01/09/2026
During the Christmas holiday, emergency departments at WVU Medicine Braxton County Memorial Hospital (BCMH) and WVU Medicine Summersville Regional Medical Center (SRMC) faced two separate, high-stakes emergencies.
On Dec. 24, BCMH was managing a trauma patient who required transfer to WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital for a higher level of care. With air transport unavailable and difficulty securing an EMS crew, options were limited. Alexandra Lawler, MD, brainstormed with Scott Findley, MD, to find a solution. Favorable census conditions at SRMC led to an innovative plan, which succeeded thanks to SRMC’s John Hamon, RN. John, who has prior experience as a paramedic, volunteered without hesitation and drove to BCMH to assist with the transfer, ensuring the patient could safely reach Ruby Memorial.
On Christmas Day, the SRMC Emergency Department faced another complex case. A patient arrived in preterm labor with a high-risk pregnancy. Weather conditions again ruled out air transport, leaving ground transport the only option.
Stanley Morris, MD, transported the patient by ground to Ruby, and a team spanning multiple departments and facilities rallied around the patient during the journey.
Despite being off duty, respiratory therapist Emily Padgett came in to accompany the patient during transport, and she was joined by Chloe Hill, RN.
Aaron Schneider, MD, also off duty, answered a 2 a.m. call and came in to cover the remainder of the ED shift for Dr. Morris. Even while short-staffed, the SRMC ED nursing staff never missed a beat, continuing to care for patients.
✨Together, these events highlighted the strength of teamwork across two of WVU Medicine’s rural hospitals and the ‘patient-first’ mindset of both staffs,” Leslie Lawson, MBA, FACHE, president of SRMC and BCMH, added✨
