The Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 13 for Eastlake Primary Care, PC, a primary care medical and wellness practice located in Moneta. Dozens of family members, friends and area business leaders attended the event to officially welcome Eastlake Primary Care founder/CEO and physician assistant Holly Roy, PA-C and her staff to the community. Her staff includes Kendra Hullett, RN, Kim Walton, RN, Michaela Albach, LPN and Patient Services Coordinator Kenzi Smith. Roy also has the expertise of a doctor assisting with overseeing her practice.
Eastlake Primary Care opened in early January in the Food Lion shopping complex in space previously occupied by Smith Mountain Lake Coffee House, and it has hit the ground running since. “We’ve been busy, we’ve seen as many as 20 patients in a day,” said Roy.
The new medical practice fills a huge void for patients in need of primary care. A 2025 study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University showed that the primary care shortage in Virginia affects 44% of neighborhoods and almost 3.8 million Virginia residents, with rural communities being hit hardest by workforce shortages…