New Doctor Brings Decades Of Experience To YHS
Dr. George Abraham II has joined the health care team at Yalobusha Health Services. He started seeing patients on July 1.
By David Howell
Editor
WATER VALLEY – After almost four decades of seeing patients in his hometown of Vicksburg, Dr. George Abraham II has joined the medical team at Yalobusha Health Services (YHS). The physician started seeing patients on July 1 at Odom Rural Health Clinic, explaining that he moved to the area with his wife, Virginia, to be closer to multiple family members who live in Oxford, including their daughter and grandchildren.
At 73, Dr. Abraham reports that he enjoys waking up each morning and going to work, and plans to continue seeing patients into the future. He also explained his career continues to fulfill a promise he made when entering medical school at University Medical Center in Jackson in 1971.
“I made a commitment that if I was selected into medical school, I would practice in Mississippi as long as I could,” he told the Herald. “I was 29 years old when I started, that was a little unusual back then,” the doctor added. The late start came after he first worked as a research engineer, a career that was more isolated and where results could take years.
“I enjoy being around people more. It was a perfect fit for me,” he explained about switching from an engineer to a physician.
As for leaving Vicksburg, the doctor said the transition started back in January when he received an email advertising the position. He was already planning a trip to Oxford and decided to find out more, and a meeting was scheduled with YHS Admin-istrator Terry Varner.
“I knew from our first meeting that his values and work ethic matched ours,” Varner said. “It also helped that he and Dr. (Paul) Odom hit if off.”
“Everything just fell in place, the practice situation here was ideal for what I was looking for to finish my career,” Dr. Abraham added, explaining that the Vicksburg hospital had been taken over by a fairly large, for-profit chain company that appeared to focus on the bottom line.
A contract was signed by March, and Dr. Abraham reported the hardest part of the move was informing his patients and helping them find new health care providers. “It took three months to make the transition.”
Varner said the wealth of experience in family practice, including years of owning a private practice, makes Dr. Abraham a valuable addition to YHS.
“He understands both the clinical and billing aspects of health care. Dr. Abraham is also brings a lot of great ideas for new services to offer the community,” Varner told the Herald. Dr. Abraham has volunteered to be the Physician Director for YHS’ new cardiac rehab and stress testing services.
The doctor will work at the clinic four and half days a week, along with seeing patients at the hospital and nursing home. Although the smaller hospital will be a change regarding the level of care available, the physician said he has been very impressed with the level of services offered including lab work, CT scans, MRIs.
“There is not a lot that you really can’t offer here except for those higher levels of care that a larger hospital offers. It’s rare to see this kind of situation here in this size community. Very rare,” Dr. Abraham said.
