Maria Parham Op-Ed: Support Our Hospital, Patients and Community – Go Vote

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Letter to the Editor – courtesy Bert Beard, CEO, Maria Parham Health

On Tuesday, November 6, our country will once again have the opportunity to select the next group of elected officials who will lead our country in Washington, D.C., our state capital and right here in our local communities. I encourage you to take time on that date to exercise your right to vote and also join me in voting for leaders who support community hospitals.

We at Maria Parham Health know firsthand the direct link between success of a hospital and the support that it receives from elected officials. Regularly, our hospital engages with elected officials at all levels of government and across party lines to help demonstrate the work of the hospital and the importance of healthcare to our community. We believe it is important for us to come together as a community to champion the health issues that directly affect the well-being of our citizens.

In this spirit, the time is now to vote for leaders who will tackle the pressing healthcare challenges facing rural hospitals. These include inadequate funding and growing numbers of people in communities, like ours, who don’t have access to insurance. Support from our federal, state and local elected officials is essential for Maria Parham Health to continue advancing our mission of Making Communities Healthier® – and you can help by heading to the polls.

You may be asking yourself, “where do I vote?” or, “am I registered to vote?” If you are unsure, please contact our local county election office. They can inform you of both where you should go to vote and also confirm if you are a registered voter.

As always, thank you for entrusting your health to Maria Parham Health. It is our great privilege to serve you and your family, and we look forward to continuing to serve the health needs of our communities long into the future.

Bert Beard

Chief Executive Officer

Maria Parham Health

(Maria Parham Health is a paid advertising client of WIZS. This letter is not a paid advertisement.)

News 10/08/18

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Public Forum for Sheriff of Vance County Candidates

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The Daily Dispatch, The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and WIZS 1450 AM / 100.1 FM will host a public forum for Sheriff of Vance County Candidates on Sunday, October 14, 2018.

The forum will take place at the old court house on Young Street in the County Commissioners Meeting Room, and it will begin at 3 p.m. and last for approximately two hours.

WIZS 1450 AM / 100.1 FM will broadcast the forum in its entirety on a slight delay to accommodate the completion of the Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins football game.  The first half of the forum will begin airing via “tape” delay at 4 p.m. and it will simply continue on uninterrupted on the air.

The goal is to help citizens discern the differences among the candidates prior to the start of early voting in Vance County.

The Vance County Board of Elections web page says, “One-Stop Early Voting starts: Wednesday, October 17, 2018 and ends on Saturday, November 3, 2018. Locations and time will be announced as soon as the one-stop plan is approved.”

Mailed absentee ballots are already underway and continue until October 30, 2018 at 5 p.m.

Election day is Tuesday, November 6.   All polling sites will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.  WIZS will provide live election results starting at 7:30 p.m. when the polls close.

Voter registration is available nowadays online, and for that you can click here.  Once you have filled form out, send it to the Vance County Board of Elections Office at 300 S. Garnett Street, Henderson, NC. 27536 if you are a resident of Vance County.

The public is strongly encouraged to attend the forum.

Each candidate will have an opportunity to make an opening statement followed by a question and answer session from representatives of The Chamber, The Dispatch and WIZS. Each candidate will also be given the opportunity to make a two-minute closing statement.

The public will be given an opportunity to suggest the questions that will be asked at the forum. Those questions should be submitted to john@hendersonvance.org. Prior to the forum, a panel represented by the media and the Chamber’s governmental affairs committee will select the order of questions.

The public will also be given the chance to submit questions to the panel on the day of the forum.  For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or sandra@hendersonvance.org.

Community Partners of Hope

11th Season of Henderson Men’s Shelter About To Start

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In a news release, Community Partners of Hope, Inc. of Henderson is asking everyone to spread the word about an ICE CREAM SOCIAL to kickoff the 11th season of Henderson Men’s Shelter.

You will have the opportunity to hear stories, pray for the programs and learn more about volunteer opportunities.

The ice cream social will take place Thursday, October 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.

The news release says, “Please spread the word!  Bring friends and neighbors!  Please share this invitation with your church or organization.”

City of Henderson Logo

Henderson City Council Meeting 10-8-18

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The Henderson City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting is Monday, Oct 8.  It takes place as always at the City Hall Council Chambers, 134 Rose Avenue.  Time is 6 p.m.

The full agenda is available by clicking here.

A couple of standout items on the agenda include:

  • Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 18-52, Amending Section 7-49 of the Henderson City Code Declaring Court Street from Young Street to Montgomery Street a “One-Way’ Street.
  • Consideration of Approval of 1) Resolution 18-63, Authorizing an Additional Interim Sewer Tap Fee of $500.
  • Reports from the City Manager as well as E-911, the Fire Department and Recreation and Parks

News 10/05/18

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Maria Parham Health Celebrates New Emergency Room and Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit

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— Maria Parham Franklin Press Release

Hospital and community leaders gather for ribbon-cutting ceremony for Franklin facility, which is set to open this month and will restore essential health care services for the region

Louisburg, N.C. – Maria Parham Health, part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, hosted a ribbon-cutting celebration and open house today (Wednesday) in advance of the grand opening of its new emergency room and geriatric behavioral health facility, called Maria Parham Franklin. Representatives from the hospital and Duke LifePoint joined community leaders, elected officials, health care providers and other supporters to ceremoniously cut the ribbon on the new facility. Construction is in its final phases, and Maria Parham Franklin is set to open its doors to the public this month.

“Today marks an important milestone in our efforts to restore vital health care services in Franklin County and surrounding areas,” said Bert Beard, chief executive officer (CEO) of Maria Parham Health. “This facility represents our commitment to ensuring that high quality health care is readily available close to home when our patients need it most. We are eager to open our doors and begin serving the community this month.”

Housed in the former Franklin Medical Center building in Louisburg, Maria Parham Franklin is an emergency department offering 24/7 emergency care, diagnostic services and behavioral health services. Outpatient imaging services include computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, ultrasound, mammography and bone density testing. The facility also will feature a 13-bed inpatient geriatric behavioral health unit and an outpatient laboratory.

“Having access to emergency care and behavioral health services has been a growing need for this region for quite some time,” said C. Boyd Sturges, III, Franklin County’s legal counsel for this project and member of the Louisburg Town Council. “We are so pleased that this exciting project will ensure that members of our community will have access to first-rate emergency care. We hope this initiative will also serve as a model for other rural communities seeking ways to keep healthcare local.”

“In addition to bringing much needed health care services back to the community, this initiative has also spurred new job growth and economic development for this region,” said Sidney E. Dunston, Franklin County commissioner and chairman of the Commissioner’s Hospital Committee. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved, and we look forward to a brighter and healthier future now that Maria Parham Franklin has filled such a critical need.”

The next phase of the project will involve further expanding behavioral health services by increasing the number of available beds and offering inpatient adult behavioral health. This is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2019.

“Projects like this are especially meaningful because they directly impact the health and wellness of the communities we serve and advance our mission of Making Communities Healthier,” said David Dill, president and chief operating officer of LifePoint Health. “Together with our partners at Duke, we couldn’t be more proud to help strengthen the health care services available in this region.”

The capital investment will total more than $16 million upon the completion of both phases, all of which has been made possible by Duke LifePoint Healthcare, The Dorothea Dix Hospital Property Fund, The Golden Leaf Foundation and the North Carolina Department of Commerce through the North Carolina Community Development Block Grant.

“Duke LifePoint is proud to invest in the health of this community and bring high quality health care back to Franklin County,” said William J. Fulkerson, Jr., M.D., executive vice president for Duke University Health System. “We are excited about the tremendous impact Maria Parham Franklin will have on countless lives right here in Franklin County for generations to come.”

About Maria Parham Health

Maria Parham Health, a Duke LifePoint hospital, is a regional hospital in Henderson, N.C., serving the people of north central North Carolina and southside Virginia. As a part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, Maria Parham offers a combination of Duke University Health System’s world-renowned leadership in clinical excellence and quality care, and LifePoint Health’s extensive resources, knowledge and experience in operating community hospitals. Maria Parham offers a wide range of services and the latest technology to meet the health care needs of the community. It is fully accredited by The Joint Commission and CMS. For more information about Maria Parham Health, please call (252) 438-4143 or visit mariaparham.com.

About Duke LifePoint Healthcare

Duke LifePoint Healthcare, a joint venture of Duke University Health System, Inc. and LifePoint Health (NASDAQ: LPNT), was established to build a dynamic network of hospitals and health care providers. The joint venture, which brings together LifePoint’s experience in community-based hospital management and Duke’s world-renowned leadership in patient safety and clinical quality systems, is strengthening and improving health care delivery by providing community hospitals the clinical, quality and operational resources they need to grow and prosper. For more information, visit www.dukelifepointhealthcare.com.

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Vance County School Board Agenda 10-8-18

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— courtesy of Vance County Schools

The Vance County Board of Education will meet on Monday, October 8, 2018, at 7:00 pm in the ASC Board Room, 1724 Graham Avenue, Henderson.

Listed here is the agenda:

I. Call to Order
II. Moment of Silence
* III. Approval of Minutes (Attachment)
* IV. Approval of Meeting Agenda
A. Agenda Addendum
V. Recognitions/Announcements
A. VCS Employees of the Year
VI. Comments from the Public

(Citizens who would like to address the Board may do so by completing Form BDDH-E, Public Participation at Board Meetings.  This request must be made by noon one working day preceding the regular Board Meeting.  The form may be obtained by calling the Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent at 492-2127, ext. 2202.)
VII. Superintendent’s Report
A. Monthly Fiscal Oversight Report (Attachment)
B. Facility Disposition
C. CIP Draft
* D. Principal Bonuses
VIII. Board of Education Standing Committees
* A.  Personnel:  Margaret A. Ellis, Chair (Attachment)
* B.  Finance:  Gloria J. White, Chair (Attachment)
C.  Building & Grounds: Ruth M. Hartness, Chair (Attachment)
D.  Policy:  Darlynn P. Oxendine, Chair
E.  Curriculum: Edward B. Wilson, Chair (Attachment)
F.  Community Relations:  Dorothy W. Gooche, Chair (Attachment)
IX. New Business
X. Recurring Items
* A. Overnight Field Trip Request
* B.  Out-of-County Transfer Requests (Attachment)
* XI. Executive Session
Approval of Minutes, Property, Legal, Personnel Matters
* XII. Adjournment
* Requires Board Action

In addition to the board meeting, the Vance County Board of Education Committee Meeting Dates are:

Curriculum – October 25 at 9:30 am

Building and Grounds – October 25 at 8:30 am

Community Relations – TBD

Personnel – October 30 at 8:30 am

Policy – October 24 at 5:30 pm

Finance – October 24 at 6:00 pm

All meetings are held in the Superintendent’s Conference Room.

News 10/04/18

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Vance County Schools Make Substantial Gains in 2017-2018

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— courtesy of Vance County Schools

(The entirety of this post is also on the Vance County Schools web page – click here – and is published here with permission.)

Vance County Schools showed substantial improvements for the 2017-2018 school year based on accountability data released on September 5 by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, evidence of the accuracy of the district theme for the year, “Year of Breakthrough.”

The results were made public after the data was presented to the N.C. State Board of Education.

Superintendent Anthony Jackson noted, “It is with great celebration that we announce six Vance County Schools improved their School Performance Grade (SPG) by one letter grade in 2017-2018 and nine schools either met or exceeded student growth standards. The district has one “A” school, three “B” schools, six “C” schools and five “D” schools. We are beginning to see the results of our strategic focus on instruction, leadership, innovation and most importantly, children. The students in Vance County Schools are creative thinkers, have an innovative mindset and have a desire to chart their own course for their future.”

Those six schools improving by a letter grade were Pinkston Street Elementary, L.B. Yancey Elementary, Carver Elementary, E.M. Rollins Elementary, Henderson Middle School and Southern Vance High School.

The 2017-2018 results also show that the district’s grade level proficiency grew by 2.2 percent, continuing the steady trend to closing the gap in grade level proficiency between local students and students across North Carolina. Vance County Schools continues to search for innovations that will enhance opportunities and experiences for students.

The four-year cohort graduation rate for the district also improved to 82.1 percent in 2017-2018 from 81.9 percent in 2016-2017, with over $8 million in scholarships earned by students.

The outstanding student performances last year were the result of a lot of hard work by students, teachers, school support staff, administrators and parents. Academic improvements also occurred because of school administrators and support staff working with teachers to focus on specific areas in reading and math where students needed additional assistance to improve their skills. Classroom teachers used available data to follow the progress of students and provide extra instruction and interventions to help students improve and reach their goals.

For a third consecutive year, Vance County Early College High School earned a SPG of “A” and exceeded growth expectations. Based on the outstanding performance of students at the school, they earned an overall proficiency rating of 91 percent in end-of-course testing in Biology, English II and Math I. For the Biology and English II testing, Early College students were more than 94 percent proficient. The school’s overall proficiency rating was five points higher than in 2016-2017, another major milestone for the district.

Pinkston Street Elementary School led all elementary schools with a 17-point increase in its students’ proficiency in end-of-grade testing in reading and math in grades 3-5. The school’s overall proficiency in 2017-2018 was 74 percent, compared to 57 percent in 2016-2017. The outstanding results gave Pinkston Street a SPG of “B” and increase from the school’s “C” grade the previous year. Pinkston Street students also exceeded growth standards.

L.B. Yancey Elementary School also improved by a letter grade to a SPG of “B” last year. The school also exceeded growth for the year with a nine-point jump in its students’ proficiency on the end-of-grade assessment to 71 percent from 62 percent the previous year. Clarke Elementary School was the third “B” school in 2017-2018 with an overall proficiency rating of 72 percent, slightly higher than in 2016-2017, and its students met growth.

Carver Elementary School had an increase of 10 points in its students’ proficiency in reading and math as it exceeded growth standards and led local schools with a SPG of “C.” The improvements moved Carver up from a SPG of “D” in 2016-2017. Other “C” schools included: STEM Early High School with an overall proficiency of 68 percent; Aycock Elementary School with an overall proficiency rating of 67 percent; Dabney Elementary School with an overall proficiency of 61 percent, up by five points, and exceeding growth; Zeb Vance Elementary School with an overall proficiency of 61 percent and exceeding growth; and Southern Vance High School with an overall proficiency rating of 55, up by two points from the previous year.

STEAM Academy at E.M. Rollins Elementary School had a 13-point student proficiency increase in 2017-2018 from the previous year. Northern Vance High School, New Hope Elementary School, Henderson Middle School and E.O. Young, Jr. Elementary School had increases in some areas. The only “F” school was Eaton-Johnson Middle School.

AdVance Academy, the school system’s alternative high school, is not included in the state accountability report. However, AdVance Academy for the 2017-2018 school year had a very success year graduating 157 total students who otherwise would not have received their high school diplomas. The school’s program is considered to be a successful alternative program in our state’s public schools.

“Data is trending in a positive direction,” said Cindy Bennett, assistant superintendent for Strategic Planning and Student Services. “Continuing the laser focus on strategic planning, training, and instructional protocols will continue to enhance the overall student performance in Vance County Schools.”

“Our final performance results for the 2017-2018 school year derive from the intentional, focused hard work of administrators, teachers, students and parents,” added Dr. Trixie Brooks, assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. “This past year was a ‘year of growth’ across the district. Many schools in the district exceeded the state’s expectations for growth! I feel great about our trajectory towards a ‘year of breakthrough’ with student performance this year. ‘A Year of Breakthrough’ is this year’s theme and we are on our way! We have revised our Instructional Framework to make sure we define what teaching and learning looks like in our classrooms. We are committed to our students and their academic, social and emotional needs. Congratulations to all schools for a fantastic ‘year of growth!’ I am Vance County Proud!”