Oak Ridge Provides Homegrown Health Care

Oak Ridge / Courtesy of Don Dudenbostel

Oak Ridge is a diverse community with much to offer those who work in health care. There’s easy access to Knoxville and the nearby beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, as well as the advantages of a smaller town, with less traffic and tight-knit neighborhoods. 

Making a Difference

“The people in this area make living here special,” says Dr. Eddy Robinson, who, along with his wife, Cindy, has owned and operated Alignment Chiropractic since 2013. “I tell anyone who will listen that this is an amazing area to practice in and raise a family.” 

Robinson was born in Oak Ridge and grew up in nearby Clinton. He and Cindy graduated from Clinton High School and returned here after college. 

“We both love this area,” he says, “and I wanted to make sure I stayed on my mother-in-law’s good side by keeping her daughter and grandson close!” 

Robinson says there are many reasons he loves being a chiropractor. 

“The obvious is helping people get their lives back and teaching them how incredibly powerful their bodies are,” he says. “Many of the people we see make seeing a chiropractor their ‘last-ditch effort’ to get out of pain. It’s an amazing feeling when that patient, who just a few weeks prior had given up hope, walks into your office smiling and says, ‘Hey, Dr. Eddy, I slept the entire night without pain waking me up!’ We’ve made it our mission to provide affordable chiropractic care to this community.” 

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Collaborative Culture 

Jeremy Biggs is also an Oak Ridge native and a graduate of Oak Ridge High School. After serving as chief administrative officer at another Covenant Health facility, he welcomed the chance to return to his hometown in 2016 to fill that same role at Methodist Medical Center. 

“I was extremely interested in coming back to my hometown, and Methodist was the perfect fit,” Biggs says. “The hospital has a rich history and has been serving Oak Ridge and East Tennessee for 80 years. I have the privilege of working with such a dedicated, caring and accomplished team of professionals here at Methodist and within the Covenant Health family. Every day I walk into my hospital, I know I made the right decision.” 

Biggs says supporting his team members is one of the best parts of his role, which can include securing resources, training, equipment or technology to help them meet the health care needs of the community. 

“Oak Ridge offers an incredibly diverse culture and supportive atmosphere,” Biggs says. “While it continues to grow, it maintains the charm of a smaller town with the amenities of a larger city. If you want to live in one of the most beautiful areas of the country that has great schools and outdoor activities and work with a collaborative group of professionals, then Oak Ridge is the place!” 

Personalized Experience

Before returning to his hometown of Oak Ridge, where he’s now operated his solo dental practice for 36 years, Dr. John Soldano left the area to gain a wider perspective. He practiced in Columbus, Ohio, for about seven years, including serving as a substitute dentist for 85 general dental practices around the state. 

Soldano says seeing an array of dental practices gave him a lot of learning experience, but he was eager to return to Tennessee. An accomplished chef, he also spent several years running two restaurants for the University of Tennessee and now is working on a book of his favorite recipes. 

His initial degree was in psychology, but he left that to pursue dentistry. 

“I was more artistic,” he says. “I enjoy doing things with my hands.” 

His practice focuses on a positive, personalized experience for patients and offers a wide range of services, including root canals, surgeries, crowns, bridges, dentures, implants and fillings, along with a state-of-the-art dental lab. 

Soldano, whose office boasts a case of memorabilia given to him by patients who were in Elvis Presley’s inner circle, says his favorite part of the work is his interaction with people. 

“I’ve always been a people person,” he says. “Just about everybody is unique in the world, and they bring to you something you’ve never seen or heard.” 

Training on the Front Lines

A new family medicine residency program serves the region.

Dr. James Schindler is medical director for a new program that will train family medicine residents at Methodist Family Medicine Clinic, Methodist Medical Center and other Covenant Health facilities and community sites. 

“Family physicians provide a central role in health care by being the first point of contact for patients,” Schindler says. “They see patients from birth to geriatrics and are the experts in outpatient medical care.” 

He says family physicians help patients understand and adhere to complex care plans. “We provide a bridge to specialists and are often the first point of contact for patients presenting with mental health and interpersonal issues,” he says. “Well-trained family doctors partner with patients and families to achieve better health and fuller lives. By choosing to begin training family medicine doctors, Methodist is also choosing to improve primary care for the region.” 

Schindler has helped with the startup of two other programs. 

“The exciting part is you have a blank slate, with some requirements and suggestions by our accrediting body, to develop a program that fits the needs of the community,” he says. “New programs have the ability to adjust to what is happening in health care quicker than programs that have long-standing ties to particular training approaches.” 

What is so enjoyable about teaching, he says, “is seeing someone come in fairly ‘green,’ and within three years, become a doctor that you would send your own family to see. That’s my goal, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”