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The ADVANCE, November 1, 2023/Page 11A
Fellowship-Trained General Surgeon Joins Meadows Staff
Photo by Deborah Clark
NEW SURGEON — Dr. Michael Kennedy has just come on
board as part of the medical team at Memorial Health
Meadows Physicians Surgical Care in Vidalia. The fellow-
ship-trained, general surgeon will provide surgical care
to treat a variety of conditions,
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
Michael Kennedy was
half-way through medical
school when he discov
ered his passion for sur
gery. “I liked working with
my hands and I said, ‘This
is it. This is what I want to
do for the rest of my medi
cal career!’ “
The fellowship-
trained, general surgeon
has just come on board as
part of the medical team at
Memorial Health Mead
ows Physicians Surgical
Care, where he will pro
vide surgical care to treat
a variety of conditions, in
cluding complex abdomi
nal hernias, benign soft
tissue diseases, and gall
stones, as well as perform
colonoscopies, and colon
resections.
“Meadows has a long
standing history with per
forming excellence in sur
gical care,” said Dr. Karen
McColl, Chief Medical
Officer for Memorial
Health Meadows Hospi
tal. “We look forward to
welcoming Dr. Kennedy
to our dedicated care team
and the care that he will
provide our communities.”
Dr. Kennedy will be
working with a medical
team comprised of Dr.
Henry Ferman, Dr. Ken
drick Evans, and Dr. Kurt
Hoffman. “Every group
has its own dynamics and
I really like working with
these doctors,” Dr. Ken
nedy said. He particularly
likes working with the da
Vinci robot, which en
ables minimally invasive
procedures and therefore
a quicker recovery for pa
tients. “I became da Vinci
trained in April and have a
done a significant number
of cases in that time peri
od and am hoping to grow
with that experience.”
As he grew up in a
town near the Appala
chian Mountains located
about an hour from Bal
timore, Kennedy did not
give much thought to be
coming a doctor. While
in high school, he gravi
tated toward science and
worked for the National
Cancer Institute — main
ly because his best friend
also worked there. When
he entered college, he did
not know exactly what
direction he would take,
but, inexplicably, one day
while talking with his col
lege advisor, Kennedy de
clared himself a pre-med
student.
He followed the pre-
med track and graduated
from the University of
Maryland at College Park.
He then took a break from
college to earn money as a
lab assistant at Sloan Ket
tering in New York, be
fore enrolling at Wayne
State University School of
Medicine in Detroit. As
an undergraduate student,
he worked at the National
Institutes of Health in
Bethesda, Maryland, in a
four-year externship at the
research lab.
After graduation, Dr.
Kennedy went back to
New York to work as a res
ident physician in Brook
Lyons Lions Students of the Month
The Lyons Lions Club Student of the Month program recognizes deserving stu
dents for their “Dedication, Commitment and Service to Others” and is sponsored by
Peoples Bank. For the month of October, the awards were presented to Cody Smith of
Robert Toombs Christian Academy and Madison Ho of Toombs County High School.
L to R: Lion Christian Burton (Lyons Lions Club President), Cody Smith (RTCA Student
of the Month), Cody Sellers (RTCA Teacher), and Lion Barry Waller (Lyons Lions Club
Student of the Month Chairman).
L to R: Lion Christian Burton (Lyons Lions Club President), Madison Ho (TCHS Student of
the Month), Dana Manning (TCHS Teacher), and Lion Barry Waller (Lyons Lions Club
Student of the Month Chairman).
lyn. To serve his residency,
he rotated at five differ
ent facilities, including
Memorial Sloan Ketter
ing, the State University
of New York’s Downstate
Medical Center in Brook
lyn, Kings County Hospi
tal, and two community
hospitals.
“I wanted to enhance
my training, so I came to
Savannah,” Dr. Kennedy
explained. He completed
his Master of General
Surgery fellowship with
Metro Surgical PC in Sa
vannah, where he trained
in robotic surgery. He also
holds advanced expertise
in endoscopic and lapara-
scopic surgery.
For the past two years,
Dr. Kennedy worked as a
general surgeon at a Metro
Surgical satellite facility
in Jesup. “I split my time
between Jesup and Savan
nah, where I worked at
Candler/St. Joseph Hos
pital.” While working in
Jesup, Dr. Kennedy met
his girlfriend, Taylor Jay,
who is a technical advi
sor and educator for In
tuitive’s robotics program.
She helped set up the ro
botics program at Jesup.
Dr. Kennedy moved
to Vidalia in Septem
ber and has already put
down roots, purchasing a
house within the city and
launching his practice in
early October. He admit
ted that he did not know
much about Vidalia before
moving here, except that
the community is famous
for its unique onions. “I
have heard from many
people who have said so
many great things about
the town and the hospital
— just glowing reviews,
so I said, ‘There must be
something here.’ “
In his spare time, Dr.
Kennedy has traveled and
hiked. This past summer
he visited Colorado, hiked
in the desert, went to a
couple of national parks,
got to see the remains of
ancient civilizations, and
even discovered a ghost
town. He also likes to cook
and bake and try new reci
pes with his girlfriend, ad
mitting that working in the
kitchen is therapeutic. But
he does not claim to be an
expert. “I can make good
chocolate chip cookies,
but there are people who
can cook way better than
me.” While he likes adven
ture and trying new things,
he doesn’t define himself
as a risk-taker — unless
it is a carefully calculated
risk. “Certain risks you can
take,” he said. For his 37th
birthday, he gave himself
the thrill of sky jumping.
“It was really a great expe
rience and pretty safe.” He
was reasonably confident
because his jump partner
was an Air Force jump in
structor.
In the immediate fu
ture, Dr. Kennedy won’t
be taking any long vaca
tions. He will be concen
trating on building his new
practice and focusing on
patient care. “I want to es
tablish myself as someone
you can call who is avail
able, affable, and able.”
Dr. Kennedy’s prac
tice is located at Memo
rial Health Meadows
Physicians Surgical Care,
1811 Edwina Dr., Vidalia,
phone 912-538-9977.
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L to R: Marsha Holloway, Lacey Redding, Daniel Redding, Emily Lancaster, Tim Red
ding, Sr., Kathy Redding, Christen Redding, Tim Redding, Jr., and Dr, Steve Echols,
BPC Dedicates Redding Hall
Courtesy of
Brewton-Parker College
On Tuesday, October
17, 2023, Brewton-Parker
College (BPC) dedicated
a newly constructed dor
mitory in honor of Timo
thy E. Redding, Sr. BPC
faculty, staff, and trustees,
along with members from
the community, joined the
Redding family for the ded
ication ceremony following
chapel.
Redding Hall stands as
a testament to the extraor
dinary life and unwavering
commitment of Timothy
Redding, Sr., to Brewton-
Parker College. As a highly
successful businessman,
Redding’s story is an inspi
ration, reflecting the power
of faith, resilience, and an
unyielding commitment to
God’s work. His remarkable
journey, from modest be
ginnings to entrepreneur
ial success, is a testimony
to God’s grace and provi
dence. Redding began his
journey as a BPC Trustee
in 2011. He has served on
various committees and
played a vital role in presi
dential searches, witnessing
God’s providence guiding
the college through trials
and transformation.
Construction began
this past April and was
completed in August before
the fall semester began. The
new dormitory provides
additional housing to ac
commodate the demand
for private housing at BPC.
The building consists of
suite-style living where two
to three bedrooms share a
bathroom, and each room
opens into the open-air
courtyard.
The City of Mount Ver
non provided the essential
water and sewer infrastruc
ture for the construction
of the new dormitory. BL
Horne represented the City
of Mount Vernon, express
ing his excitement about
the things happening at
BPC. He reminded those
in attendance that the stu
dents and employees of
BPC affect the community
in a positive way, an effect
that the City of Mount Ver
non is grateful for.
Dr. Steven F. Echols,
BPC President, comment
ed, “It is such a blessing
to see how God has led so
many through the years to
contribute to the facilities at
BPC. We have a need, and
God speaks. Redding Hall
is only the latest example
of that. Mr. Redding has
been a special friend of the
college for many years, and
God’s Kingdom is blessed
through his generosity.”
Tim Redding, Sr., BPC
Trustee, shared, “God has
blessed me with the op
portunity to be involved at
Brewton-Parker College.
I hope that Redding Hall
will stand as a testament to
the incredible work God
has done in my life and the
life of this institution. It's an
honor, and I pray it inspires
generations of students to
come.”
Redding is blessed
with three children and ten
cherished grandchildren,
and currently resides in
Metter, Georgia, with his
wife, Kathy. His generous
investment has provided
high-quality housing that
will help BPC fulfill its
mission of seeing the lives
of students transformed
academically and, most im
portantly, spiritually for the
glory of God.