For more than 30 years, Halifax Regional Medical Center has been at the heart of health care in Roanoke Valley. Today, the 206-bed, full-service medical center offers patients specialized care in a state-of-the-art facility. “We’re well-defined by a very qualified nursing and medical staff,” says Will Mahone, president of HRMC. “With few exceptions, all physicians are double- or triple-board certified in their respective fields. They also have a real understanding of our patients and the differences between community hospital patients and more urban patients.” The Roanoke Rapids hospital’s 60-member medical staff represents more than 20 specialties, ranging from internal medicine and nephrology to orthopedics and oncology. The hospital also offers extensive women’s health services and provides hospitalist care from physicians who focus solely on inpatient care. A high-tech radiology department, dedicated joint care center and specially trained emergency care center staff also set HRMC apart. But perhaps the loudest buzz around HRMC these days surrounds the opening of The Cardiac & Vascular Center. Located on the first floor of HRMC, the center provides state-of-the-art treatment for peripheral and diagnostic cardiac disease. For patients experiencing chest or leg pain, convenient access to cardiac catheterization and angioplasty is priceless. “I don’t believe we should offer any less care than patients would receive in Raleigh or Charlotte,” Mahone says. “It should be the primary role of a regional medical center to diagnose problems so patients don’t have to travel to tertiary-care facilities.” Staffed by six interventional cardiologists from Raleigh Cardiology Associates, the center has been well received by patients and physicians alike. “The center helps meet our mission of providing local access to health care with the highest quality of physicians and equipment,” Mahone says. “We’ve actually received several comments from physicians themselves that our equipment and facility are higher quality than those used elsewhere in the Triangle.” Since opening The Cardiac & Vascular Center, the hospital has made great strides in educating the community on heart health, Mahone says. Resources such as HRMC’s Halifax HealthLink at Roanoke Rapid’s Becker Village Mall give members access to valuable medical information, exercise classes, educational seminars and support groups. For area employers, HRMC’s Halifax Works offers businesses a full-service occupational health program. The Roanoke Rapids clinic provides customizable packages of employee health services to fit the unique needs of individual businesses, from pre-employment testing to workers’ compensation injury treatment. At HRMC’s Roanoke Clinic in Roanoke Rapids, patients receive general family health care, chronic illness management and immunizations and laboratory services. At HRMC’s Wildwood Clinic in Henrico, general medical and preventative care are made available to southern Virginia families. “Our goal is to focus on patients first and to improve the health of our entire community,” Mahone says.