NashHeartCenter

offers expandedcardiology services toregion Nash Health Care’s Quarterly News Magazine Vol.22, Number 2, 2011

Nash Health Care Honors Employees at Annual Awards Banquet pg 8

Heart patient Cynthia Dickens and husband Rudy.

2 � Vol.22, Number 2, 2011

ynthia Dickens was taking a

simple stress test at Boice-Willis

Clinic so doctors could monitor

how her heart was functioning. It was

supposed to be a routine procedure, and

Cynthia intended to return home that day.

However, the test indicated a complete

blockage of one of her arteries; there

was no question that Cynthia was facing

a heart attack. Cynthia needed a stent,

a small device used to open a narrowed

or obstructed blood vessel... and she

needed it immediately.

Instead of driving 45 minutes to another

facility, Cynthia’s husband Rudy learned

that they could have the procedure done

locally at Nash Health Care. It was at that

time that Rudy met Nash Health Care

cardiologist Dr. Gaurav Lakhanpal for the

first time.

C

NashHeartCenteroffers expandedcardiology services to region

Cynthia Dickens and husband Rudy

Vol.22, Number 2, 2011 � 3

Rudy Dickens recalled the moment

vividly. He was overwhelmed with

concern for his wife.

“I mean, she is my life,” Rudy said. “I had

never met Dr. Lakhanpal before. I looked him

straight in the eye and asked, ‘Can you do this?’ He said, ‘Yes.’

I asked, ‘Do you have any qualms about it?’ ‘No,’ he said.”

His voice rich with emotion, Rudy remembered exactly what Dr.

Lakhanpal

said next.

“He said, ‘Give me 45

minutes and I’ll bring her

back to you.’”

Now, Cynthia has a new

lease on life thanks to the

Nash Heart Center.

“We did not want for

anything,” Cynthia said

about her stay. “Everyone

involved in our care was

wonderful.”

Patients have been able to receive diagnostic cardiac catheterizations at Nash

Health Care since 1989, but if the test results demonstrated the need for an inter-

ventional procedure—such as a stent placement—patients would have to travel to

another facility outside of Nash County, oftentimes having the procedure com-

pleted by the same cardiologists on staff at Nash Health Care.

Now, the newly established Nash Heart Center enables patients to have these

procedures performed locally.

Pictured from left to right are: Dr. Lakhanpal, Dr. Prasada, Nash Heart CenterMedical Director Dr. Varma, and Dr. Thakkar.

4 � Vol.22, Number 2, 2011

Last year, officials at Nash Health Care and the Boice-Willis Clinic in Rocky Mount partnered with UniversityHealth Systems of Eastern Carolina in Greenville in the de-livery of specialized heart care services for people in Nashand surrounding counties. This partnershippaved the way for the Nash Heart Center tobecome reality.

A heart catheterization is a diagnostic proce-dure where a long, thin, flexible catheter isused to determine if there are any blockages inthe arteries. If a blockage is found, the cardiol-ogist may decide to perform a PCI. PCIstands for percutaneous coronary intervention, commonlyreferred to as a coronary (heart) stent placement. A stent isused to widen a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel.

For Nash Heart Center Medical Director Dr. DavidVarma, the Nash Heart Center is the culmination of severalyears of planning.

“For the last 20 years, Nash Health Care has had diag-nostic capabilities, but to have an interventional procedure,patients had to drive out of county. Now, patients are ableto find state-of-the-art interventional care delivered locally.

This is a very positive step for Nash HealthCare and the community,” Varma said.

Members of the health care team at theNash Heart Center were recently honored withthe WOW Award and recognized at a teamleadership meeting as a part of the Pursuit ofExcellence customer service initiative.

During the event, the Dickenses were pres-ent to express their gratitude and thanks.

“The whole reason the heart center exists is to serve pa-tients in the community,” Varma said. “The entire staff ishere just to take care of patients like Cynthia.”

Dr. David Varma

The employees of the Nash Heart Center include:

First Row: Stephanie Manning, ScottDavenport, Lisa Piatowski,Mollie Page, Kellie Lester

Second Row: Dr. Varma, Sarah Heenan, Dr. Prasada, Dr. Thakkar,Laura Godwin, Tim Colbert,Dr. Lakhanpal, JuliannaMoore, Hady Brys, GaleStrickland

Vol.22, Number 2, 2011 � 5

The Nash Heart Center has already performed hundreds of successful stent placements. James Lucas isn’t just the center’s #1 fan, he was also its #1 patient. Before his stent

placement, he was suffering from fatigue and frequent blackouts. Now he can describe hisprogress in one word: “Hallelujah!”

“Everyone was so good to me,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything any better.”You could also say that Jackie Pully has been around Nash Health Care since the

beginning; she was one of the health department nurses charged with helping move patients from Park View Hospital to Nash General Hospital when it opened in 1971. Fast forward almost four decades. Last year, Pully received a stent when tests revealed 40 percent blockage in one vessel.

Now, she’s ready to get back to her busy schedule as a volunteer at her church.“They answered all of my questions,” she said of the staff at the Nash Heart Center.

“Why would I travel by an ambulance to another hospital to have the same proceduredone by the same physician?” she said.

T H E B E A T G O E S O N . . .

James Lucas

Nash Heart Center earns Get with the Guidelines Silver Performance AchievementAward from the American Heart Association

Ronald L. Cromartie (second from left), senior qualityconsultant with the American Heart Association, pres-ents the Get with the Guidelines Silver PerformanceAchievement Award to the Nash Heart Center. Therecognition signifies that Nash Health Care has reachedan aggressive goal of treating heart failure patients. Pictured are, left to right, Leslie Hall, chief nursing offi-cer; Cromartie; Sarah Heenan, director of cardiopul-monary services; and employee Tera Joyner.

Jackie Pully

6 � Vol.22, Number 2, 2011

“CareMobile automatically checks for the five patientmedication ‘rights’...

right patient, right

drug, right dose, right

route, and right time.”

Nash Health Care has diligently continued its journey on the Pursuit of Excellence through the implementation of the new Cerner computer system,which brings all electronic medical records, documentations and reports undera single, standardized and streamlined clinical information system. The result isa more user-friendly interface that allows physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers to improve communication, to run reports more easily,and to integrate information that will help continually improve thesafety and care of patients.

This Cerner implementation project, called “On Track forePatient Safety,” has involved hundreds of thousands of hoursand has involved employees from all facets of Nash Health Care,both clinical and non-clinical. Cerner is a global supplier ofhealth care solutions. Working together with more than 8,000clients worldwide, Cerner is solving health care’s many chal-lenges by making sure the right people have the right informa-tion at the right time. Implementation of the Cerner system atNash Health Care will ultimately result in around $8 million inbenefits over the next seven years.

Below are some of the changes that are a result of this transformation:

• Physicians will enter their own orders except on acutely ill or major trauma patients. In these cases, the nursing staff will enter the orders as verbal orders.

• A patient will no longer have a paper chart upon admission. The chart is viewed electronically by the receiving RN.

• Patients’ histories and allergies are integrated with the inpatientchart, which results in an improvement in patient safety.

• Registration information will flow over to Sleep Lab proprietary equipment.

• Studies can be sent digitally from Natus Neuro equipment to Cerner instead of scanning. This increases efficiency and provides more timely access to records.

• In all areas of Perioperative Services, surgical information is in an electronic format, which eliminates paper documentation.

• Operating rooms may pull data and review key information through a less labor-intensive process.

• Dragon Speech recognition technology will aid pathologists.

The Cerner system offers many other extensive benefits. Formore information, please view the Cerner monthly newslettersby going to the Nash Health Care intranet and clicking on theCerner link in the yellow menu located on the left side of the screen.

Cerner also utilizes CareMobile, which automates the documentation ofmedication administration and documentation of tasks related to specificphysician and nursing orders at the point of care (POC). These are deployedthrough the use of handheld devices with integrated bar code scanners. Care-Mobile provides a safe medication process by scanning a patient’s wristbandidentifier and then scanning a medication bar code identifier. Within thesescanning events, CareMobile automatically checks for the five (5) patient med-ication “rights” (right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and righttime).

Communicating with our patients about Cerner...During the Cerner implementation process, the systemmay take a little extra time. For that reason, each pa-tient room has the following information posted, whichmay be a useful script if our patients or visitors havequestions or concerns:

Cerner implemented June19

We are pleased to announce that Nash is currentlyimplementing a new electronic medical record. Thisnew system will allow us to improve our ability tocontinue providing you with very good care as wellas ensuring your safety and well-being. We appreci-ate your patience during this time.

NASH HEALTH CARE It’s all about how we treat you

Vol.22, Number 2, 2011 � 7

It is a great accomplishment to implement proceduresthat save lives and it is extremely rewarding to incorpo-rate another tool of excellence that ensures patient safety.And when other hospitals across the country want tofollow your lead? It means you are providing superiorquality health care services to your community, andthese services and accolades can directly translate intosaved lives.

Nash Health Care received two VHA awards for itsoutstanding work in preventing hospital-associatedMRSA infections.

Nash Health Care was honored with the VHA Cen-tral Atlantic’s Gold award, Excellence in MRSA Reduc-tion 2008-2010, and the Central Atlantic Region’sExcellence in MRSA Reduc-tion Award for 2010.

MRSA, sometimes dubbedthe “super bug,” is an antibi-otic-resistant bacteria thatcauses serious infections.Each year, more than 17,000Americans die as a result ofMRSA-related infections.Nash Health Care partici-pated in several initiatives de-veloped in collaboration withthe VHA to help hospitals re-duce and eliminatehospital-associatedMRSA infections.As a result, NashHealth Care has re-duced its MRSAinfection rate bymore than 80 per-cent, from eightcases in 2007 to three cases in 2010. Patients at Nash Health Care remainedtotally free of hospital-associated MRSA infections between February and November of 2010.

“This is an incredible achievement,”said Larry Chewning, president and CEOof Nash Health Care. “This award meansthat Nash Health Care’s innovation hasonce again made it a model for other hos-pitals nationwide.”

Infection Prevention Coordinator Wanda Lamm stated that theachievement would not have been possible without the extensiveteamwork and cooperation among nurses, health care workers and thededicated employees of the Environmental Services Department.

One of the initiatives implemented by Nash Health Care includes a room quality check. After a patient is discharged, a room is thor-oughly cleaned. Then, supervisors in the Environmental Services Department utilize a product called Glo-Germ that uses a black lightto help ensure that areas that are frequently touched—such as door

handles, TV remotes, and bed rails—are thor-oughly cleaned. The Glo-Germ is used on a sample of rooms after patients have been discharged. In addition, infection preventionnurses conduct spot checks using a devicecalled Accupoint 2, which evaluates the clean-liness of a surface. Nash Health Care also recently held a hand hygiene day and has rewarded diligent employees through the “I Got Caught” campaign in order to educateeveryone about the importance of handwash-ing. As result of these efforts, not only didNash Health Care employees boast a 95 percent hand hygiene compliance rate—

as compared to the hospital average of 40 percent nationwide—but Lamm was asked to present the success of this program in VHApublications and in Infection Control, a trade magazine for nurses who specialize in infection prevention.

VHA, based in Texas, serves 1,400 not-for-profit hospitals andmore than 24,000 non-acute care health care organizations nation-wide, developing strategies to help hospitals across the country im-prove efficiency and clinical outcomes. The award was presented at ameeting of the Nash Health Care Board of Commissioners.

Nash Health Care MRSA prevention initiative receives National Recognition

Nash Health Care’s VHA Leadership Award wouldnot have been possible without the dedicated team-work from several employees, including those on theMRSA Team. Pictured are: (Front row, left to right)Pam Johnson, Wanda Lamm; (Second row, left toright) Robin Horne, Jay Streater, Dorothy Sollman,Sarah Heenan, Sandi Paige, Shelly Hendricks;(Third row, left to right) Luke Heuts, Greg Hutsell,William Newton, Cheryl Jordan, and Dr. DavidGorby. Other members of the team who are not pictured include: Tera Joyner, Chris Cherry, LisaLambros, Joddy Amerson, Megan Cole, DeborahPerry, Leslie Peterson, Steve Pinyan, Noreen Knudsen.

President and CEO ofNash Health Care LarryChewning (far left), congratulates infectionprevention nurses WandaLamm (second from left)and Pam Johnson (thirdfrom left) for receivingthe VHA LeadershipAwards from VHA representative Dave McDonald (far right).Nash Health Careearned the nationalrecognition for reducinghospital-associatedMRSA infections bymore than 84 percent.

How clean is clean? Diane Turner (right)closes her eyes and“washes” her hands usingyellow paint as infectionprevention nurse PamJohnson (left) watches.This exercise enabledemployees to see just howthoroughly they washedtheir hands.

8 � Vol.22, Number 2, 2011

Nash Health Care Honors Employees at Annual Awards Banquet A stroll down memory lane? Depending upon the year you started working at Nash

Health Care, that could mean memories of President Richard Nixon, the release of theAmerican hostages in Iran, and gas prices that hovered around 40 cents a gallon. Thoselittle tidbits of history were just a small part of the Nash Health Care Employee AwardsBanquet, held recently at the Gateway Center in Rocky Mount.This year, the Employee Awards Banquet featured a new first: employees with 40

years of service!

10 years of serviceJanice B. AlfordSallie M. AlstonCassandra R. ArringtonLuci L. BattleJohn E. BellamyKathryn N. BellamyThomas A. BindrimKristie M. BishopMichelle D. BlantonLois A. BlountMargaret W. BridgesKriston B. BriggsMittie R. BryantJoan T. CalhounAlena CampbellCrystal M CherryBecky L. ColeySheryl P. CooperSylvia K. DavenportRobert A. DornseifPierre M. DunlapAngela D. EdgeSandra L. ElksSpencer R. GardnerTeresa J. GodwinJames L. GoldLinda G. GregoryTiffany W. HarperHarriett D. HarrisTeresa A. HarrisAndrew HarrisonCheryl M. HarrisonJames E. HedgepethBrenda L. HewlinJean W. HiattEsther T. HirschbergRobin M. HorneKendra HunterChiquita Harrison-HunterShabra J. JenkinsJennifer F. JohnsonMaria Harrison-JohnsonSara W. JohnstonCheryl W. JonesGail W. JonesBonnie S. JoynerCatherine JoynerKaren J. JoynerCarol F. KeeterRoger L. KnightJeannie S. LaneSheila N. LangleyTammy S. LeposaStephanie D. ManningLoretta McDonaldElizabeth O. Messer

Gwendolyn MesserDonna J. MillsJames R. MitchellDeborah MossBarbara J. MozellLisa NealKimberly L. O'ConneyPeggy M. ParksGail T. ParrishAshley F. PeeleLeslie D. PetersenRandall T. PettigrewJennifer A. PinyanDelois J. PittmanJohn W. PollardAbigail C. PridgenLynn T. ReedRobert H. ReedCarolyn RichardsonDanny R. RichardsonAda SheppardChasity D. SilverMargaret M. SilverFreda H. SladeGwendolyn D. SmithJennifer J. SmithLori L. StrufeLonnie A. SuttonKatherine SzaboChristina J. TaylorRhonda K. WalstonJennifer N. WarrenMary L. WhiteheadHattie P. WilliamsDawn D. WilsonSandra F. Winslow Stephanie H. Wright

20 years of serviceLinda F. BandyDeborah A. BattleMichelle BattleSherry BrownJoyce B. CooperCarolyn B. CrumplerJoanne R. CyrusAngela J. DeeseFlora S. DickensMelinda S. DuboseRose E. GentryElvin L. HollowayJudy L. IngallsClaude D. JohnsonPamela D. JohnsonMarian R. MearsAngela F. MossDonna Oliver

Carol G. PerryPamela PowellSherry PurdieElizabeth A. RichardsonLynn Y. RichardsonBetty B. RobinsonPeggy G. RussJohn SharpeBeckie B. SummerlinLinda S. ThorpeDeborah WebbThad WhitakerNelson W. WhiteRita Williams

25 years of serviceKathryne C. BarnhillRobbin P. ColbertSusan M. FisherJoe N. GibsonSandra J. LynchDeborah W. O'NeillJudith B. RicksLisa F. RodgersShirley A. SandersAnn C. SchmidtMary L. WatersJanice F. White

30 years of serviceMargaret G. CressionnieElizabeth W. DavisPamela E. DeloachCynthia S. EverettGloria F. HarrisJames E. RichardsonLisa A. RichardsonLourine W. RobersonDanese B. StaplefordBrad H. WeisnerWilliam H. WhitakerRamona U. Williams

35 years of serviceLenora M. ClintonJane DavenportBetsy S. EaglesJo Ann HolmesJoAnne B. LewisJames I. ParkerJennifer E. Parker

40 years of serviceNellie B. CarmichaelAvis L. FaisonPatricia MayoCathy T. Raper

Millie Bryant, a 10-yearawardee, receives a carna-tion from Marilyn Lynchof Human Resources.

Carolyn Crumpler is excit-ed about her chances ofwinning a big prize! As apart of the annual Em-ployee Awards Banquet,attendees had a chance towin prizes ranging fromgift cards to $500 cash.

Larry Chewning, presidentand CEO, congratulatesPamela Powell, who wonthe $500 grand prize atthe Employee Awards Banquet.

10 years of service

20 years of service

25 years of service

30 years of service

35 years of service

40 years of service

CEO Larry Chewning (far right) congratulates NashHealth Care employees with 40 years of service at theannual Employee Awards Banquet. Pictured are, fromleft, Patricia Mayo, Avis Faison, Nellie Carmichael andCathy Raper.

E m p l o y e e s w h o w e r e h o n o r e d i n c l u d e d :

Vol.22, Number 2, 2011 � 9

Nash Joint Replacement CenterNamed Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip ReplacementThe joint replacement center at Nash Health Care was recently designated a Blue Distinc-

tion Center for Knee and Hip Replacement by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina(BCBSNC). The Blue Distinction designation is awarded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shieldcompanies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hipreplacement, spine surgery and transplants.This means the Nash Joint Replacement Center has met several criteria demonstrating

its ability to provide superior health care services, making it one of an estimated 1,600 cen-ters in the nation to achieve this honor. Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replace-ment are part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s expansion of its BlueDistinction® designation.Since its opening in 2007, the Nash Joint Replacement Center has treated 1,200 patients.“We are very excited about this designation,” said Amy Winham, director of the Nash

Joint Replacement Center. “This achievement represents a lot of hard work and dedicationto excellence from our employees and physicians. It clearly demonstrates that quality patient care is of paramount importance at our center. It has been so rewarding to see our patients increase their functional mobility and beable to return to successfully performing their dailyand leisure activities.” The Nash Joint Replacement Center is a dedicated

center within Nash General Hospital that offers com-prehensive knee and hip replacement services. The in-terdisciplinary team assists patients throughout theentire continuum of care. The experience begins witha preoperative education class to help prepare patientsand their family members for surgery. While patientsare in the hospital, the joint center staff work togetherto create a compassionate patient-centered experience.“The team is also dedicated to coordinating the dis-

charge plans and helping to prepare patients for theirreturn home. We also enjoy celebrating the patients’accomplishments at our quarterly complimentary All-Star reunion luncheons for patients, their families and friends and the joint center staff,”Winham added. “Some patients only have to stay two nights in the hospital after a joint re-placement, and many patients are now having the procedure done on Wednesdays.”More information on the Joint Replacement Center may be found on the hospital’s web-

site at www.nhcs.org.“When it comes to hip and knee replacement, there is compelling evidence that institu-

tions with experience that also adhere to their care protocols deliver better outcomes," saidDr. Don Bradley, Chief Medical Officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina."We're providing that information to our members to help them make informed choicesabout where to receive care proven to meet national quality standards."The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from a na-

tional panel of expert physicians. To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee andHip Replacement, the following criteria had to be evaluated:• Established acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care, emergency care, and a full range of patient support services with full accreditation by a CMS-deemed national accreditation organization

• Experience and training of program surgeons, including case volume• Quality management programs, including surgical checklists as well as tracking and evaluation of clinical outcomes and process of care

• Multi-disciplinary clinical pathways and teams to coordinate and streamline care, including transitions of care

• Shared decision-making and preoperative patient educationLarry Chewning, president and CEO of Nash Health Care, said this honor was another

wonderful accolade for the Nash Joint Replacement Center.“Orthopedic services at Nash Health Care have been ranked among the top ten in North

Carolina for the last nine consecutive years,” Chewning said. “This Blue Distinction designa-tion is not only wonderful news for our employees, but it helps assure our community thattheir local health care system is ready to provide superior quality care close to home.”

Current public service ads use the tag line “The More You Know” be-cause increased knowledge enables us to make better decisions and relatebetter with others. In that vein, Nash Health Care has adopted a communi-cation tool titled “In the Loop,” which started June 6, 2011.In common parlance, being “in the loop” indicates that you are an impor-

tant person. It means that the folks in charge want to make sure that youhave up-to-date information on a number of things. That rings true for allemployees in every department.“In the Loop” involves a daily, 5-10 minute meeting that may include the

following:

• Brief sharing on a theme for the week, such as communication;

• Progress updates on projects, whether departmental or system-wide;

• Timely news;

• Recognition of specific employees for Kudos and/or accomplishments;

• A thought for the day.

Nash Health Care’s use of “In the Loop” shows that every employee is re-garded as important. Armed with information, all of us will be betterequipped to provide excellent service, to work well with others, and to havea better understanding of our company’s goals and standards. Why are youincluded “In the Loop”? Because you are worth it!

T H E P U R S U I T o f E X C E L L E N C E

From the Communicat ions Team

Sheilla Gonzalez (left) and Karen Futrell provide information on the latest Pursuit of Excel-lence communication tool, “In the Loop” in the Nash General Hospital cafeteria.

“This Blue Distinctiondesignation is not onlywonderful news for ouremployees, but it helpsassure our communitythat their local healthcare system is ready toprovide superior qualitycare close to home.”Larry Chewning, President and CEO of Nash Health Care

10 � Vol.22, Number 2, 2011

Golf Classic Steering Committee LeadersJohn Derbyshire, MD,

General ChairmanRoger Taylor, ChFC, CLU, LUTCF,

Co-Vice Chairman Ziggy Zalzneck,

Co-Vice ChairmanChris Alexander Wes Ballance Cam Blalock David Broyles Norman Chambliss Stephanie Collins John Congelli Brenning Daughtridge Wayne Gibson

Lisa Holland Anne Kinnaird Charlene LewisAllison Manning-Williams Don Mucci Nancy Nelson Rich Parker Bob Skelton Jay Streater Judy WoelkeGolf Classic VolunteersJoddy Amerson Heather BarnesTonya Blalock Debbie Braswell Victoria BrockSuzanne Buchanan

Karen Brown Gina ChampionClaire Chewning Karen ChewningTim ColbertStephanie CollinsArlene Cotty Toniga Cowan Pat Cunningham Brenda DavisSharon DerbyshireSharlene Edmonds Sandy ElksJames Gold Gail Gregory Ryan Griffin Angie Hannah

Nan Holmes Van Holt Greg HutsellJordan Lytton Allison Manning-Williams Paul Matthews Yvonne McAuliffeQuanza MooringGaye Mucci Nancy NelsonSteve PinyanPam PowellPhillip RamautarShannon RichardsonKelly SanderSonja SkeltonWanda Sohn

Jennifer Stephenson Jackie Ward Dean Wells Chad Williams Viola Williams Judy Woelke Rachel WorkCindy Worthy

A special thanks to Chris Alexander, Mark Brown,Rob Farmer, Lisa Holland, RichParker and the superb supportfrom the Benvenue CountryClub Staff.

Nash Health Care Foundation Board of DirectorsNorma Turnage,

Chairman Edward BissetteNorman Chambliss Larry ChewningSharon Crestetto Wayne DealJohn Derbyshire, MDRandy Evans David Farris Wayne Gibson Al Hooks Sam JohnsonNancy Nelson

Foundation Golf Classic raises $122,620 forPediatric Emergency Care Center.

The Nash Health Care Foundation’s second annualGolf Classic, held at Benvenue Country Club, raised$122,620 for the new Pediatric Emergency Care Center.The presenting sponsor of the event was Roger G. Taylor& Associates. Roughly 20 percent of the patients seen in Nash

Health Care’s Emergency Care Center are under the ageof 18. The state and national average is 10 percent. ThePediatric Emergency Care Center will provide a special-ized, dedicated area for their treatment. Groundbreakingis planned for August, with completion expected in late2013 or early 2014.

Wes Berry, Chris Gardner, Jim Pittman, and Sam Crispmade up the winning team with a score of 111 in theBryant T. Aldridge Division. First place in the ClaudeMayo Division went to Russ Saputo, Coley Gustowski,Rob Palmer and Matt Garner.Other winners included:

Jet Blue Shoot-Out Champion - Bill StanleyAPS Best Approach on Hole #12 - Richard DavenportLadies Closest to the Line #15 - Marsh MebaneMen's Closest to the Line #15 - Mark HeronLadies Longest Drive - Ashley LeonardMen's Longest Drive - Jim Auten

Closest to the Hole #2 - Henry BradleyClosest to the Hole #9 - Jim PittmanClosest to the Hole #13 - Nick WoodcockClosest to the Hole #17 - Billy Newton

For more information on the Nash Health Care Founda-tion and how you can help in the capital campaign forthe Pediatric Emergency Care Center, please visit theNash Health Care website at www.nhcs.org.

Vol.22, Number 2, 2011 � 11

Lisa Nelson-Robinson, MD Roger Taylor, ChFC, CLU, LUTCF Robert “Ziggy” ZalzneckNash Health Care Foundation StaffRobert T. Skelton, CFRE,

Vice President and Chief Development Officer

Brenning J. Daughtridge, Special Events, Grants and Annual Gifts Coordinator

Jennifer C. Taylor, Executive Secretary and Data Coordinator

Presenting SponsorRoger G. Taylor & Associates

Dinner SponsorWilkerson Associates Architects Tiki Bar SponsorRodgers Builders, Inc.Hospitality Cart SponsorsCrown LSP Group, Inc.Candid Photography SponsorAllscripts and Angelica CorporationClosest To The PinApolloMDJetBlue Contest SponsorMBMDriving Range SponsorWaste Industries

Putting Green SponsorSouthern BankGreen Fees SponsorWells Fargo Insurance ServicesScoreboard SponsorBoddie-Noell Enterprises, Inc.Silver SponsorsNash Community College

Students RBC BankSouthern Credit Adjusters, Inc.University Health Systems

of Eastern CarolinaAramarkBattle, Winslow, Scott &

Wiley, PACalvin Davenport, Inc.

Community Homecare & Hospice

Edgecombe Genco, LLCHole SponsorsAllgood Professional

Services, LLCCarolina Eagle Distributing, Inc.Charlotte Engineers, LLPChick-fil-ADaughtridge Gas & OilDavenport AutoPark Farris MotorsNash X-Ray Associates, PAUnited HospiceBronze SponsorsAlfred Williams & CompanyCerner

Horizon CSALarsonAllen, LLPLewis Advertising, Inc.McCullouch England

Associates ArchitectsMcLane North CarolinaMcNeary, Inc.Owens & Minor

Distribution, Inc.Poppies International, Inc.Poyner & Spruill, LLPPSI Horizon HealthSimplexGrinnellStanley Benefit ServicesTranscend Services, Inc.Vanguard Reimbursement

Services

Vitalis & CompanyMajor ContributorsArmstrong & Weinstein, Inc.PatientWorksMr. and Mrs. Robert T. SkeltonMr. and Mrs. Fred E. TurnageBenvenue Country ClubBulluck Furniture Company /

The Fine LineCarolina Eagle Distributing, Inc.Chair & Equipment Rentals Davenport AutoParkDr. and Mrs. Greg Nelson Outback SteakhousePepsi Cola Bottling Company

1. Steve Pinyan, manager of the Special Medicine Department, volunteers to drive the “Tiki Taxi.”

2. Cindy Worthy (left) and Charlene Lewis (right) get into the groove at the Tiki Bar.

3. Viola Williams, Karen Brown, Gail Gregory and Brenda Davis volunteer to help out at the golf classic.

4. Registration table volunteers Pat Cunningham (left) and Allison Manning-Williams.

5. DJ and Nash Health Care employee Tim Colbert and Crystal Nicholson make sure the beat goes on.

6. Corporate VP and Chief Development Officer Bob Skelton (far right) monkeys around with Greg Hutsell (far left) and John Congelli.

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12 � Vol.22, Number 2, 2011

Nash Health Care honors outstanding employees during

National Nurses Week

As a part of its annual Nurses Week celebra-tion, Nash Health Care honored several nursesand a physician for their contributions to thehealth care profession, their dedication to patients and their pursuit of excellence. The following employees received awards:

• Pam McClure, a critical care nurse at Nash General Hospital, was named Nurse of the Year.

• Michelle Cosimeno was named Nurse Manager / Director of the Year.

• Gloria Harris, who works in the Oncology Department at Nash General Hospital, was named Nursing Assistant of the Year.

• Dr. Michael Sunderman was presented with the Friend of Nursing Award.

National Nurses Week is celebrated annuallyfrom May 6 through May 12, the birthday ofFlorence Nightingale, the founder of modernnursing.

Cancer has had a devastating effect on the lives of many Twin County residents, and em-ployees at Nash Health Care are no exception. Each year, employees dedicate their time andenergy to help raise money for Nash County’s annual Relay for Life. Relay for Life generatesfunds for cancer research and education.

“I would really like to thank Nash Health Care for its generous corporate sponsorship. Wewould like to thank everyone who participated, and I’d like to especially thank our top fund-raisers,” said Chris Wood, who was the Nash Health Care Relay for Life team captain. “Ourfundraising total was $11,986.11.”

Nash Health Care teams raise money for Relay for Life

The top fivefundraisers for the NashHealth Care team were:

1Cheryl Jordan

3rd floor medicine$4,6762

Pam Powell 4th floor

Trés Pink Basket$1,741.11

3Chris Wood Nash Cancer

Treatment Center$1,0634

Chris Cherry 4 West Oncology

$5705

Mike Tamisiea, Lisa Whitlock Dietary $490

Think PinkCalling Pamela Powell’s creation a gift basket is like calling Mount Everest ahill. Powell was able to coordinate contributions to the infamous pink basket,which is raffled off each year to raise money for the Relay for Life. By sellingraffle tickets, Powell raised $1,741.11 for the Relay for Life. In the photo are(from left): Laura Godwin (team member), Pamela Powell (team member andcreator of Pink Basket, Paula Adams (winner), Chris Wood (NHCS Team Captain)and Lori Strufe (team member).

Nip It!Congratulations to the employees of Nash Day Surgical Services, who won firstplace for "Best Camp Site" during the Nash County Relay for Life. Co-captains wereAbby Bandy and Sandy DePalma.

“Our fundraising total was $11,986.11.”

—Chris Wood

Pam McClure, a critical care nurse atNash General Hospital, was namedNurse of the Year.

Senior Vice Presidentand Chief Nursing Officer of Nash HealthCare Leslie Hall (left)presents MichelleCosimeno with theNursing Manager / Director of the YearAward.

Gloria Harris (right)receives the NursingAssistant of the YearAward from SeniorVice President andChief Nursing Officerof Nash Health Care,Leslie Hall.

Senior Vice Presidentand Chief Nursing Officer of NashHealth Care LeslieHall (left) presents Dr.Michael Sundermanwith the Friend ofNursing Award.

The Nash Health Care Volunteer Auxiliary pledged $75,000 to support the Nash HealthCare Foundation’s initiative to create a Pediatric Emergency Care Center that will specifi-cally be designed to meet the needs of area children.“Our volunteers have constantly demonstrated outstanding support for Nash Health

Care, and we are very fortunate to have a volunteer auxiliary that wants to help us createa facility that will be so valuable to the children in our community,” said Larry Chewning,president and CEO of Nash Health Care. Nash Health Care’s Emergency Care Center was originally designed to accommodate45,000 patients per year. Last year, the Emergency Care Center treated 65,000 patients,making it one of the five busiest emergency rooms inNorth Carolina. Twenty percent of the patients seen atthe Emergency Care Center are under 18, as compared tothe national average of 10 percent in emergency roomsacross the country. Today, when a parent brings a child to the Emergency

Care Center, that child must wait with patients who maybe trauma victims, psychiatric patients, or patients whomay have contagious diseases. A space expressly de-signed to meet the unique needs of young people –infantsto age 17—will provide a more comfortable and safer ex-perience for patients, their families, and the doctors andhealth care professionals who treat them.Groundbreaking on the new Pediatric Emergency Care

Center is anticipated in August 2011 with a projected completion date of late 2013. TheNash Health Care Foundation’s Board of Directors and staff members are developing plansfor a capital fundraising campaign to support the Pediatric Emergency Care Center.For more information about the Foundation’s special events and ways to contribute to

the Pediatric Emergency Care Center, contact the Foundation at 962-8583.

Larry Chewning (center), president and CEO of Nash Health Care, thanks members of the Nash Health Care Volunteer Auxiliary for their support of the Nash Health CareFoundation’s efforts to raise funds for a Pediatric Emergency Care Center. Pictured are,from left, Volunteer Projects Chair Grace Williams; Volunteer Auxiliary President Helen Bonner; Volunteer Membership Chair Patty Kennedy; Director of VolunteerServices Judy Woelke; Volunteer Treasurer Sharon Brantley; Nash Health Care CEOLarry Chewning; Chuck Watson, volunteer publicity chair; Volunteer Marion Haney;Wyatt Phillips, volunteer vice president; Jackie Ward, volunteer secretary; Carolyn Ashbrook, hospitality chair; and Volunteer Dina Tang.

Volunteer Carolyn Ashbrooksigns the pledge.

Hospital volunteers pledge $75,000 to Nash Health Care Foundation

Vol.22, Number 2, 2011 � 13

BowlingLeague Tradition ofGenerosityEach year, the hospital bowlingleague raisesmoney for a local

charity. Over the years, the league has raised funds forMy Sister’s House, Rocky Mount Local Red Cross, andThe Bowling Center Kitty Powel Scholarship Fund. Thisyear, the league made a donation of $312 to the NashCancer Center. These funds will be used to assist our pa-tients who have difficulty in obtaining transportation toand from the hospital. This will assist them so they don’tmiss their scheduled treatment. Event chairman ColleenThiede (right) presents the check to Chis Wood of theNash Cancer Treatment Center.

May is MentalHealth MonthNursing SupervisorTracey Dickerson (left) and psychiatristKelvin Exum MD,

(right) discuss mental health issues affecting thecommunity at a recent forum held at Costal PlainHospital.

NashHealthCare in theNational SpotlightEmployees featured in Practical Patient CareMagazine

Van Holt, director of education, and Valorie Holwerda, patient education resource coordinator, were recently featured in Practical Patient Caremagazine, which featured Nash Health Care’s implementation of a patient education system developed by TeleHealth Services. Each patient’s room at Nash Health Care has a TV featuring channels

that are dedicated to patient education. These channels display infor-mation about the hospital as well as a rolling selection of videos thattalk about patient education.The article

praised Nash HealthCare’s innovativeuse of this technology and howit integrates with patient care plans.

Valorie Holwerda (left),and Van Holt (right)demonstrate how the patient education Tele-Health system works.

Image of the articleprinted in Practical Patient Care magazine,Issue 7, 2011.

14 � Vol.22, Number 2, 2011

HUMAN RESOURCES

Getting Support To Help YouManage Life Is SimpleAs an employee of Nash Health Care, you and your dependents have access to two quality programs designed to assist you in resolving both work and personal issues in a confidential manner. These services are free to employees and their immediatefamily members.

EAPartnerships could be beneficial if you or an im-mediate family member is experiencing work/personalstress, emotional burnout, financial concerns, relation-ship difficulties, or inappropriate alcohol/drug use.Life coaching services are also provided for personaldevelopment, relationship building and sustaining, decision-making techniques, presentation skills, self-awareness and self acceptance, career/financial development and changes. EAPartnerships provides a confidential service so you can personally contactEAPartnerships and speak with one of the consultantsto schedule an appointment without having to informyour employer. Feel free to contact EAPartnerships at 888-800-8711 or 252-962-5477 with any questionsthat you may have regarding this valuable service.

Ability Assist, offered through The Hartford, can beyour resource for professional support from everydayissues like job pressures, relationships or retirementplanning to the unexpected personal impact of grief,loss, or a disability. As long as The Hartford is theprovider for Nash's Long Term Disability, you and yourfamily have free access to Ability Assist. Counselorsare available 24/7, 365 days a year through a toll-freenumber (1-800-964-3577) for assessment and consul-tations. Up to five face-to-face confidential sessionsper year with a counselor, financial planner and/orlegal advisor, or split among the three types of ser-vices are allowed. The five sessions per year are acombined total for you and your family. You can get emotional and work-life counseling for a wide range of topics, such as stress, family or marital conflicts,elder care, effective parenting, and depression. Youcan get help for legal concerns, including buying a home, divorce, or adoption. Financial planning is available for retirement planning, budgets, saving for college, debt, and more. For more information on Ability Assist, contact the Human Resources Department.

We are pleased to offer these benefits to all NashHealth Care employees.

Employees Celebrate at Company Picnic Nash Health Care continued a long-standing (and delicious) tradition this May with the annual Company Picnic.Hamburgers, hot dogs, and even karaoke (with special thanks to DJ TimColbert) made the event one of the most memorable ever.

Financial counselor Lynn Cash demonstrates her vocaltalent and sings a sweet tune for employees during theannual company picnic.

From left, David Hinkle, Rick Holmes and CEO Larry Chewning grill cheeseburgers and hot dogs.

The NHCS Volunteer Auxiliary presented each employeewith a small gift. Volunteers Grace Williams (center) andTina Jernigan (right) present endoscopy nurse Lorrie Batson(left) with her gift.

Patient Account Represen-tatives Judy Curtis (left)and Joanne Cyrus (right)are all smiles as theywatch and listen to thekaraoke singers.

Vol.22, Number 2, 2011 � 15

FOCUS ON PEOPLE

Wood completes Ladder to Lead-ership Program Chris Wood of the Nash Cancer

Treatment Center recently completedLadder to Leadership: Developing the Next Generation of CommunityHealth Leaders. This programteaches nonprofit health care profes-

sionals how to make the most of limited resources andhow to collaborate effectively with other community organizations. This 16-month program is made possiblethrough a partnership between the Robert Wood JohnsonFoundation and the Center for Creative Leadership. Wood worked with a team of other Nash and Wilsoncounty professionals to develop a model that could beused to show organizations how to best utilize resources for improving the overall health and well-being of disad-vantaged citizens.

Curtiss awarded honors Sherry Curtiss, a speech lan-

guage pathologist at Nash HealthCare, was awarded the Honors,one of the highest accolades givenby the NC Speech, Hearing andLanguage Association (NCSHLA).The award was presented at theassociation's 2011 annual confer-ence. The Honors is presented annually to one memberwho exhibits leadership and practices excellence.NCSHLA promotes the professional practice of the

speech, language and hearing sciences, advocates andserves as the voice of the profession, and works to en-hance the lives of communicatively impaired citizens.Curtiss served on the Legislative Council of the Ameri-

can Speech Language Hearing Association. (ASHA), andshe has also volunteered extensively with the nationaland the NC branch of the organization since 1994. She iscurrently the President of the NC Association of Supervi-sors in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology. Origi-nally from Kinston, Curtiss earned her bachelor’s degreein speech language pathology and audiology from UNC atGreensboro and her master’s degree in communicationdisorders from Appalachian State University. She is alsoone of three Board Recognized Specialists in Swallowingand Swallowing Disorders in North Carolina. She hasworked as a speech language pathologist for 16 years.

Dr. Jacimore Earns Caregiverof the Year Award Dr. Laura Jacimore, a radiationoncologist with the Nash CancerTreatment Center, was honoredwith the Julie Bowling Caregiver ofthe Year Award at the recent Relayfor Life cancer fundraising event.

The award is given each year to honor a caregiver whodemonstrates exceptional compassion, skill, and dedica-tion to patients who are battling cancer. The award isnamed in memory of Julie Bowling, a longtime employeeof the Nash Cancer Treatment Center.

Jane Hamlet, PAR, Registration and Discharge

Katrinka Mitchell, PCTII, ECC

Jennifer Sharpe, RN, General Surgery

Anna Carter, NAII, CPSU

Latoya McPhatter, Surgical Tech I, SurgicalServices

Deborah Page, RN, CPSU

Heather Tolley, RN, ECC

Leigh Freeman, PAR, Registration and Discharge

Lori Joyner, Imaging specialist, HIM

NashHealthCare WelcomesThese New Employees

Leah Underwood, RN, General Surgery

Brian Gibbs, Sleep Tech, Sleep Lab

Christina Hawkins, NAII, CPSU

Deborah Mitchell,PAR, Registration and Discharge

Temple Reese, PAR, Registration and Discharge

Stan West, Guard, Security

Rebecca Young, PAR, Registration and Discharge

Additional employees will be featured in thenext edition of Newsline.

Welcome New Physicians

Gentiana Bakaj , MD HospitalistEagle Hospital Physicians

Michael Davis, MD HospitalistEagle Hospital Physicians

Kelvin Exum, MDPsychiatryCoastal Plain Hospital962-5000

Prasad Manne, MDHospitalistEagle Hospital Physicians

Nonprofit OrganizationUS Postage

PAIDRocky Mount, NC 27804

Permit No. 297Address Correction RequestedNHCS NEWSLINE is published quarterly by the Public Relations Department of Nash Health Care

Writer: Dawn WilsonEditor: Jeff HedgepethComments and contributions are welcome.

Member of: VHA The North Carolina Hospital Association The American Hospital Association

2460 Curtis Ellis Drive, Rocky Mount, NC 27804

www.nhcs.org

NASH HEALTH CARE It’s all about how we treat you

Dr. Dave Varma, a cardiologist on the Nash HealthCare medical staff, answers questions about theNash Heart Center

Q:How long have you practiced cardiology as a member of the medical staff at Nash Health Care?A: I’ve lived in Rocky Mount and been a member of the Nash Health Care Medical Staff for 22 years.

Q:What does it mean for the community to have a dedicated center for heart pa-tients that offers PCI (stent placement)?A: For the last 20 years, Nash Health Care has had diagnostic capabilities, but tohave an interventional procedure, patients had to drive out of county. Now, patientsare able to find state-of-the-art interventional care delivered locally. This is a verypositive step for Nash Health Care and the community.

Q:But you and your practice partners have been performing stent procedures foryears, right?A:At other facilities, but not at Nash. In fact, our cardiologists have performedthousands of procedures at Wake Med and Pitt County Memorial Hospital. Withthe start-up of the Nash Heart Center, we can perform these same procedures atNash. Providing these services locally not only saves time, which translates intoless damage to valuable heart muscle, but provides the added benefit of lower costand more convenience to patients and family.

Q: What are a few things area residents can do to better care for their hearts? A:Heart disease can be prevented. You have to evaluate your risk factors, which include smoking, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle and high blood pressure. Residents can make a big difference by modifying their behavior, by stopping smoking, by maintaining a healthy weight, and by getting regular physical activity. It is important for patients to take their medication as directed. Not onlycan these steps prevent a heart attack, but if a patient has already had a heart attack, it can preventanother one from occurring.

Q&A

Dr. Dave Varma