LewisGale Medical Centre celebrates 50 Years of Mental Health Care in Southwest Virginia

SALEM, Va. (WDBJ) – For 50 years, LewisGale medical Center has been a cornerstone in mental health care throughout southwest Virginia.

The hospital marked the milestone Tuesday with a special ceremony,honoring the impact of its behavioral health programme and the thousands of lives it has touched.

“in the 50 years, we’ve served over 75,000 patients and we watch them go on to have triumphant lives,” said Leigh Gathings, Vice President of Behavioral Health for the LewisGale Southwest Market.

The event, held in the hospital’s education center, highlighted the history of the program and recognized the staff who’ve helped shape it.

“We have providers that are very dedicated to the service,” Gathings added. “There is no day or night that they cannot be contacted. They will assist their patients and make sure that they have the best service.”

“The 50-year celebration means a lot, especially for this community,” said Leigh Frazier, Chief Clinical Officer at Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare. “By having this inpatient unit here with its attached outpatient services, it allows individuals to stay in the community and not have to travel.”

Frazier said the program has become a training ground for mental health professionals and a lifeline for many families.

“People have come through here and have learned how to take care of individuals and how to handle some of the most difficult situations while preserving that person’s individuality.”

“We made sure we took care of them as a human being,” Frazier added. “And saw them as a person.”

As hospital leaders reflect on five decades of service, they emphasize that the program’s mission remains unchanged: to care for and support every patient.