Southern VIP

02/23/2026

Diabetes can affect circulation to the feet and toes. Make sure you take off your shoes and socks and take a look.

Good diabetic foot health starts with removing your shoes when you visit your physician. The medical practitioner will check your feet for skin discoloration, reduced temperature, hair loss, and non-healing wounds. They will ask you about neuropathy, numbness and tingling, leg cramping at night, and pain when walking. These are common symptoms of PAD (peripheral artery disease), a condition in which fatty deposits can build up in the arteries of the lower legs and feet.

A complete diagnosis will include a TBI (toe-brachial index) to assess blood flow in the toes and compare toe blood pressure with that of other parts of the body, and an arterial ultrasound to check for blockages.

02/21/2026

Happy Red Sock Day!

Red Sock Day was established in 2022 by the Global PAD Association to raise awareness and educate patients about Peripheral Artery Disease by wearing "red socks" and discussing how arterial circulation can be compromised by diabetes. As you can see, the Southern VIP team understood the assignment and had a lot of fun with it.

Learn more about Red Sock Day and peripheral artery disease:
https://southernvip.com/red-sock-day-the-global-movement-raising-pad-awareness/

02/19/2026

Throw Back Thursday-

Check out this important information on PAD symptoms and treatments in the African American community. Learn how awareness, early diagnosis, and interventional treatments could greatly reduce our amputation rate in Mississippi.

“If I had gone in sooner, maybe I wouldn’t have lost my toe.” It’s a sentence we hear far too often, and not because patients don’t care about their

02/19/2026

This Saturday, February 21, is PAD Awareness Red Sock Day. Our practitioners at our Southern VIP clinics will be wearing red socks and PAD educational socks all week in order to build awareness of this prevalent disease.

Enjoy these fun photos from Red Sock Day 2025.

02/16/2026

🧦 Red Sock Day is almost here!

Every February, people across the world wear red socks to raise awareness for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), a condition that affects millions but often goes undiagnosed.

Southern VIP is proud to support PAD Awareness Week by wearing artery-pattern socks, sharing education, supporting Global PAD Association, and encouraging early screening in our communities.

PAD is treatable, and awareness saves limbs.
🩸 Learn more: https://southernvip.com/red-sock-day-the-global-movement-raising-pad-awareness/

02/13/2026

You first met Ms. Brittman last year when she shared her experience as a Southern VIP patient.
https://youtube.com/shorts/hnsEj9UrL08?si=Mw28LuTUcHcsFscm
She came in with so much pain, but look at her now. Her toe-brachial index (TBI) is elevated, indicating improved circulation in her feet, and she is proud to show off her enhanced energy and movement with her friend and nurse practitioner, John Scallions.
https://southernvip.com/john-scallions/

02/12/2026

Welcome to the Southern VIP Family!

Southern VIP Nurse Practitioner, Casey White, welcomed her son Murphy into the world yesterday, February 11. Murphy was 7 lbs. 8 oz and 20 inches long. As the photo shows, Mom and Murphy could not be doing better.

02/09/2026

You know you have a great doctor when they are a thought leader within the specialty.

Dr. Thomas Hodgkiss, Managing Physician of Southern VIP, authored a joint paper with Angiodynamics, which will be presented tomorrow at ISET 2026 (International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy) in Miami, Florida. Paula Verderber of Angiodynamics will be presenting a short talk on the importance of the pedal loop in treating patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), authored by Dr. Hodgkiss.

For more on Dr. Hodgkiss: https://southernvip.com/thomas-d-hodgkiss/

02/06/2026

🚨 Still dealing with leg pain, nonhealing wounds, or poor circulation—despite treatment?
You might need a second opinion, especially if:
• Medications aren’t helping
• Prior procedures didn’t fully restore blood flow
• Wounds aren’t healing
• You were told “nothing more can be done”
• You’re facing amputation

At Southern VIP, many patients regain circulation through advanced Foot Rescue™ procedures—even after being told they had “no options.” A second opinion could save your foot… and your future mobility.

🩺 Don’t wait. Get clarity, get answers, get hope.
📞 Book your evaluation: https://southernvip.com/contact/

02/06/2026

Patient Follow-up Friday:

This is a Southern VIP patient, Barbara McCoy. Barbara came back to Southern VIP in Southaven for her follow-up appointment with NP John Scallions. Ms. McCoy was as beautiful, bubbly, energetic, and healthy as ever. We couldn't be more pleased with her progress.

Here is her Southern VIP story: https://youtube.com/shorts/OSybzsb37Vw?si=9US0yr3s_Yn9I9j

02/04/2026

Mississippi has some of the highest rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease in the U.S., and all of these increase the risk of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD).

This new blog breaks down WHY vascular disease is so common in Mississippi, what trends are driving it, and how experts like Dr. Hodgkiss and the Southern VIP team are leading diagnosis and treatment in our region.

🩸 Read more about the state’s vascular health crisis and the importance of early screening - https://southernvip.com/vascular-disease-in-mississippi-understanding-trends-challenges/

🔗 southernvip.com

02/03/2026

Happy Birthday to Interventional Radiologist Scott Osborne! Dr. Osborne has been a member of our Southern VIP team since May 2025 and provides treatments for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) and Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) at our facilities in Union City, TN, and Fulton, KY.

Learn more about Dr. Osborne at https://southernvip.com/scott-osborne/