Dr. Hanibal Mahdi, MD, recently accepted the position of Director of the Emergency Department at Pocahontas Memorial Hospital. Dr. Mahdi first began working in the Emergency Department in July 2017. He and his staff provide 24/7 emergency medical care for our community.
Dr. Mahdi is eager to begin introducing his new team to the community.
“We have a whole team of board certified physicians in the ER now, that will strive to really make a difference in taking care of the community,” he said. “We have a different image.”
A doctor must have a license to legally practice medicine. To get licensed, a physician must graduate medical school, fulfill residency requirements and be approved by the state’s medical board. A board-certified doctor has met those same requirements, received a minimum number of hours of training and passed tests beyond what’s required for a license. Board certification is a voluntary process and, unlike licensure, specialty specific.
In addition, all specialty boards require passage of a written exam, completed without assistance and administered in a secure testing facility; some specialties also require an oral exam. These exams are intended to assess medical knowledge and clinical judgment. Board certification helps keep the field current and shows a doctor’s commitment to professional development.
The fact that Pocahontas Memorial Hospital’s core Emergency Team is currently all board certified is a big deal for both the hospital and the community. In her eight years at PMH, Chief Executive Officer Barbara Lay said the hospital has never been able to say this.
Joining Dr. Mahdi to make up the core team of physicians in the Emergency Department are doctors Matthew Lee, MD and Jennifer Shreves, MD.
Dr. Lee has more than 15 years’ experience in practicing Emergency Medicine, working at Princeton Medical Center, Wheeling hospital, Thomas Memorial, Roane General and King’s Daughters Medicine Center. Dr. Lee has West Virginia roots, graduating from West Virginia University in 1993 with his Bachelor of Science, and then later from West Virginia University School of Medicine in 1997.
Dr. Mahdi received his medical degree from Damascus University Hospital in Syria. He has been practicing medicine since the 1990s, beginning at Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan, before moving to northern Virginia. Most recently, Dr. Mahdi was an Emergency Medicine Attending Physician at Grant Memorial Hospital and Raleigh General Hospital.
Dr. Shreves also has West Virginia roots, and has more than 20 years of emergency experience. She also graduated from West Virginia University School of Medicine. Dr. Shreves actually has a double board certification – one in Internal Medicine and one in Emergency Medicine. Dr. Shreves has practiced at Charleston Area Medical Center, West Virginia University Healthcare, Camden Clark and United Hospital Center.
Additional physicians are called in at various times throughout the month to provide care, and at this time, those doctors are board certified, as well.
Dr. Mahdi uses three words to describe his team – efficient, experienced, and compassionate. Patients will certainly find this to be true. The Emergency Department is fully staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and was designated a Level IV Trauma Center in 2014.
