A Hospitality House

When your spouse or “significant other” has health problems, it is very important for the closest person in their lives to help as much as possible. Hopefully, this takes some of the worry off the ill person and gives that person comfort.

Lately, hubby and I have been making the rounds to different doctors for tests, evaluations, blood work, etc.

Remember when you had only one family doctor? Boy, those days are gone forever. No wonder our health costs are skyrocketing!

Now, a local doctor takes care of minor problems but will quickly refer you to a specialist in the field you need.

This reporter looks back at her childhood and remembers Dr. Watkins who lived and practiced in the town of Drakes Branch, Virginia.

I had scarlet fever when I was in the first grade and our household was quarantined. A sign was posted on our front door and my brother had to stay home from school, too.

Dr. Watkins visited me regularly with his infamous shot of penicillin and checked me over from head to toe. I still remember the high fever I had and the long days I stayed in bed.

The radio quickly became my friend as I listened faithfully to Amos and Andy, Only the Shadow Knows, the Lone Ranger and many other entertaining programs.

With hubby’s surgery set, we quickly discovered that we had to check in at Lynchburg General Hospital at 5:30 a.m. Boy, did this wife do some searching for an alternative to traveling at 4:00 a.m. for out-patient surgery.

Lo and behold, four families we know had recently spent the night before a surgery at the Rosemary and George Dawson Inn, a non-profit hospitality house built in 2012 for lodging of Centra patients and family members who are receiving treatment at Lynchburg General.

Since our weather forecast was most unpredictable, we called and reserved a room. We were informed of an Open House at the inn on our reserved night and were invited to attend. Little did we know that we’d get to meet retired Centra President and CEO George Dawson and his wife Rosemary who both briefly spoke during the reception. Also on the program were E.W. Tibbs, Jr., current President and CEO of Centra Healthcare and William E. Moore from South Hill, Virginia.

W.E. (Mickey) Moore spoke highly of the inn’s facilities and how he and his wife had stayed there for weeks while she went through radiation. Mr. Moore’s wife was the late Faye Bryant Moore, originally from Drakes Branch. Faye and this reporter attended school together. Their son, Dr. Bill Moore is an ER physician who works at Lynchburg General and Southside Community Hospital.

The inn was perfect in every way. It reminds this reporter of a small family hotel because the management was so caring. They went out of their way to explain how the inn operates and how to donate to the cause.

If someone in your family needs a reasonable night of lodging and will be a Centra patient, check out the Centra Rosemary and George Dawson Inn, located about a block from the hospital on the same street. We highly recommend the accomodations!