Two Lynchburg psychiatrists honored as Heroes in Healthcare for volunteer work

Two Lynchburg psychiatrists have been designated as 2008 Heroes in Healthcare for their volunteer work at Johnson Health Services.

The Virginia Health Care Foundation designated Dr. Michael E. Judd and Dr. James W. Gallagher as recipients of the “Unsung Hero Volunteer” award.

The two specialists, both in private practice at Piedmont Psychiatric Center, were among 11 award winners in various categories honored recently in Richmond.

Virginia Health Care Foundation was created in 1992 by the Virginia General Assembly and the Joint Commission on Health Care. It works to encourage innovative public-private partnerships and to increase the availability of care for people who have no insurance or are medically underserved.

The two physicians were nominated by Joanne Green, a licensed clinical social worker who oversees behavioral health at Johnson Health Services. Judd and Gallagher have volunteered more than 275 hours and been involved with about 1,000 patient visits.

“They are truly a godsend to us,” said Green, who got to tell Judd and Gallagher about winning the award, for which they didn’t know they’d been nominated.

Green was pleased to be able to break the news.

“It let them know how much we appreciate what they’ve done,” Green said. “It was wonderful.”

Johnson Health Services, based at the 320 Federal St. Johnson Health Center, is a community health center, which provides care on a sliding scale fee, accepts private and public insurance, and gives care to those who can’t pay.

Dr. Peter Houck, Johnson medical director and interim CEO, said the award “shows how physicians in the medical community are volunteering their time to help — it speaks well of the many physicians that participate in this way.”

Green said some patients have multiple problems, social as well as physical.

“Each seems to complicate the other,” she said.

Johnson has primary care physicians available who can write prescriptions for depression or anxiety in patients.

“But many had far more complicated issues,” Green said. Johnson physicians felt uncomfortable prescribing for serious mental health problems when they felt psychiatric care was needed.

“With the assistance of Dr. Judd, and later, Dr. Gallagher, what we were able to do is to take more complicated patients,” she said.

Often those patients either did not know about, had not qualified for, or had avoided seeking care from mental health agencies, she said.

Patients would come in for basic medical care. If the primary care doctor felt a mental health assessment was needed, a licensed clinical social worker worked with the patient, and then made the decision about a psychiatric consult.

One of the best benefits, Green said, has been to patients with serious and persistent mental disorders who, because they had not had access to a psychiatrist, had not been eligible for disability benefits — until Judd and Gallagher were available to help.

“Some were trying to work, but couldn’t because of the psychiatric problems,” and they were spiraling downwards, said Green. Armed with the social worker assessment, and the psychiatric consult, “they had the basis to get that disability (benefit) they so desperately needed, then get Medicare or Medicaid, or both.”

“It’s a wonderful program. I wish every clinic could have such a thing,” Green said.

Dr. Michael Judd said that while in residency in Roanoke he had volunteered at a clinic, and he decided to continue when he came to Lynchburg.

“I think it is important for a physician — and other health care providers — to give back to the community,” Judd said.

Although it’s the same type of work he does full time, his volunteer work is for individuals who would not otherwise have access to the services, Judd said.

“Dr. Gallagher and myself, we do what we do because we have a passion for it. And we do the best we can for folks.”

One of the systems issues he sees is the lack of resources available to people who need them.

“One of the problems we see is that people oftentimes don’t qualify at Central Virginia Community Services, and fall through the cracks.”

By volunteering at Johnson, it provides a bridge “perhaps to those who need it the most,” Judd said.

Both doctors would like to see more health care volunteers. “It is important for us to do the best we can for our community,” Judd said. With collaborative efforts “everyone wins.”

It doesn’t mean carving a chunk out of the daily schedule to volunteer a half-day a month.

Judd recruited his colleague Gallagher without any arm-twisting.

“It was worthwhile on its face,” Gallagher said.

“The need is real and often times it is an invisible need,” Gallagher said.

“Johnson has been relatively successful in helping to meet the need. There’s a waiting list to be seen.”

Dr. Michael E. Judd

Dr. James W. Gallagher