When Victoria Truelove talks about her own career in health care, she might just as well be speaking about the clinic for which she works, and in a very real sense, she is.
Victoria launched her nursing profession at Longstreet Clinic at almost the exact same time the Clinic was founded – by physicians at eight single specialty practices who saw the changing landscape of medicine and determined that joining together would provide best care to the patients of northeast Georgia. And it’s because of the forward thinking of these physicians and the commitment of staff like Victoria that patients in northeast Georgia continue to trust their care to Longstreet Clinic 30 years after its founding.
“I’ve always been evolving and growing and adapting to change in order to do what’s best for the patients,” Victoria said. “I started in family medicine in an office with one exam room and six providers – and look at us now. But no matter how much we’ve grown, we still care for patients just the same – if not better than we did back then.”
Today, Longstreet Clinic includes almost 200 providers working in 20 specialties across the region. Through the course of its expansion, Longstreet Clinic achieved many milestones, including being the first care provider in the community to adopt electronic medical records. The Clinic also led the way in integrating advanced practice providers into care, with Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives, and Physicians Assistants, providing crucial support and access for patients across its vast array of care options.
“Longstreet Clinic was founded by caring physicians – providers who understood what was required to provide patients with the best care available while enabling the expansion of needed medical services and innovation to communities across northeast Georgia,” said Longstreet Clinic CEO Mimi Collins, who has also been with the Clinic since its founding in 1995.
“The Clinic was founded during a time of great change in the healthcare sector, and a group of visionary doctors took it upon themselves to make sure northeast Georgia didn’t fall behind.”
Longstreet Clinic’s commitment to imaging and diagnostic excellence saw the addition of the state’s first Voyager MRI, as well as investments in breast screening technology including 3D breast ultrasound (ABUS), 3D mammography, as well as on-site stereotactic and ultrasound-guided biopsies. Yet innovation goes beyond machinery, and Longstreet has also evolved to implement evidence-based care models with a goal of improved health outcomes for patients.
These changes include primary care sites achieving recognition as Patient-Centered Medical Homes – a designation that Victoria has taken an active role in. “We have standards that we have to monitor to achieve these designations,” said Victoria, who moved from a strictly clinical role to taking on more administrative responsibilities 14 years ago. “I was also part of the team that helped launch and maintain EPIC (Longstreet Clinic’s information system platform and patient portal). I like learning, and every day offers a challenge for that.”
Longstreet Clinic continues to adapt, as the landscape of health care continues to evolve. That is why the Clinic recently announced a formal agreement to join Northeast Georgia Health System – a move that will allow clinic providers to continue to grow, while providing the best care available.
“Longstreet Clinic and NGHS have long partnered to provide high-quality care; including the development of neonatal intensive care units at NGMC Gainesville and Braselton; oncology services, including centers in Braselton and Toccoa; a shared health information platform, called Epic; and a clinically integrated network called HP2,” said Robert Richard, MD, FACS, bariatric surgeon and president & chairman of the Governing Board of Longstreet Clinic. “This agreement enables us to take our partnership to the next level, eliminates barriers and will help us serve our community in new ways for many years to come.”
It is just the latest development from a clinic that strives every day to meet the goals set forward at its founding 30 years ago.
“We’re proud of the care we’ve provided and the work that we’ve done over the past 30 years. We don’t just work here; we live here and take pride in northeast Georgia and want to make it the best place it can be. That commitment is one of the reasons why we have been able to grow and be so successful,” Collins said. “We’re looking forward to continuing that standard of excellence moving forward and are excited to see what the future will bring.”
