THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 10, 1994 TAG: 9411090152
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 24 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Dr. David J. Weinstein and Dr. James M. Williams are joining the trend among the country's general practitioners - the hiring of family nurse practitioners.
Weinstein recently hired Carrie Wiggins, who for 17 years worked as an instructor at the Obici School of Nursing. A few weeks ago, Williams hired Eileen Deegan, who since 1990 had worked as a critical-care nurse in Waynesboro Community Hospital.
He had someone in that position several years ago. For Weinstein, this is a first.
Creating those positions enables the physicians to expand the capabilities of their family practices.
Both men have offices in Suffolk. Weinstein also has a practice in Wakefield and is medical director of the Waverly Health Care Center.
``Now I can offer more services to the public. I can do more of what I hadn't been able to do before,'' Weinstein said. ``I didn't have as much time to teach medical students working in my office.''
They come from Obici Hospital in Suffolk and the Medical School of Virginia in Richmond.
``I take the senior class at Obici and rotate them in Suffolk, Wakefield and Waverly,'' Weinstein said.
Wiggins and a fellow nurse practitioner student, Catharine Roberts, each received about 500 hours of clinical practice working with Weinstein.
He hired Wiggins, who is a certified practitioner, through what he calls ``mutual attraction. We have so many important interests in common.'' He cited in particular their belief in education and in the clinical processes.
Family nurse practitioners give physicals, help take care of patients with chronic conditions and some with acute problems.
``There's also a lot of teaching and counseling to families and individuals,'' Wiggins said. ``The emphasis is to maintain wellness, prevent illness.''
Her family's emphasis is on medicine.
Wiggins' 24-year-old daughter, Bunny Chavers, is a nurse at Obici. Her 13-year-old, Kara, wants to be a pediatrician.
``It's a result of what mom did and didn't do,'' Wiggins said. ``I wanted to go to medical school but couldn't because of family obligations.''
Her aunt and her mentor, Vivian Foreman, was a nurse at Sentara Norfolk General for 30 years.
``I wanted to be a nurse since I was 5,'' said Wiggins, who lives on Holy Neck Road with her husband, Willie, a retired postal worker.
She has a master's in nursing from Hampton University and an advanced degree from Hampton and the Medical College of Virginia.
Deegan said she was a University of Virginia graduate ``in 1990, 1992 and 1994'' - receiving her bachelor's, master's and family nurse practitioner degrees.
She studied for that field while working in Waynesboro.
Like Wiggins, Deegan is family inspired. Her mother is a nurse educator in the Home Health Division of Sentara Norfolk General.
Her parents live in Virginia Beach. Her father is retired from the Navy.
``Dr. Williams was seeking a family nurse practitioner. I saw an ad in The Virginian-Pilot,'' Deegan said.
``I wanted to become a family nurse practitioner because it gives you the opportunity to help people make better decisions - hopefully, to avoid their ending up with a life-altering disease.
``Here's a perfect example,'' Deegan said. ``Someone in their late 50s comes in after their first heart attack. They want to know what happened. They don't understand they may be hypertensive - they have salt and fat in their diet. They don't exercise. They smoke.
``They don't understand the impact those things have.''
That's where people like Deegan and Wiggins come in. Their training, Deegan said, ``helps provide a good standard of care.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by MICHAEL KESTNER
Eileen Deegan helps people make better health decisions.
Carrie Wiggins is a former instructor at Obici School of Nursing.
by CNB