Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Earthworms
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Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews
Maria Parham Health Releases 2023 Community Benefit Report
–information courtesy of Donna Young, MPH Health Market Coordinator, Communications & Marketing
Maria Parham Health has published its annual community benefit report for 2023, outlining the indirect impact it has on the community as well as the obvious impact to provide a variety of medical services and treatment available to patients.
The report outlines the various ways the hospital is working to support the health and economic vitality of the Henderson/Vance County community as part of its mission of making communities healthier®, according to hospital officials.
“As a leading healthcare provider in Henderson and Vance County, Maria Parham Health is committed to providing high-quality care close to home, investing in our region’s overall well-being and making a positive impact on those we serve,” said Bert Beard, chief executive officer of Maria Parham Health. “This year’s report highlights our continued efforts to provide compassionate care – both inside and outside our hospital walls,” Beard said.
In 2023, Maria Parham Health added 67 providers in anesthesiology, behavioral health, cardiology, family and emergency medicine, gastroenterology, genetic counseling, neurology, OB/GYN, oncology, orthopedics, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology, wound care and more. Maria Parham Health also made more than $1.6 million in capital improvements, including an ultrasound machine for Women’s Health, new orthopedic workstations for blood testing and opening a new Franklin County physician office.
Additionally, Maria Parham Health donated nearly $63.6 million in health services to those in need, demonstrating its continuous commitment to ensuring everyone has access to care, regardless of their ability to pay.
Maria Parham Health is also devoted to creating environments where providers want to practice and where employees want to work. Last year, the hospital distributed more than $68 million in salaries, wages and benefits for its approximately 770 employees, while contributing more than $124,000 in professional development and tuition assistance to give all employees the opportunity to learn, grow and improve the care they provide their patients.
MPH also paid $13,279,020 in local and state taxes to support local organizations and activities like Shop with a Cop and Friends, The Salvation Army and McGregor Hall.
“We are proud to call Henderson and Vance County our home, and we feel incredibly grateful for the continued support of all those who entrust us with their care. Our success would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our providers, employees, and volunteers,” said Beard. “As we look ahead to the future, we are so excited to continue improving the ways we serve our neighbors and communities.”
View the full community benefit report here:
https://www.mariaparham.com/community-benefit-report?query=community+benefit+report
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 04-05-24 Noon
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Henderson’s CommUnity Clean Up Day Friday, Apr. 26
The city of Henderson will sponsor a CommUnity Clean Up Day Friday, April 26 – churches, businesses and other groups are invited to take part and spruce up different areas of the city where litter may collect and create an eyesore.
The day’s event is held in conjunction with the NC DOT’s Spring Litter Sweep, a statewide effort to clean up along roadsides.
To learn more and to get the materials needed to help in the CommUnity Clean Up Day, contact Cindy Norwood, executive assistant to City Manager Terrell Blackmon at 252.430.5700.
Haley Rawles New Director At Vance County Board Of Elections
The Vance County Board of Elections has selected Haley Rawles to become its new director. Rawles, former deputy director in Granville County, started her new job today, Thursday, Apr. 4.
“I’m super excited to be here in Vance,” Rawles told WIZS News earlier today in a telephone interview.
In a recent interview, Board Chair James Baines said the county had made its selection, but was awaiting final approval from Raleigh to begin the transition.
Former director Jennifer Cocklin will stay on another week, Rawles said.
Once they get that approval, the candidate can go before Clerk of Superior Court Henry Gupton and take the oath of office. Rawles said she expects to be sworn in next week.
“We plan to do our best for the citizens of Vance County,” Baines said.
The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood: Catalytic Converters
For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.
Ask a mechanic about your vehicle’s catalytic converter and you’re likely to hear about how it reduces pollution and toxic gases that come from the engine.
An environmentalist may tell you how essential this little piece of metal is to protect the air we breathe.
Ask an unscrupulous so-and-so and you’ll likely hear that they’re super easy to steal, strip of its precious metals and make some serious money, all at the vehicle owners’ expense.
This relatively small, but essential, piece of equipment has attracted thieves looking to make a fast buck. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says claims of catalytic converter thefts have increased by nearly 300 percent since 2020.
Vehicles can run without a catalytic converter, but legally, they’re supposed to have one. If you notice that your vehicle makes a very loud sound when you start it, you may want to check to see that the catalytic converter is there – if not, that 18-inch gap in your exhaust system where the converter used to be is the reason for the noise.
So, what’s a car owner to do? There are several suggestions to keep your vehicle safe:
- Always park in your garage or a brightly-lit area, ideally in view of a security camera. At home, put in a motion sensor light that covers your driveway.
- Install an anti-theft device that makes it impossible to cut off your catalytic converter. Several manufacturers sell shields, cables or plates that are bolted onto your car to cover the component.
- Spray paint the catalytic converter a bright color with high-temperature exhaust manifold paint, which should alert a recycler that it could be stolen property.
- Etch your license plate or vehicle identification number on the converter so it’s easier to track if stolen.
The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS. Safety First! Always seek proper help. This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 04-04-24 Noon
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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Communication, Part 4
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TownTalk: NC Should Have Good Weather To View April 8 Eclipse
As a meteorologist, Jonathan Blaes is a scientist well-versed in the vagaries of weather, especially in North Carolina and especially in the springtime. But next week, he just may divert his attention – for a few minutes, anyway – to observe a celestial event that has nothing to do with storms, or clouds or rain or anything else weather-related.
It’s the solar eclipse that will have his attention on Monday afternoon, which he called “a remarkable and really ‘far out’ kind of thing.”
The official forecast from Blaes, meteorologist-in-chief at the National Weather Service in Raleigh: observers in North Carolina won’t see the most dramatic show when the eclipse occurs roughly at 3:15 p.m., but they will have clear skies and fair temps to make viewing more pleasant.
“It’s certainly going to be a neat event,” he said on Thursday’s TownTalk, “but be careful.”
Although the sun will seem a little bit less powerful during the eclipse because the moon is in the way, its harmful UV rays can still cause damage, so please do NOT look skyward during the eclipse.
Blaes offered an alternative to the traditional pinhole cameras and special glasses for those who want to experience the eclipse in a safe manner: Go for a walk in a wooded area.
“As you walk underneath the trees, you’ll see a crescent shape of the sun on the ground,” he said. It’s Mother Nature’s version of that pinhole camera – the leaves of the trees will create miniature eclipse sun images, he said. “It’s one of the neatest things I’ve ever experienced.”
As a scientist, Blaes said he’s experienced a lot of what Mother Nature throws at North Carolina over the course of a year – springtime storms and rotations aloft that can create tornadoes are just a couple of types of weather that keep him and others at the National Weather Service on their toes.
He said this spring, folks in this area can expect conditions this spring to be “a little bit warmer and a little bit wetter” than normal. Sure, anyone can predict that, but Blaes and his team have analyzed tremendous amounts of data to come up with such a simple-sounding pronouncement.
“Being a meteorologist is fun,” Blaes said. “It is challenging – every day is a puzzle.” The surge in data from satellite images and other sources produces more information than humans can manage, he said, so he and his team rely on statistics and AI – all of which contribute to improved weather forecasts.
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TownTalk: Community Info Series To Focus On Dementia
It’s something that many of us worry about as we get older and can’t remember things like we once did, but Michael Patterson, a family caregiver specialist for Kerr-Tar COG Agency on Aging breaks down what falls in the “normal forgetfulness” category and what does not.
Patterson was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk and previewed some of the information that he will share at the monthly community form series sponsored by the Hon. Charlie Baskerville.
The program “Dementia Friends,” which will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Apr. 9, is designed to promote awareness about what dementia is and how it affects caregivers and their families who care for those in the grips of dementia.
“When it comes to individuals caring for those with dementia, (I) stress this is a journey,” Patterson said, “a chronic condition.” It’s not like caring for someone with flu – follow doctor’s orders and you’ll be good as new in a week or so.
Some people can live for decades with dementia, and others’ lives are cut short. Whatever the scenario, caregivers carry a heavy load and experience a different relationship with their loved one.
“I work with caregivers to understand that this is a journey,” Patterson said. Self-care is important, he emphasized. What caregivers need to understand is that they are not alone.
A couple of his favorite resources include the Dementia Alliance of NC and Duke Dementia Family Support. Both provide education and support group opportunities; the Duke group offers respite vouchers, as does the KTCOG Agency on Aging.
“Dementia is a brain disease,” Patterson said, but its onset can be triggered by numerous factors, including genetics or other health conditions like hypertension or high cholesterol.
So when your doctor or health care team encourages you to eat right, take your meds and live a healthy lifestyle, a secondary effect could be lowering your risk for any of the types of dementia.
“Dementia is the umbrella and then under it are the other subcategories,” Patterson explained, adding that many people equate dementia with Alzheimer’s.
Granted, Alzheimer’s accounts for between 60 percent and 80 percent of most dementia cases, but it’s not the only type of dementia that researchers have identified.
Now that Baby Boomers are reaching the age of 65-70, this generation of adults that accounts for a larger percentage of the overall population may skew the prevalence for dementia diagnoses.
But, Patterson said, “just because you are getting older, doesn’t mean you’re going to get dementia.”
Memory loss is a normal part of aging, as our mental and physical abilities change over time.
It’s when that memory loss has an adverse impact on your daily living that dementia may be coming into play.
Can’t find your car keys? Normal aging. Can’t remember what the car key is used for? Not normal aging.
If you get in your car to go home but forget how to “get” home, that also could be more than normal aging.
Learn more at the April 9 program, which will be held at Baskerville Funeral Home, 104 S. Chestnut St., Henderson.
Contact Patterson at 252.436.2040, extension 6072.
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