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Stephen Alan DeGray, M.D. Phone: (276) 322-5641 Stephen DeGray is a board certified family physician with a solo practice in Bluefield, Virginia. Born July 23, 1943 in Middlebury, Vermont, Dr. DeGray is a citizen of the United States. He is married to Wendy DeGray and they have one daughter Kayen, and three sons - Terrance, Gregory, and Eric. Dr. DeGray holds three degrees from the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont: a bachelor of arts in Zoology (awarded in 1966), a master of science in Zoology (1971), and a medical doctorate (1975). He served in the U.S. Army Infantry from 1966 through 1969. In 1978, Dr. DeGray completed a three year residency program at the Kanawha Valley Family Practice Center in Charleston, West Virginia. Located at Charleston Area Medical Center, the Kanawha Valley Family Practice Center is affiliated with West Virginia University. Between 1978 and 1980, Dr. DeGray engaged in a private practice in Bluefield, West Virginia. He included obstetrics in his practice and admitted patients to Bluefield Regional Medical Center. From 1980 to 1981, he practiced in North Conway, New Hampshire, including obstetrics in his practice and admitting patients to Mount Washington Valley Medical Center. In 1981, Dr. DeGray moved back to Bluefield and excluded obstetrics from his practice. He has maintained a broad-based family practice in Bluefield since 1981.
Within a range of 20-30, Dr. DeGray sees an average of 25 patients per day in the office. He estimates that 10% of his patients are children aged 12 and under; 10% are adolescents; 40% are adults under the age of 65, and 40% are older adults. About 5% of his patients are enrolled in Medicaid and another 45% are enrolled in Medicare. The remaining 50% have commercial insurance coverage. Dr. DeGray provides medical care for friends and neighbors at home from time to time. He offers sports physicals to local athletes and treats those who present with injuries. Dr. DeGray participated in community screening clinics until he learned that such events were meant to market hospital services rather than reach patients in need of health care.
Dr. DeGray enjoys the full range of general family practice, but finds that his patient population includes few young children since he does not practice obstetrics or offer newborn care. He has been practicing in Bluefield for almost 20 years and his mature practice includes many patients with chronic diseases, especially hypertension and diabetes. The DeGray practice involves a competent, happy staff and patients who are just plain "nice to be around." Bluefield Regional Medical Center is an "amazingly sophisticated" hospital for such a small area, and offers excellent specialty coverage for generalist physicians. With three teenaged sons, Dr. DeGray has developed an absorbing interest in high school sports soccer, football, and track. He also enjoys reading, skiing, gardening, carpentry, and listening to high fidelity music, especially jazz. Residents who train with Dr. DeGray are welcome to stay with the doctor and his family. Alternately, they may choose to stay in area motels Comfort Inn, Ramada Inn, Brier Motel, Holiday Inn, Diane Lee House, etc. GMEC can attempt to locate a furnished apartment for residents, but we cannot guarantee results because short-term rentals are difficult to secure in rural areas. Bluefield Regional Medical Center is a 265-bed acute care facility in Bluefield, West Virginia. The hospital offers an expanded range of services: emergency, inpatient and outpatient care, intensive care, surgery and anesthesia, pathology, radiology, imaging, nuclear medicine, obstetrics, occupational medicine, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, laboratory, nutrition, pharmacy, and home health. Specialties represented on the staff include allergy & immunology, anesthesia, cardiology, dermatology, emergency medicine, endocrinology, family practice, gastroenterology, internal medicine, nephrology, neurology, neurosurgery, obstetrics & gynecology, oncology/hematology, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pathology, physical medicine, pediatrics, plastic surgery, podiatry, psychiatry, pulmonary diseases, radiation oncology, radiology, rheumatology, surgery, and urology. Bluefield straddles the border between Virginia and West Virginia. The joint population of Bluefield, Virginia (5,363) and Bluefield, West Virginia (12,593) is 17,956. The population of Tazewell County is 45,960. The landscape includes countless glens scattered among hills shaped like gumdrops and mountains ranges that look like the crests of waves interrupted. From hidden hollows in the north to a spectacular ringed cove in the south, Tazewell County is a place of rare and compelling beauty. Major elements of the Tazewell County economy are personal services, manufacturing, retail trade, coal mining, transfer payments (retirement pensions, disability income, and welfare benefits), and agriculture. In 1995, the largest employers were Clinch Valley Medical Center, the school board, Southwest Virginia Community College, Long Airdox Company (mining machinery), and Cumberland Mountain Community Services. There are many manufacturing centers on the outskirts of Bluefield, West Virginia. U.S. Interstate 77 and U.S. Highway 460/19 intersect in Bluefield. There are several shopping centers in the twin-cities, along with any number of local and franchised restaurants, cinema screens, discount stores, groceries, antique stores, and specialty boutiques. Bluefield is surrounded by the Jefferson National Forest and within a hour's drive are several attractions: Burke's Garden, Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine, Pipestem Resort, Bluestone State Park, Pinnacle Rook State Park, Camp Creek State Park, and Crab Orchard Museum and Pioneer Park.
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Dr. DeGray sees patients in the
office from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays,
and Fridays. His office includes three exam rooms and a medical
lab of moderate complexity. Patients who need x-rays and other
support services are referred to Bluefield Regional Medical Center.
Dr. DeGray offers urgent care and performs minor surgical procedures
(laceration repair, removal of simple skin lesions, aspiration
of cysts, etc.) There is a computer linked to the Internet in
Dr. DeGray's office.
Dr.
DeGray maintains Pediatric, Medicine and ICU/CCU admitting privileges
at Bluefield Regional Medical Center in Bluefield, West Virginia, where
he rounds on an average of 3-5 patients a day. DeGray takes call for
his own patients during the week and shares weekend call with three
other family physicians. He is on call every fourth weekend. There are
no call expectations for residents who train with Dr. DeGray.