Triangle North Healthcare Foundation’s 2018 Grant Cycle opens March 15

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— press release

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation is seeking partners to help measurably improve health in Vance, Warren, Franklin, and Granville counties, with the opening of the grant funder’s sixth grant cycle on March 15, 2018.

To be considered for a grant with Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, you must represent a nonprofit organization, school, or governmental agency that serves the Triangle North region— Warren, Vance, Granville, and/or Franklin counties, according to the Foundation’s executive director Val Short. “Your project should fall into one of our five funding priorities, which are Chronic Disease, Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Nutrition & Physical Fitness, Success in School as related to Health & Fitness, and finally, Reproductive Health,” said Short.

The first step in the grant application process is the Letter of Interest, which will be due May 1st. The Letter of Interest form is available on the online Grant Portal, which can be accessed via the Foundation’s website, www.tnhfoundation.org “We strongly suggest that anyone interested in applying for a grant should contact us first to request a meeting,” said Short. “We can discuss the details of a project and determine if it falls within our funding guidelines.” To schedule a meeting to discuss a potential grant project, call 252-598-0763.

Since its first grant cycle in 2013, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation has awarded over $1 million in grants to a variety of programs and projects throughout the region, including the Henderson YMCA’s Save Our Kids and Girls on the Run programs, Boys & Girls Clubs’ healthy teen programs, N.C. MedAssist’s free pharmacy for the uninsured, Smart Start, and many others. A full listing of TNHF grant programs is available on the Foundation’s website.

The mission of the Foundation is “to encourage, support, and invest in quality efforts that measurably improve health in the Triangle North region.” The Foundation cannot accomplish this alone. “Through our partnerships with community organizations, formed through grantmaking, this Foundation can make a difference in the health status of our communities,” said Mrs. Short. “Please let us hear from you!” she added.

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation is a nonprofit regional grantmaking organization based in Henderson, NC, which supports and invests in health and wellness initiatives and programs that will impact health in a positive way in Warren, Vance, Granville, and Franklin counties. Funding for the Foundation’s grantmaking was made possible by the endowment established after the merge of Maria Parham Medical Center and Duke Lifepoint.

Researcher explores “Your Brain on Its Own” in VGCC lecture

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— courtesy VGCC

To deal with change, manage stress and gain insight into making good decisions, it’s best to understand yourself and how your brain works, neuroscience researcher Phil Dixon shared with an audience at Vance-Granville Community College on Feb. 27, for his second of three sessions on “Using Your Brain for a Change.”

“In all of these situations, if you don’t understand yourself, you’re not going to be able to understand others,” Dixon said. A resident of Oxford, N.C., who is originally from England, Dixon has worked in a variety of industries around the world, including a time with Apple. His passion for neuroscience led to the series of lectures that are being sponsored by VGCC’s Office of the Endowment. The first was held in January, and he’ll conclude with a session later this month.

In the February session, “Your Brain on Its Own,” Dixon focused on various profiles, tendencies, influences and contexts that help persons understand who they are and how they are likely to react. His research about the brain is driven by a desire to help individuals become better leaders and make better decisions in their daily lives.

Dixon explored a variety of “profiles” designed to help individuals better understand themselves. The “Five Ps” profile, for example, reveals that we are all different. “What is a threat to one person may not be a threat to another,” Dixon noted.

“Character Profile,” meanwhile, begins with distinguishing individuals by whether they have an “ask” or a “tell” orientation. “To what degree do you tell people what to do, versus asking people what should be done?” he asked. From that vantage point, individuals are seen in one of four categories: Analytical (being correct vs. wrong), Driver (wanting results vs. fearing failure), Amiable (valuing relationships vs. fearing rejection) and Expressive (feeling exhilaration vs. a fear of not being good enough).

Meanwhile, knowing your tendencies — biases, habits, patterns of behavior, the triggers that may cause reactions, and paradigms — will help you better understand how to maintain your focus, Dixon explained.

He also noted the importance of understanding those things that have an influence on your life — beliefs, values, familiarity, memories, available choices, intelligence, etc. — and the context in which you view the world — your personal experiences, life cycles and recent events. “Your genetics make a difference,” he added. “The current data says that your genetics give you about 40 percent of your character.”

In discussing the dynamics of how the brain reacts to change, Dixon explored the learning process required should a person decide to go through a change — feasibility, appeal, agreeableness, resistance to change, readiness to change, and the celebration of small successes, among other points.

He recalled the character, “Yoda,” from the “Star Wars” movies, who said, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Dixon noted, “When we say that I’ll ‘try’ and do that, what happens in your brain? You set yourself up with an excuse. I only said I’ll try and do it. I didn’t say I’d do it.”

Dixon also explored strategies for dealing with stress, ways to prevent stress and how important it is to get enough sleep and maintain positivity in your life.

Decision making, he said, needs to be carefully planned. Making decisions is only sometimes logical, rational, conscious and data-based, he said. It’s often based on emotion and is nonconscious and irrational, clouded by tendencies such as bias, habits and patterns.

“To make good decisions, understand yourself. Be aware of what your tendencies are around decision making,” he offered. “Prepare the process of making decision before you have to make decisions.” For many people, the time of day for deciding is paramount. “If you have tough decisions to make, make them in the morning,” he said.

The best insights come when you are at your freshest, he said. “When do you have your best ideas?” he asked. “The conditions for having insight tend to be when you are relaxed, first thing in the morning, when you are jogging, when you are in the shower, when you are doing something repetitive that doesn’t require your pre-frontal cortex to be taking control, and when you’re not too happy. If you are only happy, those signals override it. When you are slightly reflective, slightly far away and when you are not thinking about the problem, those are the times you are likely to have your biggest insights.”

The concluding session in Dixon’s series, “Your Brain with Another Person,” scheduled for Tues., March 27, will explore bias and the nonconscious brain, communication, coaching, influencing and negotiating, encouraging innovation in others and helping others change. The lecture is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to noon, in the small auditorium in Building 2 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. The public is invited. For more information, contact VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson at (252) 738-3264 or fergusone@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

VGCC guest speaker starts series on the brain

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— courtesy VGCC

Phil Dixon is passionate about the human brain, and he communicated his passion in a fascinating Jan. 30 discussion that kicked off a series of three lectures hosted by Vance-Granville Community College, entitled “Using Your Brain for a Change.”

Originally from England, Dixon has lived in Oxford, N.C., for less than a year. His work history has spanned many different industries and parts of the world, including a stint at Apple.

Today, though, Dixon spends much of his time reading the latest research about neuroscience and determining how that research can be translated into practical application in our daily lives. In particular, Dixon is deeply involved in the application of neuroscience to leadership and management issues.

He said the reason that he and others focus on the brain is simple. “Everything we think, do and dream starts right between your ears, so I think it’s pretty important to take a look at what’s going on there,” Dixon said. Beyond that, he recalled that, years ago, he noticed the abundance of books and articles being published by supposed experts on the subject of leadership. “And yet, with all that available, we didn’t seem to be producing any better leaders,” Dixon said. “In fact, we seemed to be producing leaders who were getting worse. I wondered why. I studied and realized that if we can better understand the brain, maybe we can be better leaders.”

Dixon began his interactive presentation by giving the audience an outline of the brain’s structure, which can be divided not only into two halves but also into three “layers.”

“The first layer, going from bottom to top, is what is sometimes called the ‘lizard brain,’ which is the activator for the fight-or-flight response,” Dixon explained. “It’s pretty much on autopilot. It keeps you breathing.” Second is the “mammalian brain” or the “limbic system.” “This layer is responsible for managing your emotions, memories, biases and habits, and is the activator of decision-making,” he said. “Finally there is the neocortex, which is responsible for those things we typically describe as what make us human: language, imagination, consciousness and reasoning.”

Dixon said that each of the brain’s approximately 86 billion neurons is connected to thousands of other neurons. “We used to think the brain looked like a computer, but now we think it looks more like the Internet, with everything connected to everything else,” he said. “Your brain continues to change, and make new connections, throughout your life. Its ‘neuroplasticity,’ its ability to change, is huge.”

The human brain is constantly “scanning” the environment, Dixon explained, picking up on cues that indicate potential threats and potential rewards. “Of all the ‘circuitry’ in the brain, we have five times as many circuits in the brain to pick up threats as we do to pick up rewards,” he said.

He described the brain’s reactions with the “Five P’s”: Protection, Participation, Prediction, Purpose and Pleasure. “What people want is to feel physically and emotionally safe, we want to feel part of the group, and to be able to predict or have control over our environment,” Dixon said. “If those are taken care of, we feel safe. Then, we are able to find out what our purpose is in life, and we can enjoy the pleasures of life.”

Dixon said he was “blown away” when he learned that researchers discovered that the brain treats an emotional threat in the exact same way as a physical threat. “If I diss or reject someone or shout at them, to the brain, it’s exactly the same as if I slapped them around,” he noted.

Chemically, Dixon said, when a human feels threatened, the brain releases cortisol, the so-called “stress hormone.” The bad news is that the cortisol “hangs around” in the brain for between two and five hours after the threat. “So in most work or learning environments, you really don’t want to put someone’s brain into a threat state if you can possibly avoid it, because cortisol practically shuts down someone’s ability to plan and organize, initiate and learn,” Dixon argued.

One thing that puts the brain into a “threat state,” he explained, is change. “We are in a “VUCA” environment today: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity,” he said. “The brain likes to be able to predict things.”

Dixon’s series continues on Tuesday, Feb. 27, with “Your Brain on its Own,” focusing on how the brain operates when people are alone, including how they focus, make decisions and manage stress and time. The lecture is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to noon, in the small auditorium in Building 2 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. The public is invited.

The series concludes with “Your Brain with Another Person” on Tuesday, March 27. Dixon’s lectures are presented by VGCC’s Office of the Endowment. For more information, call Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson at (252) 738-3264.

–VGCC–

Maria Parham Health Implementing New Visitor Restrictions during Flu Season

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— Press Release from Maria Parham Health

Maria Parham Health Implementing New Visitor Restrictions during Flu Season

Henderson, NC (January 12, 2018) – Our primary goal at Maria Parham Health is to provide the best quality of care in an environment that is safe for our patients. To protect them, at times we must manage their exposure to illnesses that are easily spread, like the flu.

We carefully monitor flu activity levels in our hospitals and the community. When certain thresholds are met, we must take action to halt the spread and limit the number of visitors allowed in our patient areas. Due to the high numbers of respiratory illness and influenza, Maria Parham Health has implemented visitor restrictions.

If you are visiting our hospital during flu season, please be prepared for the possibility of limited visitation and safety hygiene requests to be made.

Visitors are limited to immediate family members or designated adult caregivers, who have no fever, cough, or other flu-like symptoms.

Children under the age of 12 are not permitted to visit unless for a medical appointment or an ED visit.

All persons with flu symptoms (cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, vomiting, extreme tiredness, muscle aches and or diarrhea), please do not visit patients.

Visitors are asked to wash hands frequently. Foam hand cleanser is available throughout the building.

If you are here for services and have flu symptoms, please ask for a mask upon arrival.

You may see some of our staff wearing masks as a safety precaution for our patients.

To help prevent the spread of flu germs outside of the hospital, please wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol hand gel and encourage others to do so as well.

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Maria Parham Health welcomes Dr. Aidevo Igbide

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The following is a press release from Maria Parham Health, not a paid advertisement.

Henderson, NC – Maria Parham Health (MPH), a Duke LifePoint hospital, is excited to announce that Aidevo S. Igbide, MD has joined their primary care physician practice, Maria Parham Primary Care. Dr. Igbide joins our community from Surrey, BC, Canada where she practiced family medicine. Dr. Igbide has over 17 years of experience as a doctor and has worked in multiple countries throughout the world. You can continue reading this article here.

Dr. Igbide earned her medical degree from the University of Benin, School of Medicine in Benin City, Nigeria. She completed a residency program at London Deanery, Sidcup Training in Family Medicine and also trained in internal medicine at the Queens hospital, London Deanery both located in London England. Dr. Igbide holds several licensures including North Carolina  medical Board and College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. She previously held a teaching license with the Washington State Medical Board. She is also certified through multiple organizations and societies including, Board certification by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. She is a Member Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP), United Kingdom and a Member Royal College of Physicians (MRCP), United Kingdom. She is ECFMG certified and board eligible with the American Board of Family Physicians (ABFM).

Dr. Igbide holds several active professional memberships in the following organizations, Canada Medical Protection association, College of Family Physicians of Canada, Canadian Medical Association and the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom. When she is not working, Dr. Igbide enjoys swimming, aerobics and Zumba dancing, cooking and traveling. She is also a soprano soloist and enjoys taking time to practice her skill.

Maria Parham Primary Care is located in the Vance Medical Arts Building across from Maria Parham Health. This practice offers primary care services for the entire family including preventative care, annual wellness care, childhood illness, well child care, women’s health, treatment of chronic illness and geriatric care. Dr. Igbide joins Dr. Gary Smith and Dr. Kavitha Subramanian at Maria Parham Primary Care.

Dr. Igbide is now accepting patients at Maria Parham Primary Care located at 511 Ruin Creek Rd, Suite 101 in Henderson. To reach Maria Parham Primary Care, please call 252.436.0040 appointments can also be made online by visiting mariaparham.com.

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

National Weather Service

Black Ice, Wind Chills the New Concerns Jan 4-6

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(Click here for the latest briefing from the NWS.)

From the National Weather Service, a winter weather advisory remains in effect for the WIZS area of Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin Counties until 7 a.m. Saturday for icy roads, black ice, hazardous travel conditions and dangerous wind chill values.

A winter weather advisory for black ice means dangerous travel from unseen ice as well as compacted snow on the road.  You are urged to be cautious while traveling both during the day and at night because high temperatures are not suppose to be above freezing through the period, with overnight lows in the single digits and wind chill values at or below zero at times.

Exposure to these wind chills can cause frostbit in as little as 30 minutes and could lead to the beginning stages of hypothermia.  Animals can be negatively affected as well.

Fresh Year, Fresh Start in 2018

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— courtesy Maria Parham Health

Ask anyone what their New Year’s resolution is and chances are they’ll mention a determination to eat healthier. While many of us may consider a renewed focus on healthy eating as a way to make up for the rich indulgences of the holiday season or as a pathway to fit more comfortably into that favorite pair of jeans, healthy eating comes with even greater rewards. It can reduce our risk of illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer; and it can help boost our energy, sharpen our memories and stabilize our mood, leading to a noticeable improvement in our overall health.

If you’re embarking on a path to healthier eating this year, here are some tips to help make it a little easier to make healthy food choices all year long.

Slow and steady wins the race. Changing the way you eat overnight can be daunting. Instead, make one or two healthy changes each week – drinking fewer soft drinks one week, perhaps eating a salad with dinner each night the next week. Rather than making a sweeping change that can be hard to sustain, you’ll be building and maintaining healthy habits that last.

Make a plan. Plan ahead so that you can control what and how much you are eating. Choose a day of the week to spend some time preparing a batch of healthy meals that you can package up, refrigerate or freeze and heat up throughout the week. “Meal prep” can free up your time for other pursuits during the week and help eliminate the stress that comes with “What do I want for lunch?”

Get back to basics. Stock up on healthy recipe basics like olive and canola oils, beans, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, fresh and/or frozen fruits and veggies, unsalted nuts, fresh and dried herbs and spices, and lean chicken and fish.

Fill your glass. With water, that is. Soda, energy drinks and sports drinks are a big source of extra sugar – and calories. Instead, choose water, tea, coffee or other unsweetened beverages.

Read the labels. When you’re grocery shopping, take a moment to glance at the label and make sure the items you’re choosing are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar, and high in fiber and good-for-you nutrients.

Don’t forget breakfast. You’ve heard it a million times because it’s true. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating a breakfast high in protein and fiber each morning can jump start your metabolism, satisfy your hunger and make those doughnuts in the break room a little less appealing.

Be realistic. Eating healthy doesn’t mean starving or depriving yourself. Allow yourself the occasional indulgence, so that you don’t feel that you’re missing out. Just be careful of your portion and really savor and enjoy it.

For more tips on healthy eating, visit www.choosemyplate.gov. If you’d like to talk to someone about how healthy eating can be part of an overall healthy lifestyle, call Maria Parham Health at 800.424.DOCS (3627) to make an appointment with a primary care provider.

From all of us at Maria Parham Health, we hope you have a very happy – and healthy – new year!

(Maria Parham Health is an advertising client of WIZS.  This is not an advertisement.)

VGCC Natural Hair Care, Manicuring classes start in January

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— courtesy VGCC

Vance-Granville Community College will offer a pair of continuing education courses that provide job training related to the cosmetology industry, starting in January. Both the Natural Hair Care and Manicure/Nail Technician courses are scheduled for Monday-Thursday evenings from 5:30-9:30 p.m., Jan. 8 through June 5, both in Building 3 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County.

In Natural Hair Care, students will learn about the general sciences and practices specific to infection control, bacteriology, client consultation, twisting the hair, wrapping, blow drying and thermal ironing, extending, locking, business management, and professional ethics in the workplace.

The Manicure/Nail Technician course covers techniques of nail technology, hand and arm, massage, and recognition of nail diseases and disorders. Topics include OSHA/safety, sanitation, bacteriology, product knowledge, salesmanship, manicures, artificial applications, pedicures, massage, and other related topics. Upon completion, students should be able to safely and competently perform nail care, including manicures, pedicures, massage, decorating, and artificial applications in a salon setting and even the best massage bangkok salons.

Students who successfully pass each course will be eligible to take the respective state licensure exam for Natural Hair Care or Manicurist.

The cost of each course is $201.25, plus the cost of the textbook and other applicable fees.

Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/occupational-extension-schedule or at any VGCC campus.

For more information, contact Director of Occupational Extension Kyle Burwell at 252-738-3300 or oex@vgcc.edu. VGCC will be closed from Dec. 21, 2017, through Jan. 2, 2018.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.)

Former Franklin Medical Center Gets New Name

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— courtesy Maria Parham Health

Former Franklin Medical Center Gets New Name: Maria Parham Franklin

Unveiling of new brand signals progress in restoring healthcare services to Franklin County

Louisburg, NC – Maria Parham Health, part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, unveiled a new name for the former Franklin Medical Center: Maria Parham Franklin. The new name was presented to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and Louisburg Town Council on November 20. This development marks an important milestone in efforts to bring essential healthcare back to Franklin County following the closure of the Louisburg hospital in 2015. Plans are in place to open a freestanding emergency department with 24/7 emergency care in mid-2018.

“Establishing the Maria Parham Franklin name symbolizes important progress in returning healthcare to our county,” said Sidney Dunston, Vice-Chair, Franklin County Board of Commissioners. “This is a clear sign of forward momentum for our community that will allow us to move beyond the closure of Franklin Medical Center and look toward a new, brighter future. We’re excited to be working with the Maria Parham and Duke LifePoint teams to get this facility back up and running, so that the people in our region will have access to the care they need and deserve.”

In 2016, the board of commissioners reviewed potential strategic partners interested in taking over services at the closed Franklin Medical Center. It unanimously voted to accept a proposal from Duke LifePoint to operate Franklin Medical Center as part of Duke LifePoint’s Henderson hospital, Maria Parham Health, and turn the Franklin County facility into a freestanding emergency department with 24/7 emergency care, diagnostic services and behavioral health services.

In 2017, a lease agreement was reached and Duke LifePoint began seeking state approvals to reopen the hospital’s emergency department as a freestanding emergency center. It also is working to secure state funds to further the development of additional behavioral health beds and services.

“We’re delighted to introduce the Maria Parham Franklin name to Louisburg and Franklin County,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “Over the next few months, everyone will begin to see changes at the hospital site. By mid-2018, we expect needed renovations and hires to be complete so the first phase of the new emergency room can open to the public. We look forward to working with local officials to rebuild healthcare services in this region and ensure the health and wellbeing of people here.”

Maria Parham Franklin is expected to bring as many as 65 new jobs to Franklin County in the next three years, contributing to economic development and job growth in the region.

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(Maria Parham Health is an advertising client of WIZS.)

Maria Parham Urology Open House

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— courtesy Maria Parham Health

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