Welcome to our newest Ambassador - Dr. David Neff, Site Manager and Family Practitioner at Hopewell Prince George (HPG) Community Health Center, a site of Central Virginia Health Services Somehow it is totally appropriate that Dr. Neff began as a Site Director in Hopewell at Thanksgiving time in 2004 – because he feels he has much to be thankful for. And talking with his co-workers, they feel very much the same way.
Initially Dr. Neff was not planning on being a physician but instead, with his love of science, he went to pharmacy school and practiced two years as a pharmacist. During this time, Dr. Neff made an important discovery – working as a pharmacist at a big retail store did NOT provide the one to one personal interactions that he thrived on. Dr. Neff had been involved in the Co-Step Program Commissioned Officer Student Training and his supervisor went to the National Health Service Corps to recruit Dr. Neff as a way to enter Medical School at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Immediately after medical school, Dr. Neff worked at another Virginia Community Health Center, but moved to be closer to his home and family. Originally from California, Dr. Neff now calls Virginia home for his wife and five children – three foster and two adopted children. Being closer to home means Dr. Neff can participate more actively in his children’s activities and yet pursue the profession he clearly loves. The choice of working in a Community Health Center for Dr. Neff means no rounds and other erosions to his family life.
Dr. Neff describes his interest in public health and his enjoyment in dealing with people as having a ministry aspect – and not just treating illness. He sees his current role as a merger of medicine, social work and mission. His practice of medicine goes beyond the script to include consideration of housing, social and outside medical resources.
The Hopewell-Prince George area is a community of both agricultural and industrial business with most patients native to the area. Dr. Neff’s patient group currently has a high level of unemployment and disabilities are frequently on fixed incomes and often have diabetes, high blood pressure and heart conditions. On a typical day (excluding earthquakes, hurricanes, and power outages) Dr. Neff begins at 9 AM, and with a break for lunch, concludes his day between 4-5 PM. As a testament to his incredible efficiency and skill, Dr. Neff usually has an initial schedule of 24 patients per day, which with no-shows and work-in translates to about 20 actual patients per day.
In addition to excellent support staff, Dr. Neff also has third year medical students from Virginia Commonwealth University who may assist with patients. Under Dr. Neff’s direction, HPG is a wellness center that provides comprehensive care with dental services, behavioral health services and has a Medical Assistance Program (MAP). His greatest challenges are patients with significant lack of resources and lack of transportation. Dr. Neff describes Community Health Centers as a way to have a well balanced life style of family and profession, and “a very rewarding place you can practice medicine the way you were trained without having to run a business.”
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