VA has an exceptionally talented team of outstanding employees. We would like you to meet them, starting with our dedicated staff of doctors. We will be introducing an eminent doctor in a continuing feature: VA’s Top Doctors.
We continue our series of top doctors at VA with Dr. Kathryn Holloway, Chief of Neurosurgery at the Richmond, VA, VA Medical Center.
Dr. Holloway recently hit a significant milestone: 500 Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgeries in the past 18 years.
A native of Clifton, N.J., Holloway graduated from Rutgers Medical School and has been in Richmond for 32 years.
She has a 17-year-old son and enjoys mountain biking and skiing with her husband and son.
Why she enjoys working for VA: “The best reasons to work at the VA are the patients. Veterans are an amazing group of very special people and it is pleasure and an honor to care for them.
“The second reason is that the VA system provides the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary care environment to provide optimum care without having the impedance of insurance regulations that prevent this in the non-VA environment.
“The goal of our team is to continuously improve the care that we are providing to the Vets. I feel fortunate to work in a system that supports this goal.”
The Veterans she serves agree. Veteran Charles Bryan is an op-ed columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch and had the DBS procedure done this summer.
“I am very fortunate to have had one of the country’s leading deep brain stimulation neurosurgeons for my DBS. Not only is she skilled at her craft in the operating room, she obviously cares deeply about the welfare of her patients. Her winning smile and engaging personality helped dispel any nervousness I may have had leading up to my surgery.
“She is obviously greatly admired and respected by her fellow physicians and the skilled nurses on her team. She is a wonderful role model for up and coming neurosurgeons to follow. We are so fortunate to have someone of with her experience and abilities in our community.”
Bryan has chronicled his experiences in his newspaper column.
Holloway has a number of important achievements:
- She was instrumental in the design of the nexframe.
- She was the first neurosurgeon in the country to implant a Kinetra device
- She was also the first neurosurgeon in the country to implant an Activa RC.
- She was one of the first neurosurgeons in the country to use the O-Arm with DBS and continues to make advancements to enhance the DBS procedure.
Dr. Julie Beales, Chief of Staff at Richmond’s McGuire VA Medical Center, adds, “Dr. Kathryn Holloway is an extremely talented surgeon. As the Chief of Neurosurgery, she specializes in treating patients with Parkinson’s Disease and essential tremor.
“Her work truly changes our Veterans lives and can afford patients the opportunity for a new outlook on life. With more than 500 Deep Brain Stimulation surgeries completed, Dr. Holloway has proven, time and again, she is a valuable asset to our team!”
Dr. Holloway’s achievements were so impressive she was featured in an extended interview on National Public Radio.
The 500 surgeries took place at the McGuire VA Medical Center and nearby Virginia Commonwealth University.
Note: VA is not responsible for the content of the external websites mentioned in this article.
About the Author: David J. Hodge is the Public Affairs Specialist at McGuire VA Medical Center
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