VCOM 2025 Annual Report

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VCOM-Carolinas Names Building in Honor of Transformational Gift V COM-Carolinas named its main educational building in honor of a transformational $8 million gift from

Dr. Edinger, originally from Reading, Pa., earned his undergraduate degree from Albright College in 1973 and his medical degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1976. He completed a rotating osteopathic internship at Metropolitan Hospital in Philadelphia and a four-year residency in diagnostic radiology at Duke University Medical Center, becoming the first DO to train at Duke in any specialty. Certified by the American Board of Radiology, Edinger practiced as a diagnostic radiologist at Orangeburg Regional Hospital from 1981 to 1998, reading a lifetime of images during those 17 years. He also served for 10 years on the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners, contributing to the advancement of medical standards and professional oversight in the state. The couple shares a deep commitment to rural health care and underserved communities in South Carolina. Though now retired, they remain passionate about improving medical education and health outcomes in the state.

G. Gail Lott, MEd, and James R. Edinger, DO. The gift, made possible by the donation of the couple’s beachfront home, marks the largest gift in the college’s history. Their generosity will significantly enhance the college’s ability to provide high-quality medical education at its Carolinas campus. “This gift of their beachfront house is not just a property donation; it’s an investment in people, education, and healthier communities,” said John G. Rocovich Jr., chairman of the VCOM Board of Directors, Orangeburg Regional Hospital, where they met in 1981. Lott—a native of Blackville, South Carolina, a small, rural agricultural community— had a remarkable 40-year career at the hospital, where she served as supervisor of the Blood Bank, Donor Center, and Transfusion Services. During her time there, she demonstrated unwavering commitment to patient care and clinical excellence. during the June naming ceremony. The couple had esteemed careers at

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