Spine Care & Pain Management’s Medical Administrator Runs the Chicago Marathon
The first Chicago Marathon, then called the Mayor Daley Marathon, was held on Sept. 25, 1977, and attracted about 4,200 runners. Over the decades, participation in the 26.2-mile race has grown to 45,000. On Sunday, October 11, 2009 Gretchen Bryant, Spine Care & Pain Management's Medical Administrator, achieved a personal goal when she completed the 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
This was the second marathon for Gretchen. Her first was the ING Atlanta in March 2009. “I decided to participate in the Chicago Marathon because it was a childhood dream of mine to run not only a marathon, but specifically the Chicago Marathon. I consider it crossing off an item on my bucket list", said Gretchen.
Combating overall soreness and fatigue, Gretchen pushed through the discomfort and ran the entire 26.2-mile course. When asked how she felt about the experience she said she felt challenging herself and completing that challenge was an amazing experience. “I had many thoughts and conversations with myself during the actual race. The beginning is more like ‘wow, you’re actually doing this and feeling great.’ Towards the middle of the race I’m thinking ‘you will have bragging rights of finishing the Chicago Marathon’ and at the end I’m saying to myself ‘you can do this Gretchen, you can DO THIS!"
Gretchen ran this marathon by herself but vows to run next year’s Chicago Marathon with a friend. Dan Bryant, Spine Care & Pain Management’s Practice Administrator, has expressed the desire to run the Chicago Marathon with Gretchen next year. We will be watching to see if he holds up to his commitment.
Gretchen’s family, her husband Jay, their daughter Ireland and her parents were in Chicago to show their support, which meant a tremendous amount to her. “I couldn’t have done it with out Jay and my family by my side. At the end of the race I needed a hug from Jay desperately. It was such an emotional moment”.
When asked about next year’s race Gretchen replied, “Chicago 2010 here I come!”
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Ocotober 2009
Second Annual Purple Palooza
Shane Mooney, Sharyl Evans and Christy Tisdale of Spine Care & Pain Management participated in the second annual Purple Palooza in Cumming, GA on Saturday, October 17th.
Purple Palooza is a enjoyable mix; part fall festival, part community health fair. Participants included local business, restaurants, health care offices, as well as the local fire and police departments. Despite the morning rain each of the vendors set up their booths and prepared for the fun ahead. Those who attended enjoyed a variety of music, food, games and give-a-ways.
We at Spine Care & Pain Management enjoy participating in community events and appreciate the opportunity to promote good health awareness.
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October 2009
Spine Care & Pain Management Welcomes New Physician Assistants
Spine Care & Pain Management is pleased to announce the addition of Shannon Zundel and Juan “Jenny” He, Certified Physician Assistants, to our medical staff. Shannon and Jenny will be practicing with our physicians at our Rome and Hiram locations.
Shannon Zundel is originally from West Virginia. She completed her undergraduate at West Virginia University. Shannon went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies at Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, PA. Shannon, who always felt she belonged in the South, is truly enjoying living in Georgia.
Jenny He is originally from China, where she graduated from medical school and became a radiologist with a Ph.D. in radiology research. Jenny traveled to America as a visiting scholar doing research at the medical schools of the University of Pennsylvania and then New York University. After meeting the man that eventually became her husband she decided to make a permanent home the United States. Jenny then went back to school at the City University of New York and became a Physician Assistant.
With the addition of Shannon Zundel and Jenny He we will be better able to serve our patients in the Floyd, Polk, Chatooga and Paulding County areas. It is a pleasure to have Shannon and Jenny join us in our commitment to provide excellent service and quality healthcare.
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September 2009
Healthcare Reform a Concern for Spine Care & Pain Management Physicians
Healthcare reform has been a hot topic during this past year. Politicians, patients, and physicians want reform of the current ailing healthcare industry. Reform to include lower costs and increased access is agreed upon by everyone. Current reform efforts are focused on a public option with more governmental involvement. More access with decreased spending may also lead to a decreased level of care. This concern has not been accounted for in the current public option. The healthcare industry has significant issues, which need reform, not replacement. A comparable analogy is purchasing a new car when the old car has a flat tires and a few dents.
Physicians from Spine Care and Pain Management and other healthcare professionals from around the country believe there is a better reform option. On September 10th, Physicians from Spine Care & Pain Management and from around the nation gathered in Washington to make their voices heard. Our physicians believe in true reform of the system, which will begin with managed care reform, open access across state lines to increase competition between HMOs and legislation to prevent denial for pre-existing conditions. Also, malpractice reform must be aggressively addressed to avoid frivolous lawsuits, so that physicians may practice compassionately, not defensively. These initiatives will drive down costs and increase access for everyone. The risk of doing nothing is paramount, but the risk of doing things in haste is useless. Please contact your representatives and make your opinion heard.
Pictured: Reginald Strother, M.D., Richard Campbell, M.D., D. Janene Holladay, M.D. and Kiley J. Reynolds, D.O. in Washington DC
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Spine Care & Pain Management Welcomes New Pain Physician to Provide Expanded Comprehensive Pain Management Care
Spine Care & Pain Management is pleased to announce the addition of Curtis D. Thornhill, M.D. to further meet the needs of the Athens area chronic and acute pain patients.
With the addition of Dr. Thornhill, Spine Care & Pain Management has expanded its diverse team to treat a broader base of patients in the greater Athens area. Patients suffering from chronic and acute pain conditions will have increased access to leading pain specialists and can expect to receive a broad spectrum of care. The range of treatment options provided at Spine Care & Pain Management is complete, from non-surgical care to advanced therapies such as spinal cord stimulation.
“The expansion of Spine Care & Pain Management will allow us to successfully treat a more significant number of chronic and acute pain patients in the Athens area”, said practice administrator, Dan Bryant. “Each specialist in our group brings a unique expertise, ensuring we can provide the highest level of interventional pain management, diagnosis and treatment available.”
Dr. Curtis Thornhill is board certified in anesthesiology. He obtained his medical degree at State University of New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn, NY, completed his internship at Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, NY and completed his residency in anesthesiology at Anesthesiology, State University Hospital, Brooklyn, NY.
June 2009
Callaway Gardens Sprint Triathlon
In an effort to encourage employee physical health and exercise, Spine Care and Pain Management sponsored employees to participate in Callaway Gardens Sprint Triathlon held Father’s Day weekend in Pine Mountain, GA. The race consisted of a ¼ mile swim, a 10-mile bike ride and finished with a 2 mile run.
Twenty-one employees and their family members participated in the event, most of whom were first-timers to the sport of triathlon. Some of the Spine Care and Pain Management team even won awards! Aaron Tisdale, 8, stepson of Christy Tisdale, Director of Marketing, placed third overall in his age group. Elijah Bryant, 14, son of Dr. Reginald Strother and Israel Bryant, finished with the fastest time overall out of the company participants.
Among the competitors were Dr. Janene Holladay and physical therapist Chris Whitmore, as well as practice administrators and staff (for a full list see below). The company’s youngest competitor, Ireland Bryant, 8, finished the race strong alongside her mother Gretchen Bryant.
As a result of this initial exposure, most of the participants have expressed the desire to compete in other triathlons throughout the rest of the summer and are encouraging family members to do so as well. Spine Care & Pain Management hopes to continue to foster healthy living by sponsoring other athletic events in the future and to further encourage their staff and community to live an active life.
Spine Care & Pain Management Participants
D. Janene Holladay, M.D. and husband, Sidney Holladay
Christopher Whitmore, Physical Therapist, and wife, Dana
Christy B., Massage Therapist, and husband, Jermaine
Dee H., Office Manager, and sons
Jay Bryant, CFO, Gretchen Bryant, Medical Administrator and their daughter, Ireland
Dan Bryant, Practice Administrator and wife, Erin
Sharyl Evans, Marketing & Business Development, and husband Centrael Evans
Amber Bradley, Patient Care Coordinator