Maria Parham Health CEO Bert Beard said the state of health care in this area is in a pretty good spot these days. That doesn’t mean that rural hospitals like Maria Parham don’t continue to face challenges, but Beard said hospitals in other markets are facing some of the same things.
Beard was a guest on Thursday’s TownTalk to discuss some of the trends that he’s seeing from his vantage point.
Medicaid expansion, he said, is allowing more uninsured or under-insured residents access to health care. The number of new enrollees is about half a million, approaching the prediction of about 600,000 in North Carolina.
“We’re lagging a bit in Vance County,” he said, but health care professionals at MPH as well as Granville Vance Public Health and others are always looking for new enrollees.
With rising costs and the constant demand to find qualified health care employees, Beard said the Medicaid expansion “has given us a lifeline that we desperately needed.”
Beard said he and his colleagues knew hospitals were headed down a path to a health care provider shortage, but the COVID-19 pandemic hastened that process. Without adequate staff, some small hospitals simply couldn’t afford to keep the doors open, which only brings more challenges to the rural areas they serve.
“Services are going away that are vital,” he said. One of those is maternal services. It’s critical that expectant moms be within, say, an hour of a hospital that provides those services, for the safety of the mom and the child.
When he spoke at the April 23 “state of health care” forum sponsored by the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, Beard said top on people’s minds was the mental health crisis that is so often in the news.
He looks forward to the Emergency Department’s Safe Space project that has received funding and said it will transform how patients in crisis can be managed when they come through the Emergency Department.
Mental health issues are multi-dimensional and under-resourced, Beard said, noting that psychological issues are often entangled in social issues and substance abuse, which exacerbate the problem.
“We’ve got to be more deliberate in how we invest in that,” he said. Public-private partnerships like MPH behavioral health services in Louisburg is something that Beard said he is quite proud of.
Whether through collaboration or providing quality health care by Duke physicians and others, Maria Parham is poised to keep patients across the region it serves top of mind when it comes to community care.
It must be a mutually supportive relationship, however, Beard said. When you seek care, seek local care first.
“It’s more important than ever,” he said, that “when people have good available local health care, that they choose it – the alternative is that health care goes away if it’s not supported locally.”
“We’re working every day to get better every day. That comes with a mutually supportive relationship with our community.”
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TownTalk: Beard Discusses Rural Health Care
/by Laura GabelMaria Parham Health CEO Bert Beard said the state of health care in this area is in a pretty good spot these days. That doesn’t mean that rural hospitals like Maria Parham don’t continue to face challenges, but Beard said hospitals in other markets are facing some of the same things.
Beard was a guest on Thursday’s TownTalk to discuss some of the trends that he’s seeing from his vantage point.
Medicaid expansion, he said, is allowing more uninsured or under-insured residents access to health care. The number of new enrollees is about half a million, approaching the prediction of about 600,000 in North Carolina.
“We’re lagging a bit in Vance County,” he said, but health care professionals at MPH as well as Granville Vance Public Health and others are always looking for new enrollees.
With rising costs and the constant demand to find qualified health care employees, Beard said the Medicaid expansion “has given us a lifeline that we desperately needed.”
Beard said he and his colleagues knew hospitals were headed down a path to a health care provider shortage, but the COVID-19 pandemic hastened that process. Without adequate staff, some small hospitals simply couldn’t afford to keep the doors open, which only brings more challenges to the rural areas they serve.
“Services are going away that are vital,” he said. One of those is maternal services. It’s critical that expectant moms be within, say, an hour of a hospital that provides those services, for the safety of the mom and the child.
When he spoke at the April 23 “state of health care” forum sponsored by the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, Beard said top on people’s minds was the mental health crisis that is so often in the news.
He looks forward to the Emergency Department’s Safe Space project that has received funding and said it will transform how patients in crisis can be managed when they come through the Emergency Department.
Mental health issues are multi-dimensional and under-resourced, Beard said, noting that psychological issues are often entangled in social issues and substance abuse, which exacerbate the problem.
“We’ve got to be more deliberate in how we invest in that,” he said. Public-private partnerships like MPH behavioral health services in Louisburg is something that Beard said he is quite proud of.
Whether through collaboration or providing quality health care by Duke physicians and others, Maria Parham is poised to keep patients across the region it serves top of mind when it comes to community care.
It must be a mutually supportive relationship, however, Beard said. When you seek care, seek local care first.
“It’s more important than ever,” he said, that “when people have good available local health care, that they choose it – the alternative is that health care goes away if it’s not supported locally.”
“We’re working every day to get better every day. That comes with a mutually supportive relationship with our community.”
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The Local Skinny! Hotel 121 Residents Update
/by WIZS StaffCLICK PLAY!
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 05-09-24 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Biting, Pt. 3
/by Bill HarrisListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
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SportsTalk: Crossroads Baseball, Soccer And Golf In State Playoffs
/by Bill HarrisSoccer, baseball and golf are all representing Crossroads Christian in the state playoffs, keeping Athletic Director Scottie Richardson a busy man, but he found a few minutes to talk about his teams on Wednesday’s SportsTalk. “Our baseball team has won its first playoff game in school history and its first trip to the elite eight,” Richardson said. “We have a young team and the sky is the limit,” added Richardson. Next up is the top seeded Lawrence Academy. “The pressure is on them,” Richardson said of Lawrenceville.
In soccer, Crossroads has also advanced to the elite eight by defeating Oakwood. They play again on Friday at Crossroads with game time at 4 p.m., weather permitting of course. The rain has been difficult this week. “We spent five hours to get the field ready,” Richardson said.
Richardson also is keeping his eye on the golf course where Crossroads’ Merritt Cogdill will represent the school in the state tournament Monday and Tuesday of next week in Greensboro.
SportsTalk: KVA Looking To Advance In Playoffs
/by Bill HarrisKerr-Vance Academy’s baseball and soccer teams have begun the playoffs. Mike Joyner, KVA athletic director, was on Wednesday’s SportsTalk and said both teams got off to a great start in the first round with the soccer team defeating North Hills Tuesday 1-0 and the baseball team winning 10-0 in six innings, also against North Hills. “The kids step it up a notch in the playoffs,” Joyner said. The season has been a challenge for KVA. “The schools we play against are significantly bigger,” Joyner added.
The KVA soccer team will play Pungo this (Wednesday) afternoon, weather permitting and the baseball team will have to wait on the winner of the Halifax vs. Ridgecroft matchup to know when they will play next.
Home And Garden Show
/by Bill HarrisOn the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
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Larry Ferebee Named Principal At J.F. Webb In Oxford
/by WIZS Staff-information courtesy of Granville County Public Schools
Larry Ferebee has been named principal at J.F. Webb High School.
The announcement was made Monday at the regular scheduled meeting of the Granville County Board of Education, according to information from GCPS Public Information Officer Courtney Currin.
Ferebee retired from the U.S. Army after more than 20 years before entering the field of education. After retirement, he taught for 11 years in a Title I high school in Virginia and then served as principal or assistant principal at high schools in Wake, Northampton and Franklin counties.
While in the Army, Ferebee was an instructor, drill sergeant and First Sergeant and served in Germany, Korea, Egypt and Iraq.
In addition to a variety of instructional and leadership experiences, Ferebee brings a commitment to the success of all students, a passion for the development of excellence in teaching and learning, and a promise to do his best for and with the staff and students of J. F. Webb High School every day.
According to the press statement, Ferebee wants everyone who enters J.F. Webb High School feels welcome, safe and excited to be there. His goal is that all students know how much he and the staff love and care for them. Through relationships, he will strive to provide instructional opportunities that lead to students graduating career and college ready.
“I am very grateful for the staff and community members from J. F. Webb who assisted in the search process for their new leader,” said GCPS Superintendent Dr. Stan Winborne. “I believe Mr. Ferebee will lead the school forward and help Webb continue its upward trajectory.”
Shriners Fish Fry Today; Get Plates Until 7 PM
/by Laura GabelWIZS was live at the 60th annual Shriners Fish Fry today during the 11 a.m TownTalk segment. Come get some fish today until 7 p.m.
Today’s THE Day, if you’re a member of the Tri-County Shrine Club. Or, if you’re someone who is planning to drive out to the annual Fish Fry. Today’s the day. Come get your fish between now and 7 p.m.
Take-out plates are ready now and the cars are lining up to get plates of perfectly battered and fried fish, complete with cole slaw, potato salad and hush puppies.
If you’ve got a ticket, great, but if you don’t, no problem. Shriners will happily take your $10 in exchange for a plate.
It’s all for a good cause – proceeds go to Shriners Children’s Hospital and burn centers.
Orders of 10 plates or more were delivered to places of business who called.
“Buy a fish plate to support Shriners Hospital,” Billy Currin said in an interview. He said they’d gotten about 600 lunch orders by 11:30 or so, and Vernon Mustian – taking a break from the fryer – said there’s plenty of fish for all.
Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame was out in the take-out line first thing and encourages everyone to come out and get some fish for a great cause. As someone who had been a burn victim himself as a young person, the result of a tobacco barn that blew up, he said, “Any time I can volunteer, I do my best to do it.”
Shriner Sherby Slaughter found himself under the tent on Fish Fry Day, taking money and tickets while plates get loaded into vehicles.
“They gave me a sit-down job, so I’m just where I need to be,” Slaughter said. He has offered his property for the past several years to host the Fish Fry, which has proven to be a perfect spot to get vehicles through the line safely and efficiently.
Slaughter said he is happy that he is able to provide the location – “anything we can do for the crippled and burned child,” he said.
One of those people shuttling plates of piping hot fish to the pick-up area is Dale Dancause, who said he’s been involved with Masons and Shriners for about 15 years.
“It’s all about the children,” he said, adding that his association with these two groups was “the best thing I ever did in my life.”
Red Cross: Take A Minute Now To Prepare For Hurricane Season That Runs June-November
/by WIZS Staff– Information courtesy of the American Red Cross
The week of May 5-11 is National Hurricane Preparedness Week and disaster relief agencies like the American Red Cross encourage residents to take a few minutes now to get ready before the hurricane season blows in. The Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 through November 30, but it’s never too early to be thinking about how to prepare to weather a storm and its aftermath.
“The American Red Cross is taking this year’s forecast for an above average hurricane season very seriously,” said Allison Taylor, Regional CEO of Humanitarian Services, Red Cross North Carolina region. “The American Red Cross works closely with local, state, and federal officials, along with partner community organizations, to respond to disasters and meet basic emergency needs before, during, and after disasters. With our disaster volunteers and partners ready to meet the needs of our communities, the North Carolina Region is ready to respond this season.”
Early forecasts indicate there could be a near-record number of storms this year and experts even warn that the first named storm could form before the season begins. They are calling for as many as 25 named storms with up to a half dozen having a direct impact on the U.S.
“We encourage everyone to take time now to get ready for potential disasters this spring and summer,” said Taylor. “You can do so by updating your emergency supply kit, building a plan, and staying informed of weather risks in your area.”
If you live in areas prone to hurricanes, now is the perfect time to get prepared. Here are some simple steps you can take to be prepared:
Download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed and the free Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies. Choose whether you want to view the content in English or Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector. Find these and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.
In addition to taking these preparedness steps, we also have important safety information available for you on hurricanes.