Tag: Fort Chiswell Medical Center

Cathie Harrington has cared for my family and me as our nurse practitioner, off and on, for the past two decades. She has treated us like members of her own family and offered the kindest, most knowledgeable medical advice I have ever received. As someone who lives with cerebral palsy on a daily basis, my healthcare requires a specialized sense of understanding. Cathie has been exceptional in every regard. She was the first provider to place me on a medication regimen to address the spasticity associated with my condition at a time when my startle reflex had become so severe that I was embarrassed to go out in public. She was also remarkably kind and gentle during my battles with clinical depression, helping me understand that it was perfectly acceptable to seek medical treatment for such a condition. Cathie has been present for my highest highs as well. She was one of the first people I told when I became engaged, and she was the first medical professional to care for my daughter after she was born in 2014. Now, it is time for Cathie to take a step back and focus more on herself and her family. With three grandchildren under the age of five living in Richmond, she has decided to scale back her practice to Mondays and Tuesdays only at Fort Chiswell Medical Center. Though three other capable providers serve the practice, Cathie is so well loved and highly respected that she could easily run it herself. It has often been difficult to secure an appointment with her, as she is frequently booked months in advance. With her recent reduction in hours at the beginning of this year, demand has only increased. Yet once you finally step into the exam room and she walks through the door, whatever concern brought you there begins to dissipate. Even before she offers treatment, her mere presence brings a sigh of relief — a quiet assurance that everything will be all right. She has been equally wonderful in caring for my daughter Emily, who lives with complex heart and mental health conditions, always pairing deep compassion and reassurance with an extraordinary breadth of medical knowledge. As natural as Cathie seems in her role as a nurse practitioner, it was not her first career aspiration. Growing up in Charlottesville, she initially dreamed of becoming an artist and attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond to pursue that path. When she shared this with me, I recalled her beautiful illustration work for her mother’s children’s book, Wilhemina Under the Stairs, a story about a rat who made its home beneath a family’s staircase after a flood. Her professional journey began at the health department, where she was tasked with notifying individuals that they had tested positive for sexually transmitted infections. “There was a nurse at the health department named Nelle who guided me into nursing,” she recalled. “However, it wasn’t enough for me to see all these patients and become engaged in their care only to have someone else make the ultimate decisions about their health.” Encouraged by a colleague to pursue an emerging field of study, Cathie enrolled in nurse practitioner school. “A lady who worked in the NICU at Roanoke Memorial Hospital told me that a family nurse practitioner program was the one for me,” she said. I found that particularly serendipitous, as I spent the first two months of my life in the NICU at Roanoke Memorial Hospital in March 1985 after being born 15 weeks premature. After graduating as part of the second class of nurse practitioners at East Tennessee State University in 1994, Cathie went straight to work at Wythe Medical Associates when the late Dr. David Moore invited her to join his team. “They hadn’t had nurse practitioners in Wythe County before,” she explained, “and they thought it would be a good fit.” It certainly was. She remained there for 17 years before transitioning to Fort Chiswell Medical Center in 2011, where she continues to practice today. “I love the people of Wythe County and building relationships with them,” she said. “I am the same person in my office as I am if you were to meet me on the street.” That authenticity is one of the qualities patients find most endearing. We know we will receive caring, thoughtful advice and sound medical treatment. Her elegance, grace, and even her speaking voice call to mind Meryl Streep, yet she possesses a warm sense of humor that endears her to children and adults alike. Although she has treated patients from infancy through end-of-life care, pediatrics remains her particular niche. “I have a knack and a soft spot for children,” she added. “Ensuring that our children receive quality healthcare as they grow is one of the most important aspects of family medicine.” For more than 15 years, Cathie has served as administrator for the Vaccines for Children program, making certain her pediatric patients receive the recommended immunizations they need. She acknowledges that parental attitudes toward childhood vaccines have shifted in the age of social media. “Parents need to verify facts about vaccines before making a decision,” she cautioned. “They should always consult a medical professional regarding the care of their children.” My family and I will continue to count ourselves among the fortunate patients of Cathie Harrington for as long as she chooses to practice. We are deeply grateful for her friendship, her wisdom, and her compassionate care. She is, without question, the very best of the best.