Selected Podcast
Meet BCH's New General Surgeon
Get to know Bath Community Hospital's New General Surgeon and his vision for quality and compassionate health care in the communities we serve.
Featuring:
If an excellent patient experience is a goal, 5-Stars follows Dr. John Sedovy everywhere he goes. If asked what brought him to Bath, he will tell you “his Faith.”
A fan of hiking, hunting, wholesome food, and the newly trending sport of disc golf, Dr. Sedovy has always enjoyed the County of Bath and looks forward to exploring it fully with his family of five children, and wife Rhonda of 25 years.
After attending Temple University School of Medicine and completing his residency at Carilion Roanoke Memorial, he joined an established surgical practice serving the Lexington and Rockbridge area since 1999.
“Dr. Sedovy’s expertise and patient-centric manner are an ideal match for our growing surgery team,” said Jeff Lingerfelt, CEO of Bath Community Hospital. “Having Sedovy onboard increases patient access to services and is in keeping with our promise to provide a full range of top-quality hospital and outpatient services.”
Dr. Sedovy is an experienced general surgeon skilled in minimally invasive techniques and endoscopic procedures. His expertise includes the diagnosis and care of patients with diseases and disorders affecting the abdomen and digestive tract, including appendicitis, hernias, gallbladder malfunction, stomach, and intestinal dysfunction, as well as breast and skin disorders. Dr. Sedovy will be available to serve our community through Bath Community Physicians Group clinics starting in April.
John Sedovy, M.D.
Hot Springs, VA, February 14, 2022 — Bath Community Hospital welcomes Dr. John D. Sedovy, MD, to their surgical team.If an excellent patient experience is a goal, 5-Stars follows Dr. John Sedovy everywhere he goes. If asked what brought him to Bath, he will tell you “his Faith.”
A fan of hiking, hunting, wholesome food, and the newly trending sport of disc golf, Dr. Sedovy has always enjoyed the County of Bath and looks forward to exploring it fully with his family of five children, and wife Rhonda of 25 years.
After attending Temple University School of Medicine and completing his residency at Carilion Roanoke Memorial, he joined an established surgical practice serving the Lexington and Rockbridge area since 1999.
“Dr. Sedovy’s expertise and patient-centric manner are an ideal match for our growing surgery team,” said Jeff Lingerfelt, CEO of Bath Community Hospital. “Having Sedovy onboard increases patient access to services and is in keeping with our promise to provide a full range of top-quality hospital and outpatient services.”
Dr. Sedovy is an experienced general surgeon skilled in minimally invasive techniques and endoscopic procedures. His expertise includes the diagnosis and care of patients with diseases and disorders affecting the abdomen and digestive tract, including appendicitis, hernias, gallbladder malfunction, stomach, and intestinal dysfunction, as well as breast and skin disorders. Dr. Sedovy will be available to serve our community through Bath Community Physicians Group clinics starting in April.
Transcription:
Joey Wahler (Host): Bath Community Hospital has a new surgeon, someone who offers a wide range of services and has a reputation for being loved by his patients. We'll definitely ask them about that. So we're getting to know this key new member of the hospital's team.
Welcome to Your Health is Our Passion, a Bath Community Hospital podcast. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler. Our guest, Dr. John Sedovy, new general surgeon at Bath Community Hospital. Dr. Sedovy, thanks for joining us and congrats on your new gig.
Dr John Sedovy: Well, thanks, Joey. I'm happy to be here and happy to be in the community.
Joey Wahler (Host): So in a nutshell, you've had a background in a few different parts of the country. First, back east now in the local area or close to this particular one. Tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to this new position.
Dr John Sedovy: Yes. I originally grew up in a small town outside of Buffalo, New York. I did my undergraduate and medical school in the big city of Philadelphia. I did my general surgery training in Roanoke, because I did want to come down to Virginia and live in a rural environment. My practice has been for the last 22 years in Lexington, Virginia, which is a small town. This opportunity arose basically from people that I've known from the Lexington area, and there really was a need that had arisen. And I'm just happy to try to fill that. This is a very rural environment. I think that this will fit my style of practice very well.
Joey Wahler (Host): And speaking of which, what would you say is an example or two of a plus for patients at a rural hospital versus a big city, which you've been in before as we said?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, I think it's the personal touch that really sets a rural practice apart from an urban practice. You're not just a number. You are a person, you are a patient, not only from the physician's perspective, but from everybody in the hospital. We're all neighbors, we're all community. And again, you have a name and not a number.
Joey Wahler (Host): And speaking of which, doc, you have a great track record as I alluded to for patient satisfaction. What makes a strong bedside manner such a priority for you?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, I think it's crux of caring for people. I think you have to connect with them on a level that goes beyond the medicine and beyond the problems. And I think in order to get to the root of trying to solve problems, which is basically what I do, you have to get to know the person.
Joey Wahler (Host): And then once you get to doing what you do, let's talk about what that is. First, general surgery naturally includes numerous areas of expertise. What surgeries do you typically do most?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, as you stated, the surgeries are varied. I do hernia repairs, a whole host of gastrointestinal problems of which I think the bulk of the tools that I use are going to be both colonoscopy and upper endoscopy and various other tests. We do breast and skin operations. Again, if your appendix were to go bad, we can snatch that out as well.
Joey Wahler (Host): Wow. So that's a long list, but beyond even just surgery, how about how much preventative care you do as well?
Dr John Sedovy: I think the crux of our preventative care, which is a big portion of the practice, boils down to preventing colon cancer. Colon cancer, being the number two cancer killer in the United States is a preventable disease. It can't be prevented in all cases, but with screening techniques, which the gold standard is colonoscopy, we can reduce the number quite a bit. We also can talk about other options that patients can use that are less invasive. But again, all of those techniques are compared against the gold standard, which is a colonoscopy. We would talk about a whole host of other options as well. But certainly, if any of the other screening tests were positive, it basically boils down to having a colonoscopy.
Joey Wahler (Host): And what's really interesting there doctor is the fact that as a general surgeon in a rural facility, you do a lot of colonoscopies and gastro work, whereas in bigger facilities, gastro doctors are usually the ones that people see there. So people should know that you're the one to see if they need that, right?
Dr John Sedovy: That is true. The practice of gastroenterology and general surgery, especially in a rural environment, do overlap quite a bit. My general premise is that if I can't take care of your gastrointestinal problem, I could always refer you, which probably be a car trip to a larger area. But I would say that majority of the gut problems that ail you could be taken care of locally.
Joey Wahler (Host): So I know the hospital is very excited to have you. With you on board, what new services can Bath Community offer now?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, it has been a nice reception. My actual first day of practice will be in April, but I've had a great reception so far. I'm just as excited about coming out here as they say they are to have me. We will just expand on what's taken place here before. Again, I've listed the procedures that I do, and they're basic general surgery procedures. We hope that we can make this the destination for people for the colonoscopies and the services that I outlined.
One of the basic premises is that, well, if you have a problem and we can't take care of it, we would like to be a pivotal point for people to come to and we can get you where you need to go. But we also would like to think that we are the best at doing the procedures that we can offer.
Joey Wahler (Host): Now, from what I understand, doc, in your personal life, you're known for eating healthy. How much do you promote eating right with your patient?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, it depends on the patient, I guess. Some people are receptive to that sort of thing. And some people are there for a different purpose. If people are having gut problems, obviously, the first thing I always say, you know, about 85% is in diet and you fix that first. And if you can fix the diet and generally eat healthy, some of the other problems will go away. Now, diet doesn't fix everything, but it certainly can get you a long way to staying healthy.
Joey Wahler (Host): Now, you and your wife, Rhonda, and your children, when you're not working, what are some of the things now that you're new to this area that you're looking forward to be able to take advantage of? Because you're an outdoorsy kind of guy, you were telling me. And what does that enable you to do now going forward?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, I certainly do enjoy the outdoors. I am a hunter. I hunt a little less than I did in my earlier years, but I do enjoy getting out and hiking quite a bit. Bath County is certainly a beautiful area and I will be hopefully taking advantage of the outdoors for sure.
Joey Wahler (Host): And you're a disc golfer. I'm sure some don't even know what that is. Maybe tell us briefly what it is. And you were mentioning, there's not a lot of disc golf in the immediate areas, so you may have to mix in some regular golf, but that's not such a bad thing, is it?
Dr John Sedovy: We might have to work on the disc golfing around here as well. It's a lesser known sport. I used to be a golfer, but I found that with raising a family and with a busy practice, disc golfing offered not only a cheaper alternative, but a quicker alternative. Whereas I couldn't always convince my wife that I should be on a golf course for three to four hours, I could get around to disc golfing in about an hour and 15. So, it's a challenging game and offers a lot of the same types of rewards that regular golf does as well.
Joey Wahler (Host): And what are you using as equipment there?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, there's a lot of different discs. There are driving discs, There's fairway discs. There's what we call the mid discs and putters. So they all have different shapes depending on how you throw them that you can bend them around curves and try to get them into what they call a disc catcher. So it's the same premise as golf. You want to try to shoot as low as you can, but just something that I picked up.
Joey Wahler (Host): And so you're throwing the disc as opposed to driving it?
Dr John Sedovy: Yes, sir. You're throwing it. And it takes a toll on your shoulder a little bit sometimes, but it's just something that you have to develop a technique for, just like regular golf.
Joey Wahler (Host): Wow. I'm learning all kinds of things from this conversation. By the way, doc, as you mentioned, you got to be careful with the shoulder because, you know, if anything were to happen, God forbid, you need to know a good surgeon, wouldn't you now?
Dr John Sedovy: I suppose I would. Yes, sir. Do you know any?
Joey Wahler (Host): We can talk after. I might be able to refer you. So finally, let me ask you this. Obviously, this is a great passion of yours, practicing medicine. I'm curious what was it in your life that made you want to be a doctor in the first place and especially the kind of doctor you are that can really get to know people and provide that personalized service?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, I guess I'll try to put it in a nutshell. I've been blessed all my life. My path was not always to be a surgeon. My father was an engineer and, of course, I was going to be an engineer. But I found that that wasn't really what I like to do. So I did a little soul searching and ended up realizing what my likes and what my strengths were.
I went into biology as an undergraduate and, I guess, after taking a battery of tests, et cetera, I had several options and one of those was to go to medical school. And I enjoyed medical school greatly. And of course, my course was going to be pediatrics or family practice. And that was right up until my third year in medical school where I did my first surgery rotation. It was like a thunderbolt, I guess, struck me that this was absolutely what I wanted to do. And so I changed my gears once again, and I went full force to Get into a surgery residency, and the rest is history. I've enjoyed practicing medicine for the last 22 years. And I'm just looking forward to the next however many God gives me.
Joey Wahler (Host): That's great. Well, folks, we're glad you've had a chance to become more familiar with the work and background of Dr. John Sedovy, the newest surgeon at Bath Community Hospital. Hey, Dr. Sedovy, thanks again and best of luck with everything.
Dr John Sedovy: Well, thank you very much. It's been a pleasure talking to you.
Joey Wahler (Host): Same here. And to schedule a procedure, including the aforementioned colonoscopy or for preventative care, please call (540) 839-7197. That's (540) 839-7197 or visit Bath Community Hospital online at bathhospital.org. That's bathhospital.org. If you found this podcast helpful, please do share it on your social media. And thanks again for listening to your Health is Our Passion, a Bath Community Hospital podcast. Hoping your health is good health, I'm Joey Wahler.
Joey Wahler (Host): Bath Community Hospital has a new surgeon, someone who offers a wide range of services and has a reputation for being loved by his patients. We'll definitely ask them about that. So we're getting to know this key new member of the hospital's team.
Welcome to Your Health is Our Passion, a Bath Community Hospital podcast. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler. Our guest, Dr. John Sedovy, new general surgeon at Bath Community Hospital. Dr. Sedovy, thanks for joining us and congrats on your new gig.
Dr John Sedovy: Well, thanks, Joey. I'm happy to be here and happy to be in the community.
Joey Wahler (Host): So in a nutshell, you've had a background in a few different parts of the country. First, back east now in the local area or close to this particular one. Tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to this new position.
Dr John Sedovy: Yes. I originally grew up in a small town outside of Buffalo, New York. I did my undergraduate and medical school in the big city of Philadelphia. I did my general surgery training in Roanoke, because I did want to come down to Virginia and live in a rural environment. My practice has been for the last 22 years in Lexington, Virginia, which is a small town. This opportunity arose basically from people that I've known from the Lexington area, and there really was a need that had arisen. And I'm just happy to try to fill that. This is a very rural environment. I think that this will fit my style of practice very well.
Joey Wahler (Host): And speaking of which, what would you say is an example or two of a plus for patients at a rural hospital versus a big city, which you've been in before as we said?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, I think it's the personal touch that really sets a rural practice apart from an urban practice. You're not just a number. You are a person, you are a patient, not only from the physician's perspective, but from everybody in the hospital. We're all neighbors, we're all community. And again, you have a name and not a number.
Joey Wahler (Host): And speaking of which, doc, you have a great track record as I alluded to for patient satisfaction. What makes a strong bedside manner such a priority for you?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, I think it's crux of caring for people. I think you have to connect with them on a level that goes beyond the medicine and beyond the problems. And I think in order to get to the root of trying to solve problems, which is basically what I do, you have to get to know the person.
Joey Wahler (Host): And then once you get to doing what you do, let's talk about what that is. First, general surgery naturally includes numerous areas of expertise. What surgeries do you typically do most?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, as you stated, the surgeries are varied. I do hernia repairs, a whole host of gastrointestinal problems of which I think the bulk of the tools that I use are going to be both colonoscopy and upper endoscopy and various other tests. We do breast and skin operations. Again, if your appendix were to go bad, we can snatch that out as well.
Joey Wahler (Host): Wow. So that's a long list, but beyond even just surgery, how about how much preventative care you do as well?
Dr John Sedovy: I think the crux of our preventative care, which is a big portion of the practice, boils down to preventing colon cancer. Colon cancer, being the number two cancer killer in the United States is a preventable disease. It can't be prevented in all cases, but with screening techniques, which the gold standard is colonoscopy, we can reduce the number quite a bit. We also can talk about other options that patients can use that are less invasive. But again, all of those techniques are compared against the gold standard, which is a colonoscopy. We would talk about a whole host of other options as well. But certainly, if any of the other screening tests were positive, it basically boils down to having a colonoscopy.
Joey Wahler (Host): And what's really interesting there doctor is the fact that as a general surgeon in a rural facility, you do a lot of colonoscopies and gastro work, whereas in bigger facilities, gastro doctors are usually the ones that people see there. So people should know that you're the one to see if they need that, right?
Dr John Sedovy: That is true. The practice of gastroenterology and general surgery, especially in a rural environment, do overlap quite a bit. My general premise is that if I can't take care of your gastrointestinal problem, I could always refer you, which probably be a car trip to a larger area. But I would say that majority of the gut problems that ail you could be taken care of locally.
Joey Wahler (Host): So I know the hospital is very excited to have you. With you on board, what new services can Bath Community offer now?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, it has been a nice reception. My actual first day of practice will be in April, but I've had a great reception so far. I'm just as excited about coming out here as they say they are to have me. We will just expand on what's taken place here before. Again, I've listed the procedures that I do, and they're basic general surgery procedures. We hope that we can make this the destination for people for the colonoscopies and the services that I outlined.
One of the basic premises is that, well, if you have a problem and we can't take care of it, we would like to be a pivotal point for people to come to and we can get you where you need to go. But we also would like to think that we are the best at doing the procedures that we can offer.
Joey Wahler (Host): Now, from what I understand, doc, in your personal life, you're known for eating healthy. How much do you promote eating right with your patient?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, it depends on the patient, I guess. Some people are receptive to that sort of thing. And some people are there for a different purpose. If people are having gut problems, obviously, the first thing I always say, you know, about 85% is in diet and you fix that first. And if you can fix the diet and generally eat healthy, some of the other problems will go away. Now, diet doesn't fix everything, but it certainly can get you a long way to staying healthy.
Joey Wahler (Host): Now, you and your wife, Rhonda, and your children, when you're not working, what are some of the things now that you're new to this area that you're looking forward to be able to take advantage of? Because you're an outdoorsy kind of guy, you were telling me. And what does that enable you to do now going forward?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, I certainly do enjoy the outdoors. I am a hunter. I hunt a little less than I did in my earlier years, but I do enjoy getting out and hiking quite a bit. Bath County is certainly a beautiful area and I will be hopefully taking advantage of the outdoors for sure.
Joey Wahler (Host): And you're a disc golfer. I'm sure some don't even know what that is. Maybe tell us briefly what it is. And you were mentioning, there's not a lot of disc golf in the immediate areas, so you may have to mix in some regular golf, but that's not such a bad thing, is it?
Dr John Sedovy: We might have to work on the disc golfing around here as well. It's a lesser known sport. I used to be a golfer, but I found that with raising a family and with a busy practice, disc golfing offered not only a cheaper alternative, but a quicker alternative. Whereas I couldn't always convince my wife that I should be on a golf course for three to four hours, I could get around to disc golfing in about an hour and 15. So, it's a challenging game and offers a lot of the same types of rewards that regular golf does as well.
Joey Wahler (Host): And what are you using as equipment there?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, there's a lot of different discs. There are driving discs, There's fairway discs. There's what we call the mid discs and putters. So they all have different shapes depending on how you throw them that you can bend them around curves and try to get them into what they call a disc catcher. So it's the same premise as golf. You want to try to shoot as low as you can, but just something that I picked up.
Joey Wahler (Host): And so you're throwing the disc as opposed to driving it?
Dr John Sedovy: Yes, sir. You're throwing it. And it takes a toll on your shoulder a little bit sometimes, but it's just something that you have to develop a technique for, just like regular golf.
Joey Wahler (Host): Wow. I'm learning all kinds of things from this conversation. By the way, doc, as you mentioned, you got to be careful with the shoulder because, you know, if anything were to happen, God forbid, you need to know a good surgeon, wouldn't you now?
Dr John Sedovy: I suppose I would. Yes, sir. Do you know any?
Joey Wahler (Host): We can talk after. I might be able to refer you. So finally, let me ask you this. Obviously, this is a great passion of yours, practicing medicine. I'm curious what was it in your life that made you want to be a doctor in the first place and especially the kind of doctor you are that can really get to know people and provide that personalized service?
Dr John Sedovy: Well, I guess I'll try to put it in a nutshell. I've been blessed all my life. My path was not always to be a surgeon. My father was an engineer and, of course, I was going to be an engineer. But I found that that wasn't really what I like to do. So I did a little soul searching and ended up realizing what my likes and what my strengths were.
I went into biology as an undergraduate and, I guess, after taking a battery of tests, et cetera, I had several options and one of those was to go to medical school. And I enjoyed medical school greatly. And of course, my course was going to be pediatrics or family practice. And that was right up until my third year in medical school where I did my first surgery rotation. It was like a thunderbolt, I guess, struck me that this was absolutely what I wanted to do. And so I changed my gears once again, and I went full force to Get into a surgery residency, and the rest is history. I've enjoyed practicing medicine for the last 22 years. And I'm just looking forward to the next however many God gives me.
Joey Wahler (Host): That's great. Well, folks, we're glad you've had a chance to become more familiar with the work and background of Dr. John Sedovy, the newest surgeon at Bath Community Hospital. Hey, Dr. Sedovy, thanks again and best of luck with everything.
Dr John Sedovy: Well, thank you very much. It's been a pleasure talking to you.
Joey Wahler (Host): Same here. And to schedule a procedure, including the aforementioned colonoscopy or for preventative care, please call (540) 839-7197. That's (540) 839-7197 or visit Bath Community Hospital online at bathhospital.org. That's bathhospital.org. If you found this podcast helpful, please do share it on your social media. And thanks again for listening to your Health is Our Passion, a Bath Community Hospital podcast. Hoping your health is good health, I'm Joey Wahler.