About The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2022)
5fje Aiiuancg 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 mmm • 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 Reach thousands of potential buyers! Call 537-8131 and advertise your home in the REAL ESTATE PAGES! 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 PORCH Get your copy at Bill Bailey presents The New Year's Gospel Music Spectacular! THURSDAY January 6th 2022-7:00pm TRIUMPHANT QUARTET VIDALIA, GEORGIA SOUTHEAST TECHNICAL COLLEGE (3001 East First Street - Hwy 2001 NO TICKETS REQUIRED! JOSEPH HAREDANK The GUARDIANS A $15 donation per person will be requested at the door for the concert A love offering will be received during the concert for FCC Ministries Doors open at 6pm, and all seating is general admission FOR MORE INFO, call (941) 756-6942 littp://www.liillliaileyconcerts.com y GREATER VIDALIA® CHAMBER <0» 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 Georgia Power Company, Kinetic by Windstream, McLendon Enterprises, Tar Land and Timber
