VGCC registers potentially life-saving bone marrow donors

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— courtesy VGCC

Vance-Granville Community College, in partnership with the Project Life Movement, held a three-day, three-campus bone marrow registration drive in October. The service project was led by students and faculty in the VGCC Radiography program. The result was that 40 people joined the national registry of potential bone marrow donors.

Students, faculty and staff signed up and swabbed their cheeks to provide DNA samples at the events, held on Oct. 3 at the college’s South Campus, Oct. 4 at the Main Campus and Oct. 5 at the Franklin County Campus. The painless registration process took only a few minutes, but could save a life if a participant turns out to be a match for someone in need of a bone marrow transplant. Such treatments are the only hope for many people diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and other blood cancers and diseases.

Second-year VGCC Radiography students, joined by Clinical Coordinator/instructor Stacey Soles (at far left) and Dorian Edwards, campus coordinator for Project Life (in back, at far right), welcomed fellow students, faculty and staff to join the bone marrow donor registry in the student lounge on VGCC’s Main Campus. (VGCC photo)

Project Life is a national movement that started with students at Davidson College and has spread to more than 25 other schools and has registered more than 13,000 donors. This was VGCC’s second college-wide bone marrow registration event held in conjunction with Project Life. The first was in the fall of 2015.

This year, VGCC students were joined at their events by Dorian Edwards, campus coordinator for Project Life. He helped train the student volunteers and process registrations. Edwards, who is also an assistant football coach at Kinston High School, likened being on the registry to “being a member of a football or basketball team, sitting on the bench, but being ready to be called into the game at any time.” Once a person registers, he or she is listed on the registry until they reach the age of 61, so many students may remain a potential lifesaver for 40 years. Project Life works with “Be The Match,” operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). Be The Match has managed the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world for more than 25 years.

From left, first-year VGCC Radiography students Caitlin West, Megan Whitman and Michael Leslie were joined by Project Life Campus Coordinator Dorian Edwards at the college’s South Campus as they welcomed students, faculty to staff to register on the first day of the drive. (VGCC photo)

For more information, contact Radiography Clinical Coordinator/instructor Stacey Soles at (252) 738-3515 or soless@vgcc.edu, or Ann Henegar at Project Life at (704) 299-6310 or www.projectlifemovement.org.

DEA establishes six new heroin enforcement teams

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— Courtesy DEA

RALEIGH, NC – The Drug Enforcement Administration today announced the establishment of six new enforcement teams focused on combatting the flow of heroin and illicit fentanyl.

“At a time when overdose deaths are at catastrophic levels, the DEA’s top priority is addressing the opioid epidemic and pursuing the criminal organizations that distribute their poison to our neighborhoods,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert W. Patterson. “These teams will enhance DEA’s ability to combat trafficking in heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues and the violence associated with drug trafficking.”

The enforcement teams will be based in communities facing significant challenges with heroin and fentanyl, including New Bedford, Mass.; Charleston, W.Va.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; Raleigh, N.C.; and Long Island, N.Y.

In determining the locations for these teams, DEA considered multiple factors, including rates of opioid mortality, level of heroin and fentanyl seizures, and where additional resources would make the greatest impact in addressing the ongoing threat. While the teams are based in specific cities, their investigations will not be geographically limited. DEA will continue to pursue investigations wherever the evidence leads.

DEA received funding in its FY 2017 enacted appropriations to establish these teams, which will be comprised of DEA special agents and state and local task force officers.

The abuse of controlled prescription drugs is inextricably linked with the threat the United States faces from the trafficking of heroin, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues.

Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle crashes or firearms. According to initial estimates provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more than 64,000 overdose deaths in 2016, or approximately 175 per day. More than 34,500, or 54 percent, of these deaths were caused by opioids.

The DEA continues to aggressively pursue enforcement actions against international and domestic drug trafficking organizations manufacturing and distributing heroin, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. Just last week, the Department of Justice announced indictments against two Chinese nationals and their North America-based traffickers and distributors for separate conspiracies to distribute large quantities of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and other opiate substances in the United States.

DEA also encourages parents & their children to educate themselves about the dangers of drugs by visiting www.justhinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov. Follow DEA Atlanta via Twitter at @DEAATLANTADiv

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Vance County Schools Update 10/30/17

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Maria Parham Regional Home Health

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— press release from HomeCare Elite

Maria Parham Regional Home Health named as a top agency of the 2017 ABILITY | HomeCare Elite

HENDERSON, N.C. – Maria Parham Regional Home Health today announced that it has been named a top agency of the 2017 HomeCare Elite®, a recognition of the top-performing home health agencies in the United States. For 12 years, HomeCare Elite has annually identified the top 25 percent of Medicare-certified agencies and highlights the top 100 and top 500 agencies overall.

Maria Parham Regional Home Health, a local provider of home health services in Henderson, is part of LHC Group, a national provider of post-acute care services with over 14,000 employees operating more than 400 locations in 27 states.

“We commend our team members at Maria Parham Regional Home Health for their hard work and dedication in achieving this honor,” said Keith G. Myers, LHC Group chairman and CEO. “Quality patient care is the top priority at all LHC Group locations and providers. We are proud to have 217 locations – more than 70 percent of our home health agencies – earn HomeCare Elite recognition.”

The ranking is developed by ABILITY® Network, a leading information technology company helping providers and payers simplify the administrative and clinical complexities of healthcare; and sponsored by DecisionHealth, publisher of Home Health Line and the Complete Home Health ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding Manual.

HomeCare Elite agencies are determined by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, best practices implementation, patient experience (HHCAHPS), quality improvement and consistency, and financial health. In order to be considered, an agency must be Medicare-certified and have data for at least three outcomes in Home Health Compare. Out of 9,064 agencies considered, 2,268 are recognized on the 2017 HomeCare Elite winners list overall.

“The team at Maria Parham Regional Home Health has demonstrated an impressive ability to deliver great patient care,” said Christine Lang, senior director for ABILITY Network. “This is due to the skill and dedication of their clinical professionals, as well as the proficiency and efforts of their quality team tracking, measuring and interpreting the data that supports the delivery of care. Together, they have earned this recognition as one of the top home care agencies in the country.”

About LHC Group, Inc.

LHC Group, Inc. is a national provider of non-acute healthcare services, providing quality, cost-effective healthcare to patients primarily within the comfort and privacy of their home or place of residence. LHC Group provides a comprehensive array of healthcare services through home health, hospice, community-based services, and facility-based services.

About ABILITY Network

ABILITY® Network is a leading healthcare information technology company helping providers and payers simplify the administrative and clinical complexities of healthcare through innovative applications and data analytics. ABILITY is headquartered in Minneapolis with principal offices in Boston and Tampa. For more information visit www.abilitynetwork.com or write to resources@abilitynetwork.com. For more information about HomeCare Elite, call 888.572.4009, write to HomeCareElite@abilitynetwork.com or visit www.abilitynetwork.com/homecare-elite.

About DecisionHealth

For over 30 years, DecisionHealth, an H3.Group brand, has served as the industry’s leading source for news, analysis and instructional guidance with brand names such as Home Health Line and Part B News. Our unique blend of award-winning on-staff journalists and unmatched access to health care executives, providers and their administrative staffs results in business management advice and operationally focused editorial that has captured the attention of nearly 100,000 home health care professionals and specialty physician practices.

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(Maria Parham Health is a paying advertising client of WIZS.)

News 10/30/17

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Students learn about careers at VGCC Manufacturing Day

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— courtesy VGCC

Vance-Granville Community College held a “Manufacturing Day” celebration on Thursday, Oct. 5, in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Nearly 200 high school students from Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren counties attended, along with VGCC students, educators and other members of the community. They learned about how manufacturing has changed, local career possibilities in the field and options for education and training related to careers in the industry.

“Manufacturing Day is a national event meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers and expose them to modern manufacturing trends,” said Tiffani M. Polk, an academic and career coach with the TechHire program at VGCC. “Our industry partners described the students as highly engaged and inquisitive. Together, I think we were able to reframe what manufacturing is for our future workforce.”

Participating employers included Altec of Creedmoor, Boise Cascade of Roxboro, Carolina Sunrock of Butner, Dill Air Controls of Oxford, Edwards Inc. of Spring Hope, Fastenal of Raleigh, Glen Raven of Norlina, Home Care Products of Oxford, Mars Petcare of Henderson, Novozymes of Franklinton, Plastic Ingenuity of Oxford, Revlon of Oxford, and Superior Tooling of Wake Forest.

Students talk with, seated from left, Revlon representatives Bonnie Garrett and Wendy Grissom at Manufacturing Day in the VGCC Civic Center. (VGCC photo)

VGCC technical programs were represented, including Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology, Automotive Systems Technology, Electrical Systems Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Engineering Technology and Welding Technology. A representative from the Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board was on hand, as well.

Attendees also learned about the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP), which partners with colleges like VGCC and employers to prepare a skilled workforce. An alternative to the traditional four-year college degree, the program takes a student from high school through a two-year community college program like Mechatronics Engineering Technology, with the guarantee of a job at the completion of the program.

Sandy Whitfield from Altec talks with students at Manufacturing Day in the VGCC Civic Center. (VGCC photo)

Reflecting on the event, Revlon representative Bonnie Garrett said that “it was nice to get to introduce high school students to our company and to careers in manufacturing that they don’t often think about. We rarely get an opportunity like this.”

Joel Bailey of Edwards said it was his company’s first time participating in a VGCC Manufacturing Day event. He noted that Edwards, a full-service industrial general contractor with a specialty fabrication shop, has many job openings and was particularly interested in recruiting graduates of VGCC’s Welding, Electrical Systems and HVAC programs.

Steve Tsotsoros from Dill Air Controls shows some of the products manufactured by his company to students attending Manufacturing Day in the VGCC Civic Center. (VGCC photo)

The TechHire grant program at VGCC organized Manufacturing Day, with support from the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance (AMSTA), a partnership of VGCC and local K-12 school systems. The North Carolina TechHire program supports advanced manufacturing and information technology training. VGCC is one of four partnering community colleges in the North Carolina TechHire Alliance, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. For more information on TechHire, contact Tiffani Polk at polkt@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3291.

–VGCC–

(Vance Granville is a paying advertising client of WIZS.)

Joel Bailey from Edwards Inc. (center) talks with VGCC Welding student Cedric Rodebaugh of Franklinton at Manufacturing Day in the VGCC Civic Center. (VGCC photo)

News 10/27/17

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Masonry Students Earn Certifications

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— courtesy Vance County Schools

There are six students in the masonry program at Southern Vance High School who have received certifications in two specialty areas.

Each of the students received certifications that qualify them for employment in masonry work. The certifications are in Core Curriculum and Green Environment. The certifications were granted through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).

Students, all taught by masonry instructor Ben Arrington, receiving the certifications are shown in the accompanying photo with Arrington, standing at far left. The students include, from left, Amari Harris Jr., Daquan Valentine, Kaymaya Valentine and Logan Benedict. Two other students, Samonte Henderson and Sampson Brummitt, received the certifications, but were unavailable for the photo.

VGCC invites community to Fall Festival

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— courtesy VGCC

Vance Granville Community College will hold a “Community Fall Festival” on Monday, Oct. 30, from 5:30 – 8 p.m. in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Admission is free to the event, which promises fun for the whole family.

Among the scheduled activities are a costume contest for kids, face painting, a bounce house and other games.

Tickets for games and concessions will be on sale. Proceeds will benefit the VGCC Vanguards Athletics department.

For more information, contact Coordinator of Student Activities & Athletics Jermiel Hargrove at (252) 738-3246 or hargrovej@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

(Vance Granville CC is a paying advertising client of WIZS.)

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