Carilion Proud Q&A: Get to Know Belinda Hodges

Meet Belinda Hodges, Trauma Performance Improvement Specialist with Trauma Services at CRMH

How long have you worked at Carilion?

I’ve worked at Carilion for 36 years. I began my journey at CFMH, where I spent 19 years in various roles including physical therapy aide, Emergency Department (ED) registration, switchboard operator, medical-surgical clerk/nursing assistant, ED secretary, technician, RN, clinical team leader and case manager. CFMH will always feel like home. It shaped my future, beginning with my first volunteer role as a 14-year-old candy striper. During that time, I also worked at Bedford Memorial Hospital and served as a superuser for several charting systems, helping implement them across many Carilion EDs.

Later, I became the first ED case manager at CRMH, where I designed and implemented the program. I then joined the Epic Ambulatory team as a workflow analyst, supporting rollout and build efforts. I’ve also worked as a nurse manager in Gastroenterology and Dermatology at Riverside, a nurse at VelocityCare Westlake and a department supervisor for Neurology across Riverside, the Franklin office, and CNRV. Today, I’m part of the Trauma Services team at CRMH.

How does your job contribute to patient care and/or Carilion’s mission?

My role focuses on identifying opportunities to improve care for adult trauma patients. I review charts based on Carilion trauma protocols and the American College of Surgeons best practices—standards that guide our trauma verification status. When I find trends or opportunities, I escalate them for further review, which can lead to updates in protocols, provider education and ultimately better patient outcomes.

One of my personal passions is improving care for the geriatric population. I work closely with a multidisciplinary team—including Trauma, Hospitalist, Geriatrics, Palliative Care and Emergency Medicine—to enhance protocols and outcomes for older adults.

What is your favorite thing about working here?

The relationships I’ve built over the years with people across departments, hospitals and the broader community are the most meaningful part of my career.

Describe a typical day in your job.

Monday is my only “typical” day. I start by attending Trauma handoff at 8 a.m., followed by reviewing the Trauma PI book in the ED for any provider-submitted cases from the prior week. I also attend 2 weekly virtual meetings via Teams. The rest of my time varies depending on service needs, case reviews and preparation for upcoming meetings.

How are you involved in your community outside of work?

I’ve served as an EMS provider in Franklin County since 1990, advancing from EMT to Paramedic. I’m also a trained firefighter, though no longer active. Since 2010, I’ve been an EMS educator, providing both initial and continuing education in Franklin County and surrounding areas. I also volunteer at local school sports events, offering standby EMS support.

What’s one thing that would surprise people about you?

I love building and creating things. The running joke in my family is that Dad gets the kitchen gadgets and Mom gets the power tools.

Tell us about your best day at work.

I’ve had many wonderful days because I make a point to connect with people, whether I’m walking a lost visitor to their destination or supporting a patient through a medical crisis.

One day that stands out involved a patient with chest pain who was clearly anxious. While the team stepped out to gather supplies, I stayed with him, calmly explaining each step of his care: IVs, medications, EKGs and more. When the EKG printed and showed clear signs of a heart attack, he asked me what it said. I told him, with a smile, that he wouldn’t be hanging out with us much longer because his heart’s “pipes” were clogged and he needed to head to a bigger hospital. I’d noticed earlier that he worked as a mechanic, and that analogy put him at ease. Everyone looked at me a little sideways, but he chuckled. I was able to stay with him from start to finish, and he did well. That’s a day I won’t forget.

Name someone at Carilion who has had an impact on your career or who has inspired you.

There are many, but a few stand out:

• Elaine Brubaker, Nancy Johnson, Maggie Chitwood, Judy Hudson and Gail Preston taught me compassion, toughness and what it means to be a professional ED nurse, right down to clean white shoelaces.
• Darrell Van Ness and EW Tibbs inspired and mentored me through nursing school and beyond. They encouraged me to follow my passions and opened doors across the Carilion system.
• Janice Holland taught me what family means in the workplace. She often says that she and CFMH raised me, and she’s right.

There are countless others who’ve inspired me to step outside my comfort zone and try new things. I’ve learned from every person I’ve met here, and that’s a lot of learning over 36 years.

How has Carilion changed over the years?

The overall footprint of the organization has grown significantly. I started part-time in 1988, before Carilion acquired Franklin Memorial Hospital. Since then, Carilion has expanded not only in buildings and locations, but also in the number of lives we touch across the region.

Share a memory about Carilion that newer employees might not know about.

In the ED, we used to track patients in a giant two-page ledger that covered an entire desk. All doctor’s orders were handwritten—and no, the handwriting wasn’t any better back then!