August 31, 2020

Blue Ridge Regional Hospital Welcomes New General Surgeon, Adding to a Robust Surgical Services Menu

Tonia Hale

By Tonia W. Hale, DNP, MAOM, BSN, RN, CEO and CNO of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital

This month, I am very pleased to welcome our newest physician to the Blue Ridge Regional Hospital (BRRH), family, board-certified general surgeon Ashley Badger, MD. She comes to us from her six-year General Surgery residency at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem.

Dr. Badger received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine, and aside from her passion for preparing patients for surgery, performing procedures and seeing them through their recovery, she has a special interest in quality improvement, devising ways to improve care for patients.

Excellence is something Dr. Badger strives for in every area, and this is reflected in the fact that she is certified in the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. She is also an active member of the American College of Surgeons, the Association of Women Surgeons and the National Medical Association. She will be working out of an office right here at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital.

Be assured that even though the title “general surgeon” sounds all-encompassing, this specialty requires at least five years of intensive, focused training and performing surgeries that range from breast biopsies, thyroid surgeries, hernia repair and vein procedures, to appendectomies, gall bladder procedures and endoscopic tests.

I am certain that Dr. Badger will fit in well at BRRH and connect with the community quickly. In her new role, she will be treating patients and coordinating care with her colleagues here, and working within the team-based model that consistently leads to positive outcomes for patients and protects their safety most effectively. As with all of our caregivers, Dr. Badger will treat each patient she comes into contact with as an individual, whose healthcare goals are distinct from anyone else’s. Her care will not end once the surgery is completed; she will attentively provide post-surgical care to supervise patient healing, monitor them for any signs of infection and answer all questions that patients and families may have.

As we continue to navigate through COVID-19, your safety and well-being is our top priority. This is why we continue to ask that you keep wearing a mask when out in public, safely distance from people in public (at least six feet), and wash your hands well and frequently to discourage the spread of the virus.

With determination and a united spirit, we’re taking on COVID-19 every day. I extend my sincere thanks to all of our extraordinary caregivers here at BRRH and our community for continuing to trust us to care for you.

Tonia W. Hale, DNP, MAOM, BSN, RN, is CEO and CNO of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine.

Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, a member of Mission Health, an operating division of HCA Healthcare, is a community hospital serving Mitchell, Yancey, lower Avery and upper McDowell counties. Located in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is a Critical Access Hospital operating 25 beds. Blue Ridge Regional Hospital offers medical specialties including emergency services, prenatal and postnatal obstetrical care, wound clinic, cardiac stress testing, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs, nuclear medicine, 3D mammography, endoscopy services, critical care, rehabilitation services and fitness center, cancer services, orthopedics, general surgical services, pediatrics and family medicine, and walk-in, non-emergency care at Mission My Care Now Spruce Pine. For more information, please visit missionhealth.org/blueridge.