Newspaper Page Text
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The ADVANCE, January 5, 2022/Page 3A
MHMH
continued from page 1A
too slow— that is what we
treat.”
Newton noted the
prevalent need for this
type of care throughout
the region. “Even though
the field we are in is unique
and specialized, the prob
lems we treat are extreme
ly common,” Newton
remarked. “For example,
AFib (atrial fibrillation) is
common, and is especially
prevalent here.”
Senn pointed out that
10 to 12 million people
in the United States have
Afib. “The harder the ac
cess to care is, the less
likely people are to get
care. So, if you can make
it easier, you create a bet
ter opportunity for people
to receive what they need.
For Vidalia to have this op
portunity for all of the sur
rounding areas is incred
ible.”
Newton added, “Vi
dalia has a great hospital
here, but does not neces
sarily have all the services
which would be available
in the big city. We are try
ing to improve upon the
access to healthcare and
that capability.”
He noted, “A lot of
folks here cannot drive an
hour and a half to Savan
nah to get care. Also, a lot
of times when you need
care or a procedure, there
are a lot of follow-up ap
pointments. It is not just
a single trip, it’s a lot of
back and forth to Savan
nah. That is very taxing
for many people, and they
tend to go without care
they could truly benefit
from because of the diffi
culty in traveling.”
He referenced his and
Senn’s ease in visiting Vi
dalia and their enjoyment
in treating its residents.
“Coming out here for us
isn’t hard,” he said. “We
can come out here period
ically, and it allows these
folks access to something
they need and wouldn’t
otherwise seek out. It
doesn’t bother us to make
the drive because it is an
enjoyable day for us.”
Senn said that Vidalia
reminds him of the town
where he grew up. “It was
a town of about 10,000 to
12,000 people. Most peo
ple knew each other — it
was a small community,
which is a good thing. Pa
tients in these small com
munities tend to be very
grateful and it’s an honor
to serve them.”
Newton agreed, “I
love this whole part of
Georgia’s patient popula
tion. Folks here are just ex
tremely friendly and tend
to be very respectful and
kindhearted.”
This team effort of
serving Vidalia and the
surrounding area is noth
ing new to Newton and
Senn. In fact, the pair are
longtime friends who have
used their bond to best
serve their patients.
Senn began his medi
cal education at Clemson
University and the Medi
cal University of South
Carolina. He spent three
years doing residency at
Johns Hopkins in Balti
more before studying car
diology at the Cleveland
Clinic.
It was there he met
Newton, who had com
pleted his education at
Washington University in
St. Louis and the Medical
College of Georgia. He
completed his residency in
St. Louis before transfer
ring to the Cleveland Clin
ic to focus on cardiology.
“We became good
friends while studying in
Cleveland,” Newton ex
plained. “I think it is rare to
have a partnership where
you have two potentially
competitive electrophysi
ologists who are able to
work together and trust
each other’s skills. Because
of that, I think we can pro
vide a unique resource to
a community like Vidalia.”
Senn continued,
“Practicing with someone
you’re friends with and
trust is a great thing, but
so is being able to expand
what we’re doing in Sa
vannah to other areas,” he
said.
The pair noted that
after the Cleveland Clinic,
they began working to
gether at Memorial Health
in Savannah where they
met Matt Hasbrouck, who
was COO at that facility.
Hasbrouck later became
CEO at Meadows in Vida
lia, and it is his leadership
that solidified Senn and
Newtons decision to offer
care in Vidalia.
“This opportunity
arises because we ap
preciate the community
and what Matt has done,”
Newton emphasized.
“Matt Hasbrouck has been
a great leader and admin
istrator during his time in
Savannah. He’s ambitious
and really wants to pro
vide top-level care to the
community he’s serving.
We want to continue to
support that.”
Senn noted, “We are
so excited to be able to
keep people at home for
care, and we look forward
to continuing to work with
Matt and grow more op
portunities,” Senn shared.
MEW YEAR
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• mss&w&xm • KCnaUBKI
CALL 911-316-7163 °
Suspect Arrested in
Dec. 17 Shooting Death
A suspect has been ar
rested in connection with
a fatal shooting that oc
curred on December 17 in
Vidalia.
Tobias Kevion Bell,
30, of Vidalia, was appre
hended on December 31
by members of the United
States Marshals Service,
the Georgia Bureau of In
vestigation (GBI), and the
Toombs County Sheriff’s
Office.
Bell has been charged
with felony murder, two
counts of aggravated as
sault, and possession of a
firearm during the com
mission of a felony in con
nection with the shooting
death of Matthew Wil-
liams-Jacobs, 21.
Bell is being held
in the
Toombs
County
Deten
tion Cen
ter with
out bond
following Tobias Kevion
his first Bell
court ap
pearance.
The victim was found
severely wounded near
Tammy’s Do Drop In on
Orange Street after police
received reports of gun
shots being fired in the
area of Thompson Street
and West Jenkins Street.
Williams-Jacobs was
taken to Memorial Health
Meadows Hospital for im
mediate treatment and
transferred to Memorial
Health University Medical
Center in Savannah where
he succumbed to his inju
ries.
The case is under in
vestigation by the Vidalia
Police Department and
the GBI. Anyone with in
formation about the inci
dent is encouraged to con
tact authorities.
Informants may con
tact the Investigative Ser
vices Department of the
VPD at 912-537-4123,
or the Eastman Office of
the GBI at 478-374-6988.
Information may also
be called in to the TIPS
hotline at 1-8 00-TIPS
(8477), or reported online
through the GBI website.
Storm
continued from page 1A
He stated the intensity
of the storm that caused
the damage lasted around
two and a half minutes. Pri
or to this intensity, Phelps
heard what he described
as a “very loud whistling
sound.”
The fire station sus
tained heavy damage as the
bay doors were mangled or
tom off, the American Flag
outside was shredded, and
the ceiling caved in. Dur
ing the commotion, one of
the station’s trash cans was
blown into the side of a car
passing by on the road in
front of the station.
“Honestly, I didn’t real
ly look at the damage to the
fire station at first because
I was focused on checking
on the individuals in the
car to make sure they were
OK,” Phelps said. “Once I
saw they were fine, I real
ized what had happened to
the station and I was very
shocked.”
Vidalia Fire Chief Bri
an Sikes commented on
the destructive event. “The
storm definitely hit the
station hard. The west fac
ing doors were blown off
their tracks and the glass
was shattered out of them.
The front east-facing door
had similar damage. Glass
covered the floor of the sta
tion, and the ceiling near
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the front of the building
was destroyed.”
He added, “The roof
above one bedroom was
blown off, which caused
the bedroom to be flooded
by several inches of rain.
Even the fire truck was
moved approximately five
feet from its original spot
by the force of the storm.”
He continued, “While
the damage of the fire sta
tion is intense, I am truly
grateful no one was hurt,
especially Lieutenant
Phelps, who was in the sta
tion during this event.”
Power Outages
Altamaha EMC re
ported a massive power
outage across Toombs and
Montgomery counties dur
ing the Sunday night storm.
Crews worked diligently to
restore power throughout
Monday.
Altamaha EMC Com
munications Director
Tammye Vaughn reported
over 5,000 customers ex
perienced power outages.
EMA Reports
The Executive Board of
action pact will meet Mon
day, January 24, 2022, at 10
a.m. at the action pact Ap
pling County Head Start/
Senior Center located at 22
Jr. High Drive, Baxley, GA
31513.
Action pact is a non
profit community action
agency deeply rooted in the
promise of improving lives
and communities. For over
According to Mont
gomery and Wheeler
County Emergency Man
agement Agencies, the
counties received minimal
damage from the storms.
Both County EMA Direc
tors said that the only dam
age reported throughout
their areas was downed
trees and displaced limbs
from strong winds.
According to Toombs
County EMA Director
Lynn Moore, not only was
the Vidalia Fire Depart
ment Station 1 damaged
by the high winds, but
roof damage also occurred
on two houses adjacent to
each other in the same area
as the fire department.
Moore explained the
National Weather Service
had been contacted to
investigate the nature of
the storm in Vidalia. The
Service has received pho
tographs of the damage
to survey and determine
whether the cause of this
destruction was a tornado
or other weather phenom
enon, but no decision has
been reached yet.
50 years, this organization
has worked alongside local
partners and to become in
tegral to the progress of in
dividuals and the families it
serves.
Action pact provides
quality programs and ser
vices across more than
30 counties in Southeast
Georgia. For more infor
mation, go to www.myac-
tionpact.org.
Executive Board of action
pact to Meet January 24
Copies now available
A collection of
personal essays
from author Amber
Nagle’s weekly
column published
in The Advance
7 ^
“Nagle writes with Southern flavor and charm,
capturing the rhythms of her life with grace and
artistry.” - Audrey Andersen
From the
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LEGISLATIVE
LUNCHEON
HEAR ABOUT
2022 LEGISLATIVE
PB.ORITIESFROM-.
Rick W. Allen
U.S. Representative
Leesa Hagan
State Representative
Blake Tillery
State Senator
First Baptist Church Lyons
144 S Washington Street, Lyons r . ,
° -'For more information
Thursday, January 6, 2022 please call 912-537-4466
11:30am oremai1
amberoggreatervidalia
chamber.com
$45
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