I have lived in the Savannah, GA area for several years, was assigned to Dr. R’s primary care group and have always received excellent care there. Six years ago, I decided to sell my home, purchase an RV, and travel the country full-time. I chose to remain assigned to Dr. R’s group because I could only approximate where I would be located at any given time, and in part because some VA clinics refused care because I was not registered at those clinics. (Carolyn communicated with one of those clinics so they would see me) and in part to be able to continue excellent care at both the Savannah Clinic and MUSC.

Regardless of where I was located, whenever I had a question or needed help, I would send a secure message to Carolyn. It was rare that she took more than one day to send back a reply. If I was having difficulty connecting with another group at Savannah (Physical Therapy and Optical for example), she went to the department on her own to resolve whatever issues I was having. When I needed to return to Savannah or visit Charleston for different appointments, she always coordinated them so I could get everything done in two or three days. That was a tremendous help, especially since it involved my coordinating travel, including one Amtrak trip from Tucson to Savannah and back, in the early days of COVID.

On one occasion, while in South Dakota, I was experiencing serious breathing and dizziness problems. Carolyn let me know what I needed to do and that led me to an A fib procedure in South Dakota to correct the problem. A few months ago, I relocated to Clayton, North Carolina with plans to sell my RV and buy a home. I have continued seeing Savannah/Charleston while some medical issues were resolved. Those are now done, and I will transfer my care to Clayton are VA facilities in a few weeks. I plan to consult with Carolyn prior to my move to coordinate and make sure everything at Savannah is completed. The paragraph tells of help I recently received from Carolyn.

Recently, and this is a big one, I sent her photos of a sore on my right cheek, just below my eye and asked what I should do. On her own, Carolyn arranged an appointment for me with dermatology in Charleston and last week MUSC removed a malignant skin cancer. Carolyn is a humble professional. I met her last year, thank her for her care, and I thank her whenever I send a secure message. She truly cares about the help that she provides, care about Veterans, and is glad to be there for her patients. She doesn’t do this for personal recognition. She goes above and beyond because it is her nature. Over the years, I have worked with many VA and MUSC (via the VA) health providers. Carolyn gives direction, honesty, confidence, and desire to do all she can to her work. I’m quite sure she helps all Veterans the same way.