The Roanoker - January/February 2019 - 52

Wohlford returned to graduate school at
Virginia Tech where she designed her own
independent study within the Masters in
Public Health program. Today, Wohlford
is successfully implementing cost savings
programs that also ease the burden on our
planet. She still uses her nursing training
to implement programs and prepare for
accreditation readiness, regulations, fire safety
issues and infection control.
Quality patient care is still the main focus of
her duties. Wohlford also spends a significant
amount of time with community stakeholders
with waste and recycling issues. Her journalism
background is handy for the amount of public
speaking she does. Creating a culture of
reducing waste can involve big changes.
Having one job for an entire working life
is increasingly rare, particularly in health care.
Big changes are happening, such as small
private practices consolidating into large,
specialized groups. More patients are being
treated in outpatient settings, and the lines
are blurring between emergency and urgent
care. Population health data is being used in
innovative ways to provide value-based care
with better patient outcomes. New careers are
emerging quickly in this dynamic environment
and allow for a diversity of passions to be
expressed in very personalized ways.
52

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

PATIENT AND
COMMUNITY NEEDS
Paraprofessionals is a new career path within
a few different specialties at Carilion. These
professionals do not actually treat patients,
but provide non-clinical support in a medical
setting overseen by a team of physicians,
nurses and counselors for more successful
clinical outcomes.
As the stigmas of mental health and
addiction recede, more people are seeking
treatment. An annual community health
assessment was undertaken by Carilion and
various community stakeholders. The opioid
crisis rose to the top of the list to address the
needs of those struggling with opioid addiction.
It may seem shocking that a health system
would employ recovering addicts and persons
with mental illness to support those seeking
help, but public health data shows that
patients struggling with mental illness and/
or addiction who receive additional emotional
support through their inpatient treatment are
half as likely to relapse.
This new program is the first of its kind in
Virginia and is accredited by the Department
of behavioral health and Human Services. It
is also now a recognized, reimbursable service
by insurers.

Erin Casey is a peer recovery specialist
at Carilion. Her job is to be emotionally
available to patients. Erin uses her personal
experiences with bulimia and bipolar disorder
to reduce the anxiety of an overwhelming life
experience for patients. This year, Carilion
will add to their current staff of three paid
peer counselors and seven volunteer peer
counselors.
"Patients find it comforting and
inspirational to see that successful treatment
can mean new opportunities for a better life,"
Casey says.
Her career has evolved quickly to become
a community health educator and she now
supervises and trains peer counselors. To date,
Casey has trained 42 people to become peer
counselors.
Casey says she will "always be a patient, as
well as someone who supports other people
in recovery."

FILLING THE GAPS

An aging population in need of health care is
growing, while experienced nurses are retiring
faster than they can be replaced. The demand
to train and retain employees is a major focus
for health systems. New career pathways are
made by providing alternative staffing models,
TheRoanoker.com

ERIN CASEY: COURTESY OF CARILION CLINIC

SARA WOHLFORD
http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker - January/February 2019

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