The Roanoker July/August 2022 - 56

do more intense testing. Fortunately, all
my test results were negative. I received
my results the day of the testing. When
the results were delivered to Dr. Moore,
she called me one evening to go over the
results, to make sure I was okay, asked
if I had any questions and to chat about
what the results meant for the future. I
appreciated her call so much. Again, I felt
the genuine compassion she has for her
patients. "
up, Heather made sure everything was in
the best interest and safety of the residents
and staff. "
Carl Musser, Jr., MD
CARILION CLINIC CARDIOLOGY
Nominated for Cardiologist by Bruce Meyer
" Explains issues very well, has excellent
staff to work with you. "
Heather Neff
VIRGINIA LUTHERAN HOMES, BRANDON OAKS
Nominated for Elder Care by Nicole Bruch
" Heather is the President and CEO of
Virginia Lutheran Homes, owners and
operators of Brandon Oaks Life Plan
Community. Heather has exemplified
the term servant leadership throughout
her career but especially over the past
2 years during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leading a senior living organization during
a pandemic, that in the beginning
made people terrified of nursing homes
and senior living, has been difficult.
Nonetheless, Heather has lead VLH and
BO through the worst of COVID-19. When
things got difficult and staff were feeling
the strain of all of the regulations and
testing and quarantine rules, Heather
made a point to talk directly with front
line staff and staff in all levels to really
hear what they were experiencing and
how we could make it better. Rather than
stay in her office while the pandemic
played out, she was there with her staff.
From deciding the best path for the organization
to ensuring staff morale stayed
Taylor Nelson, DACM
CLEAR LIGHT ACUPUNCTURE
Nominated for Acupuncture by Anonymous
" Taylor Nelson is establishing his practice
of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in
Roanoke. His diagnoses and treatments
have helped me tremendously in dealing
with grief and lethargy. I am impressed
with the insight and information he gathers
from using traditional methods and
the effectiveness of the treatments he
uses. "
Derek O'Dell, DVM
BRANDON ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Nominated for Veterinarian by Anonymous
" Dr. Derek (as my family likes to call
him) is a very caring and patient doctor
when it comes to treating his four legged
patients. I have known Derek since he
was a small child and he has wanted
to be a veterinarian since he was eight
years old. Derek served as a volunteer
at Mill Mountain Zoo in his teens and this
got the ball moving toward his dreams
of being a vet. A survivor of the Virginia
Tech shootings, Derek has been an inspiration
to many in the community for
his bravery, compassion and all around
good nature. Dr. Derek grew up in the
Roanoke Valley and graduated from Cave
Spring High School and Virginia Tech
with a degree in Biological Sciences.
He earned his Doctorate of Veterinary
Medicine from the Virginia Maryland
College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013.
Dr. O'Dell has worked as a veterinarian
in the Roanoke Valley since 2014 and has
been with Brandon Animal Hospital since
early 2020. "
56 JULY/AUGUST 2022
TheRoanoker.com
CARL MUSSER: COURTESY OF CARILION / HEATHER NEFF: COURTESY OF BRANDON OAKS / COURTESY OF TAYLOR NELSON / COURTESY OF DEREK O'DELL

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The Roanoker July/August 2022

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