By Adolphus Ames –
Willie and Dr. Shirley Randall are familiar names and faces to many Eastern Shore residents.
It has been eight years since Dr. Randall opened the Eastern Shore Pain Management Center, in Exmore. The clinic offers services to treat pain and educate patients about ways to alleviate pain and is designed to serve the needs of the entire Eastern Shore and neighboring communities of Maryland, Virginia Beach, and Norfolk.
“There was a need for pain management on the Eastern Shore,” said Dr. Randall when asked why she decided to open the clinic. “I noticed that other communities had pain clinics and the Shore did not, but needed one of its own.”
Dr. Randall draws from her past medical experience to successfully operate the pain center. After graduating from the University of Virginia, she attended the Medical College of Virginia and underwent training for anesthesiology. In 1984, she finished her residency and joined the Army as an anesthesiologist, a position she held for almost seven years.
In 1990, Dr. Randall moved to the Eastern Shore and became a locum tenens (temporary) anesthesiologist at Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital, then called Northampton-Accomack Memorial Hospital. She was granted active staff privileges in 1994 and worked there until 2013.
“After I stopped working at the hospital, I had to figure out a new way to continue to serve the citizens and contribute to the community,” said Dr. Randall. “As an anesthesiologist you deal frequently with pain management, so I decided that opening the pain management center was the closest thing to my previous profession.”
Dr. Randall doesn’t stand alone in her success. Her husband, Willie Randall, has served on the Northampton County Board of Supervisors, the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, and was once a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate. He currently works as a financial advisor and limited partner with the Exmore branch of Edward Jones, a nationwide financial services and investment firm.
Willie Randall’s interest in leadership and business dates back to his childhood in Williamsburg, Va. “Growing up, I looked up to Reverend Tabb, a minister in my neighborhood,” said Willie Randall. “He was also the local trashman and all the kids, including myself, used to work for him. I always liked the idea of owning your own business and working for yourself. When you work for yourself you can control your own destiny.”
Willie Randall attended Virginia State University and majored in business administration. “After I earned my degree, I joined the military because my family has a legacy of service. I served 20 years in the United States Army and retired as a major in 1996,” he said.
After leaving the military, he moved to the Eastern Shore and began his career in financial services. “I sent out over 1,500 resumes and Edward Jones was the only place that gave me a shot,” he said. “Over the last 25 years, we have grown a massive operation. We have clients all over the country and manage over 3,000 accounts.”
Willie Randall’s rise to success did not come without challenges. “It took five years of networking, persistence, and hard work to get here. When I was initially trying to get the business started, I was knocking on doors and some locals didn’t want to be involved with brokers. There was a lot of distrust. Making mistakes and failing is a part of success. Fear is a teacher.”
Dr. Randall didn’t encounter the same hardships when she opened her pain management center. “I got my business rolling within one year,” she said. “Ever since I moved to the Eastern Shore, I have been welcomed with open arms.”
The Randalls enjoy being active in the community and contributing to the well-being of Shore locals. “The pain management center is my way of giving back to the community,” said Dr. Randall. “It is the only pain management center on the Shore and I enjoy fulfilling medical needs because I’ve always had a desire to make other lives better.”
“When we first moved here there wasn’t much opportunity,” Willie Randall said. “I am proud that I have been able to bring a little bit of Main Street to Wall Street. Edward Jones has opened doors for people who thought they would never be able to walk through those doors.”