Patient Testimonials & Stories

Meet Jennifer!

When Jennifer Freeman discovered Brock Hughes Medical Center (BHMC) while searching online in 2024, she was facing a difficult reality. A homemaker who had recently lost her health insurance coverage, Jennifer could no longer afford visits with her previous provider or pay for her medications at a retail pharmacy. She needed affordable, accessible care and she found it at BHMC.

The BHMC team immediately began assisting Jennifer through in-house pharmacy services, ensuring she had access to the medications she needed without the overwhelming financial burden. In September 2025, during a routine visit, lab work revealed her A1C was 11.5%, significantly above the recommended goal of under 7% for individuals living with diabetes. This level placed her at serious risk for complications. Her provider prescribed Ozempic and metformin. Jennifer received Ozempic through the Medication Assistance Program (MAP) at BHMC. This program saved her approximately $950 a month!

Despite starting treatment, Jennifer continued to experience large fluctuations in her blood sugar levels. In November, she was referred to the BHMC Chronic Care Management Program for additional support. Through the program, Jennifer gained access to a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). Without insurance, CGM sensors can cost between $150 and $350 per month. Jennifer received her sensors from the BHMC pharmacy for just $7 every two weeks.

Jennifer began meeting biweekly with Dr. Sword, BHMC’s pharmacist and diabetes educator, who provided hands-on guidance, reviewed her glucose readings, and helped adjust her treatment plan. Her CGM readings were securely transmitted to the clinic, allowing for close monitoring and timely recommendations. The CGM also became a powerful educational tool. Jennifer could see in real time how her food choices impacted her blood sugar. With this knowledge, she made meaningful dietary changes. As her numbers improved, she was even able to safely reduce the dose of one of her diabetes medications. In just three months, Jennifer’s A1C dropped from 11.5% to 6.4%, well below the recommended target.



Jennifer says the compassionate care she receives at Brock Hughes Medical Center has transformed her understanding of diabetes and empowered her to take control of her health.

Her story is a powerful example of how access to affordable care, patient education, and ongoing support can truly change lives.

Meet Alicia!

Alicia Grizzle is a long-term employee of a local nursing home in the admissions department. Her employer offers health insurance, however, being a single mother and always conscientious of her finances like so many others, she found it very difficult to afford the cost of the insurance. After being diagnosed with diabetes, she was very disheartened that her high-premium health insurance would not cover most of her diabetic medications she needed. She found herself unable to seek the necessary treatment for her chronic disease.

Alicia saw several different providers and even a diabetes specialist, but she felt that no one truly cared about her on a personal level or about her inability to afford her medications. “I felt like I was at a dead end, consistently running into a brick wall, despite my efforts to take care of my health.” A co-worker recommended Brock Hughes Medical Center (BHMC). Initially, Alicia did not believe that she would be able to be seen by the clinic; she feared her income was too high to qualify for services. She was shocked that BHMC was in fact able to see her. When she established care as a new patient at BHMC in May 2024, her A1C was 10.1%. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends an A1C goal of less than 7% for most adults with diabetes. Her level was high because she had been unable to afford the diabetic medications.  She was relieved to learn she could in fact obtain the diabetic medications she desperately needed through the prescription assistance program at BHMC, with the help of Medication Assistance Coordinator Teresa Gilman, CPhT.

Alicia participates in BHMC’s Chronic Care Management program, which allows her the opportunity for individualized visits with Keri Sword, Pharmacist and Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist for the clinic. Participation in this program provides her with Continuous Glucose Monitoring equipment. According to her most recent lab work, her A1C was at 7.1%, almost at the goal for those with Type 2 diabetes. “The regular visits with Dr. Sword help me stay on track, knowing someone is watching over me. The attentive and caring staff, coupled with the services BHMC offers, make it possible for me to take care of my health, and family, and feel better than I have since being diagnosed as diabetic.”

"A long-time employee in the service industry and a hard worker to boot, Wendy Stoots found herself without health insurance options because her employers did not offer these benefits. She was unable to afford the high premium costs associated with health insurance, but also earned too much to qualify for Medicaid. Her only option in the mid-1990s was to turn to the then Brock Hughes Free Clinic which was located in the Wythe County Health Department. In 1996, Ms. Stoots was diagnosed with diabetes.

Ms. Stoots began participating with Keri Sword, PharmD, in the BHMC Chronic Care Management program more than two years ago. At that time, the program was a new addition to the services provided by BHMC. In addition to being a diabetic, Ms. Stoots has trouble maintaining her blood sugar levels in the optimal range, experiencing periodic hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) episodes, which can be very dangerous. These episodes threatened her ability to continue her work. Ms. Stoots needed some way to monitor her blood sugar levels more consistently while working while also not disrupting her workflow. Dr. Sword recommended that she try a Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring System. The cost of a Continuous Glucose Monitoring system to help her monitor her blood sugar while at work would have been more than she could afford on her income. However, as part of the Chronic Care Management (CCM) program at BHMC, Ms. Stoots was supplied with a Continuous Glucose Monitoring system beginning in June of 2022. Since beginning to use the system and meeting with the pharmacist approximately once every other week, Ms. Stoots’ average blood glucose has improved from approximately 209 to 158, according to the most recent readings. The system alerts Ms. Stoots when her blood sugar level is dropping while at work so that she can immediately have a snack to raise the level before it becomes dangerously low, which would then affect her being able to work. Ms. Stoots has also seen improvements in her blood pressure during her participation in the program. The CCM program has been funded in-part by the Wythe-Bland Foundation since 2020. This program is significantly improving the health outcomes of other BHMC patients diagnosed with chronic diseases, like Ms. Stoots.

Ms. Stoots is grateful the clinic has been here for her for so long. Without BHMC, her options for primary healthcare and pharmacy services through the years would have been slim to none. She indicated that the individual time Dr. Sword has been able to spend with her and the diabetic supplies the Clinic has been able to provide her through her participation in the CCM program has been invaluable to her and has allowed her to continue to live a high-quality lifestyle and maintain her work."

- Wendy Stoots

"Gout, a complex form of arthritis, brought James to Brock Hughes Medical Center in 2017. Employed at the Bolling Wilson Hotel as a general maintenance worker, James did not have health insurance. He had recently been seen at the Bland Ministry Center dental clinic, which is how he found out about Brock Hughes. After his first visit and labs, James realized he had more going on than just gout. He was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure, and his cholesterol was high. He knew he had always struggled with anxiety but had never been treated. Today his A1C (blood sugar level) has decreased significantly, his cholesterol is much lower, and his blood pressure is regulated. His anxiety is also controlled. Mr. Graybeal said the care he has received while at BHMC has improved his life significantly. He feels so much better and doesn’t worry as he once did.

Mr. Graybeal believes God is the reason for everything and he knows He is the reason he found BHMC. “The clinic and every single staff member have been a blessing to me. They are all so very nice, they genuinely care, they listen and ask questions, I am treated as a person and not just a number. Most doctor’s offices I have been to in the past just want to get you in and get you out, but not BHMC.” Mr. Graybeal and his wife have been together for 35 years. They have 3 children and 11 grandchildren. Thanks to BHMC he gets to enjoy life with his family and can continue being the “anything man” to many; anything anyone needs help with, he’s your guy. By the grace of God, Mr. Graybeal has so much to be thankful for and in return he will continue giving back."

- James Graybeal