Valley Health manages many healthcare facilities in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, and, in particular, the ones in Front Royal and Winchester, Virginia. These healthcare facilities – hospitals and urgent care centers – not only serve the needs of the local communities, but also Christendom’s faculty, staff, and students when they require medical emergency attention or simply have need for a routine check-up. In recent years, more and more Christendom alumni have used their liberal arts degrees to gain acceptance to medical schools, and a number of these alumni have now come back to the Shenandoah Valley to work for Valley Health in service to the local communities – as administrators, nurses, and doctors.
Top left to right: Dr. John-Paul Jansen, Jacob Meza, Dr. John English III; Bottom left to right: Catherine McFadden, Nick Wenzel, Joby Norton
Catherine McFadden (’16) and Nick Wenzel (’17) are two recent alumni who have chosen to return to the area to work for the Valley Health System. McFadden, who earned her B.A. in philosophy and completed George Mason’s highly-ranked 12-month accelerated nursing program following graduation, is an RN at Winchester Medical Center, assisting patients on a daily basis in the telemetry unit. History major Wenzel works for Valley Health as well, but in a different capacity. After earning his Master’s in Business Management from Duke University, Wenzel became the operations manager for Valley Health Urgent Care in Winchester. In his administrative role, he is helping his facility to run more efficiently, making it easier for the medical staff to do their jobs more effectively.
While Christendom does not offer a pre-med program, it does offer many key prerequisites that allow students to enter medical programs post-graduation. The college’s liberal arts education has proven to be a plus for alumni before they enter the medical field. Its focus on the timeless truths assists students in navigating the ethics of modern medicine, while the soft skills that result from this education — critical thinking, communication, and leadership — help graduates stand out from their peers, both in graduate school and in their future jobs.
Dr. John-Paul Jansen (’00) is another of those graduates. After graduating with his B.A. in history, Jansen earned his M.D. from the West Virginia University School of Medicine. After working in various healthcare facilities in Colorado and Kansas, Jansen recently returned to the area to provide his services to the Winchester community. In his role, Jansen serves patients as an internal medicine specialist, using his expertise to best assist people and get them back on the road to a healthy life.
Winchester Medical Center is one of the local hospitals where alumni work.
RN Joby Norton (’10) is at Winchester Medical Center, too, working with Jansen and McFadden on the various floors of the highly respected hospital. Norton, like McFadden, earned his nursing degree from George Mason after graduating from Christendom with a philosophy degree. After a number of years working in the Inova Health System at Fairfax Hospital, first as a clinical technician and later as an RN in the medical-surgical intensive care unit, he decided to return to area, eager to give back to the community and impact it for the better.
In Christendom’s backyard of Front Royal, Dr. John English serves as a general surgery specialist. English, a 2006 philosophy major, earned his M.D. from the Saba University School of Medicine. He returned to the Front Royal area in recent years and joined Valley Health, ready to assist his patients at Warren Memorial Hospital with their medical needs, including laparoscopic surgery.
Helping to oversee all of this is another alumnus, Jacob Meza (’05), who serves as the director for the urgent care and occupational health program for Valley Health. After earning his Master’s in business, Meza returned to give back to the Front Royal community, joining the Valley Health System. In his role, he manages the budget for Valley Health and its employees, ensures patient satisfaction, and much more, truly making it possible for Valley Health to provide the best care possible for patients.
These six alumni work on different floors and in different locations, but each works toward a common goal: helping their fellow men. They are restoring all things in Christ by helping people at their most vulnerable, truly living out the mission of Christendom and making society better.