Meet our Internal Medicine staff

Dr. Jennifer Goldstein is a Internal Medicine Doctor at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System.
Medical School: Jefferson Medical College
Residency: Internal Medicine - Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA
Board Certification: Yes

I am an internist and work with the hospitalist teams, as well as transitions. I oversee the acute care services and many of the quality projects for specialty and inpatient services. 

In my free time I like to spend time with my son and dogs.  I am located on a barrier island and have a pond in my back yard so I love to bird and gator watch.  

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Dr. Athena Beldecos is board certified Internal Medicine doctor at the RHJVAMC.
Medical School: University of Pittsburgh
Residency: Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) at Portland, OR
Board Certification: Yes

I manage the Hospital Medicine providers at RHJVA. We have a dedicated and knowledgeable team taking care of Veterans who require admission to the hospital. We relentlessly look for opportunities to improve the care we deliver, our patients' outcomes, and their experience at RHJVA.   

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Dr. James "Jim" Oates  is board certified in Internal Medicine and a Rheumatologist at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System.
Medical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Residency: Duke University Medical Center
Fellowship:  Duke University Medical Center and Medical University of South Carolina
Board Certification: Yes

I specialize in systemic lupus erythematosus and spend most of my time at VA in research. As a result of my interest in cardiovascular and kidney health in autoimmune diseases, I emphasize to patients the importance of a low ultra-processed food diet, exercise, and stopping smoking in improving their health and reducing the risk of disease flares, heart disease, and kidney disease. 

I am a rheumatologist with a special interest in systemic lupus erythematosus. I have a VA Merit Award to study how lupus affects the blood vessel lining (endothelium) to increase the risk of heart disease and kidney disease. My laboratory is currently studying a medication to improve the function of the endothelium to improve outcomes. Another interest of mine is in social determinants of health, as there is an association between disease prevalence and neighborhood factors. 

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Dr. Richard Schatz is board certified in Internal Medicine at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System.
Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine
Residency: Medical University of South Carolina
Fellowship:  Medical University of South Carolina
Board Certification: Yes - Internal Medicine

Passion and commitment to outstanding patient care. I have clinical interests in the diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease, endoscopy teaching, and colorectal cancer screening and prevention 

Involved in multiple clinical trials investigating new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis), pain associated with chronic pancreatitis, metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease, and patients with cirrhosis (i.e., novel screening marker for hepatocellular carcinoma)

In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, golf, cooking, and traveling

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Dr. James Frederick Huiet, III is a board certified Internal Medicine doctor at the Ralph H. Johnson VS Healthcare System. 
Medical School: University of South Carolina
Residency: Keesler Medical Center
Board Certification: Yes - Internal Medicine

I'm a general surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive hernia (rupture) surgery. I have performed laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs (TEP) since 2009 and now routinely perform robotic-assisted laparoscopic repairs for groin, umbilical and ventral hernias. My practice includes the care of patients with ventral and incisional hernias that can develop after open abdominal surgery. 

I'm collaborating with Dr. B. Fernando Santos-Aleman from the WRJVAMC on implementation of skills courses for laparoscopic common bile duct exploration to improve treatment efficiency and patient access to care.

In my free time I like Knitting, Cycling, and spending time with family.

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Dr. Jeffery Grimes is a board certified Internal Medicine provider at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Healthcare System. 
Medical School: University of Alabama School of Medicine
Residency: University of Virginia Affiliated Hospitals - Roanoke, VA
Board Certification: Yes - Internal Medicine, Geriatric medicine, and Addiction Medicine

Our Section provides Employee Occupational Health for employees which includes care for occupational injuries or illnesses, Pre-employment Exams, Diver Exams, Annual Exams for certain positions(Police Officers, Boiler Room Operators, Animal Researchers, and Cemetery Workers), Employee Drug Testing, and Employee Wellness. Also, we provide Military Environmental Exposure Exams for Veterans and Compensation & Pension Exams for Veterans. Moreover, I serve as the facility Toxic Exposure Screening (TES) Navigator. 

In my free time I like Family Activities, biking, hiking, reading and following sports (especially Alabama sports).

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Dr. Josh Lipschutz  is a board certified Internal Medicine doctor, Senior Clinician Scientist Investigator,  Professor of Medicine and Renal Division Director at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System.
Medical School: Indiana University
Residency: Indiana University
Fellowship:  University of California San Francisco
Board Certification: Yes

I attend in the Renal Clinic and on the inpatient Renal Consult Service. My research and clinical interest is polycystic kidney disease. 

I am the PI on two VA Merit Awards: 1) "The Exocyst in Ciliogenesis and Acute Kidney Injury". The goal is to test the hypothesis that cilia and the exocyst are centrally involved in acute kidney injury. 2) "The role of beta agonists in the treatment of chronic kidney disease". The goal is to test the hypothesis that beta agonists can be repurposed to treat chronic kidney disease.

I am an avid jogger and am a Colonel in the South Carolina Army National Guard with five active duty deployments, including to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.

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Dr. Kathie Hermayer is board certified in Internal Medicine and a Professor of Medicine at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System.
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Residency: Medical University of South Carolina
Fellowship:  Medical University of South Carolina
Board Certification: Yes

I have an interest in bone disease, diabetes, and thyroid diseases.
I oversee the RHJ VA Endocrinology Thyroid Ultrasound Clinic. 

My research is involving type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. I am the Primary Investigator on the Lilly SURPASS CVOT trial.
I also am a co-investigator for the PREVENTABLE NIH trial. 

I enjoy bicycle riding.
I spend time with my family and my two rescue dogs.

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Dr. Harrison Smith is a board certified internal medicine doctor at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System. 
Medical School: University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Residency: Internal Medicine - Virginia Commonwealth University Healthcare System
Fellowship:  Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine - Medical University of South Carolina
Board Certification: Yes - Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Critical Care Medicine

I am a native South Carolinian who has been educated and trained predominantly in the state.  Therefore I take immense pride in caring for our local veteran population.  I continue to provide pulmonary disease expertise both at our facility in the RHJ VAMC as well as in the Savannah, GA CBOC.  I also frequently manage patients in our Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and have prior research training in trainee education and procedural competency.   

My research interests are at the intersection of procedural competency for our trainees and the use of point of care ultrasound at the bedside.  

In my free time I enjoy any and all activities that place me outdoors with my family.  I like to remain active, traveling, reading, and trying the many restaurants that the city of Charleston, SC has to offer.  

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