PHYSICIAN HIGHLIGHT Building from the ground up When Dr. Schorge started in early 2022, there was no GYN oncology clinic, patients, or nurse. “It was just me and the idea that we could pull this off.” He opened his clinic and made sure patients could access surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment. He brought in a nurse dedicated to the gynecologic oncology program and a nurse practitioner to help coordinate medical oncology treatments. An OB/GYN resident and fourth-year medical student were also assigned to the team. Dr. Schorge praised Regional One Health’s leadership for helping the program grow. “We have been the beneficiary of a lot of energy and effort from the leadership team,” he said. Support from the Regional One Health Foundation has also been key. “There are a lot of gaps in health care systems, and the Foundation is pivotal in addressing both short-term needs and long-term initiatives,” he said. “We have social support projects where the Foundation is absolutely critical, and they’ve bought new monitors and blood 22 pressure cuffs for pregnant patients. It’s both little things and big things that we rely on the Foundation for.” A big payoff It’s paying off for women in the Mid-South. “On a daily basis we can point to circumstances where we’re elevating the care in the community,” Dr. Schorge said. They’ve improved Regional One Health’s rate of minimally invasive hysterectomy to over 90 percent, well above national averages. Black women historically had fewer minimally invasive procedures, which offer a much easier recovery than traditional surgery. Regional One Health has also grown its reputation as a tertiary care center, meaning patients are transferred from all over the region when they need complex care. And just recently, Dr. Schorge and UTHSC opened Regional One Health’s first ever gynecologic oncology clinical trial, providing a new treatment option for recurrent or advanced stage endometrial cancer. 2025 GRATITUDE REPORT
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