Once a year, pediatric anesthesiologist Dr. Victoria Pollard swaps the beeping monitors of the operating room for the bustling chambers of the South Carolina State House. Armed with her stethoscope instead of a syringe, she steps into a world far removed from her usual setting of interactive toys and comforting cartoons.
As a volunteer with the SCMA’s Doctor of the Day program, Dr. Pollard’s mission during the legislative session is to provide on-site medical care and to offer physician insights to lawmakers and staff navigating the fast-paced world of politics.
Each Tuesday through Thursday during the session, doctors from all over the state in various disciplines including OB/GYN, dermatology, family practice, orthopedics, pediatrics, and even anesthesiology volunteer to serve as Doctor of the Day in exchange for two continuing medical education credits.
A participant since 2018, Dr. Pollard first learned of the program through a colleague. She has missed just one year.
Her first few years held an added significance for her personally. Typically, the Doctor of the Day is introduced to the full legislature by their district representative or senator once the legislative session of the day begins. Her first few introductions were done by none other than Dr. Robert Ridgeway, an OB/GYN and member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2012-20. Ridgeway also happens to be Pollard’s father.
“It was fun to get to see the legislators in action, especially my dad,” she says. “Unless you’re involved in politics, you’re not at the State House. You’re not at legislative events to see how government works. To be there and watch is just interesting and you learn a lot from that.”
The volunteer doctor has the use of an office, situated between the Senate and House of Representatives and staffed by two full-time nurses. There’s a well-equipped examination room stocked with over-the-counter medications and bandages. The Doctor of the Day may also provide short-term prescriptions when necessary. Pollard spends time in the office, but is free to roam the building and visit the gallery to sit in on hearings.
“I feel like I’m at least helping boost confidence in the physicians of the state,” said Dr. Pollard. “The legislators do a lot for us. They’re providing a service for us, so the least we can do is be there if something were to happen and they need our expertise.”
While there, she builds a rapport with the legislators, who see she is interested in their work. This, she says, helps to develop relationships and provide an opportunity to express an opinion in the future.
On one occasion, she and her resident sat in on a hearing about medical marijuana. She found it interesting to hear firsthand testimony from researchers and other experts. It was also fascinating to witness the questions posed by the legislators, who have varied backgrounds like banking, farming, and business operations, to ensure their understanding of the issue.
Pollard hasn’t treated much more than a cold or flu while at the State House. She has, however, mentored a few medical students who also volunteered their time. One year, she heard from a colleague who tended to a legislator who passed out in the middle of the session. The physician was able to get the gentleman stabilized before he departed in an ambulance.
While at the State House, Pollard leaves behind her bubble wands and surgical caps adorned with Bluey, Disney princesses, and Mickey Mouse that keep her patients at ease in her role as pediatric anesthesiologist for four Spartanburg Regional Medical Center facilities.
“Growing up and seeing how my dad helped so many people was a huge impact on me. Being in a small town, we’d run into patients, and they were always so grateful,” she recalls. “Just doing something that’s going to help someone, using what I love, it is a great thing. Anesthesiology is, I feel, like one of the more rewarding specialties, because I get to see instant results for what I do. Someone comes in, they need a specific surgery, I get to support their entire physiology (sometimes very complex) while under anesthesia including pain relief and help with any residual pain relief in recovery.”
To Volunteer: scmedical.org/advocacy/doctor-of-the-day/
At-A-Glance
Dr. Victoria Pollard
Undergraduate Education: Furman University
Medical Education: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine – Georgia
Specialty: Pediatric Anesthesiology
Residency: Largo Medical Center
Fellowship: Akron Children’s Hospital
