Tag Archive for: #mariaparham

Maria Parham Now Communicates ER Wait Times

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If you had needed to travel to the emergency room of Maria Parham Health on Friday night at 7:30, your estimated wait time would have been in the single digits as evidenced by the screen grab of mariaparham.com you clicked on for this article.

Minutes matter when it comes to saving lives, and those minutes often matter to prospective patients who may need any form of care.  “How long will I have to wait?” You’ve said or thought those words before.

Maria Parham Health not only wants you to know about receiving high quality emergency care 24/7, but the local regional medical center now seeks to better inform about average emergency department (ED) wait times.

On its web site and in an information release sent to WIZS, how the time is calculated and what to expect are spelled out.

How it’s calculated

“When you see a time, such as 14 minutes, displayed on our website or on the billboard, it is important to understand that this is a four-hour rolling average. Each person who enters our Emergency Department is tracked through a computerized system. The person’s registration time in the ED and “greet time”, which is the time when the patient is greeted by a qualified medical professional, are used to calculate the average wait times. The computerized system automatically averages the most recent four-hour time period, which is updated every 15 minutes throughout the day.”

What to expect

“The average wait time is accurate, reliable and regularly updated. However, due to the natural flux in patient volume, it is possible for a person to experience a shorter, or longer, wait time in our Emergency Department than what is displayed on the signage. Furthermore, patients are prioritized based on severity of the complaint or reason for the visit. This is why we use the four-hour rolling average; it minimizes variance by factoring in the natural ebb and flow of emergency departments. At Maria Parham Health, our priority is to deliver quality care close to home for the people in our communities. We hope you find this new information helpful should you find yourself in the middle of a medical emergency.”

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

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Maria Parham Tweaks Visitor Guidelines In Response To COVID-19 Spike

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Maria Parham Health has announced updated guidelines for visitors to the hospital, effective today, Wednesday, Jan. 5.

A hospital patient who is COVID-19 negative may have one visitor per day during the 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. visiting hours window. The visitor may change each day, but no visitor may stay overnight. Visitors are required to wear an appropriate face mask at all times, except when actively eating or drinking. Gaiter-style face coverings are not acceptable.

The visitor must stay in the patient room and observe all infection prevention protocols including social distancing and frequent hand washing in addition to wearing a face mask.

Things are a bit different for those patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, however.

Those patients may have no visitors, unless it’s an end-of-life situation, according to the hospital’s webpage and social media posts. In such situations, no more than two members of the patient’s immediate family may visit at one time.

Patients entering the hospital through the Emergency Room may have one visitor each day. Visitors may change each day, but they are not permitted to wait in the lobby/waiting area with patients waiting to be seen. Visitors should wait in their cars until the patient is put into a room, but COVID-19 positive patients that come through the ER are not allowed any visitors.

Obstetrical patients in labor or giving birth may have one support person per day, and that person may stay with the patient throughout her labor, but must stay in the patient’s room.

Pediatric patients are allowed two visitors per day and those visitors also  may change each day. Pediatric inpatients are allowed to have one overnight visitor, but, again those visitors must remain in the patient’s room.

Visit mariaparham.com to view the policy in its entirety.

Maria Parham Health

Local Covid Q & A with Maria Parham Health

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WIZS 1450 AM/ 100.1 FM News reached out to Maria Parham Health with several local covid questions. Maria Parham quickly responded through its public information officer and provided the following answers:

Q1 – How many people are currently hospitalized at Maria Parham with COVID?

A1 – We are currently treating fewer than 20 COVID-positive patients. 90% of those people are NOT vaccinated.

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Q2 – What COVID-related restrictions are placed on patients? On visitors?

A2 – We are limiting visitors to only one per day, but no visitors are allowed for COVID-19 patients with the exception of end of life circumstances. No one who is COVID-19 positive, exhibiting symptoms or has a recent exposure is permitted as a visitor at this time.

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Q3 – Is there any other relevant information you would like to share with the public?

A3 – Numbers don’t lie. The overwhelming majority of our hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated, and vaccination is still our best defense against serious illness, hospitalization and death. We urge citizens to protect themselves, protect their families and protect our community by rolling up their sleeves and getting vaccinated against COVID-19 if they have not already done so. Maria Parham Primary Care in Henderson and Maria Parham Multispecialty Clinic in Louisburg are offering the vaccine and can be contacted directly for vaccine needs. Maria Parham Primary Care, 252.436.0440. Maria Parham Multispecialty Clinic, 919.497.8380.

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Q4 – Are you experiencing staffing issues due to the latest COVID surge?

A4 – Staffing is an industry-wide issue, and we are experiencing the same relative resource pressures in this regard as most other healthcare providers. Given the increase in volume we are experiencing, patients may expect extended wait times as our staff do their very best to provide each individual the appropriate level of care they need. We know the community understands this dynamic, and we appreciate their continued support.

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Q5 – Will an employee’s vaccination status have an effect on his or her employment status at some point?

A5 – At this time, Maria Parham Health is strongly encouraging and supporting all of our team members to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but vaccination is not currently required. We are aware of President Biden’s recent announcement about new federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements, and we agree that the vaccine is our best defense against this virus. Right now, we are working to understand the details of this development and the impact it will have for employees and providers at our facility.

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Maria Parham Health is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.

Maria Parham Women’s Care Clinic Provides Quality Care To Women In Community, Region

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A host of local officials and medical professionals were on hand for Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the official opening of the second location of Maria Parham Women’s Care clinic in Henderson.

Bert Beard, Maria Parham Health CEO, welcomed those gathered and said that Dr. Weldon Hampton has had a long, successful practice in the area since he first came to Henderson in 1986.

The practice moved to Oxford in 2015 and now has opened a second office in Henderson that will have a staff of 9 on hand.  Beard said he was happy to have the clinic back in Henderson to serve the community.

“We’re very proud of this practice,” Beard said. Last year, Maria Parham Health received national recognition for Newsweek’s Best Maternity Hospitals.

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington offered his congratulations as well to the group for establishing a second clinic to serve the community and the region.

Vance Commission Chair Dan Brummitt recognized the hospital as being the largest employer in the county and echoed Ellington’s comments about serving the Henderson area and the region. “Any way we can partner, we look forward to,” said Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Dr. Levy Brown.

N.C. Rep. Terry Garrison was on hand for the ribbon-cutting and commended Maria Parham and all associated with the clinic, calling it a “great day for Henderson and Vance County – another growth opportunity that has come our way,” Garrison said.

Hampton said that he and the other doctors see patients when they are in the hospital for care, but the clinic will allow them to also see patients in the office also. As for the Newsweek award, Hampton said it was “quite impressive.”

“I knew we had a great practice,” he said. “I knew we take care of our patients,” but was pleasantly surprised for MPH to be recognized nationally.

Emma White, DO, and Kayla Cagle-Colon, MD  also are recently added associates in the practice, and a fourth physician will join later this summer.

Maria Parham Women’s Care provides a comprehensive range of services and procedures including routine checkups, general gynecological care, urinary incontinence treatment, minimally invasive gynecological surgery, prenatal and postnatal care for mother and baby, as well as menopausal management. The providers deliver babies exclusively at Maria Parham Health in Henderson.

The clinic is located at 568 Ruin Creek Road, Suite 001, Henderson. To schedule an appointment, call 252.492.8576 or visit MariaParhamPhysicianPractices.com.

Maria Parham Hosts White Coat Ceremony For Residents In New Program

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Their journeys to medicine couldn’t have started more differently, but when two physicians put on their white coats during a ceremony next week their paths for the next few years will be remarkably similar.

Rashmi Saincher knew she wanted to pursue a job in the health or science field. She went straight to medical school after graduating from college; it took Jessica Y. Sanders several years – and several jobs – to put her on the path to becoming a doctor.

Sanders and Saincher will become the two newest residents in the Rural Training Track at Duke’s School of Medicine. Maria Parham Health and Duke Primary Care in Oxford are collaborators with the program, which is part of the family medicine residency in the department of family medicine and community health. The Rural Training Track was recently accredited by ACGME and Sanders and Saincher are the first to “match” with Maria Parham through the National Resident Matching Program Main Residency Match.

The June 30 white coat ceremony, hosted by Maria Parham Health, marks for the two physicians the beginning of a three-year commitment with the rural training track, which focuses on meeting primary care shortage needs in rural North Carolina. Both women said they are excited to begin the program. “We did all this work and it’s finally here and we’re starting the next leg of our journey,” Sanders told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk. Saincher, who attended St. George’s Medical School in London, identified a mixture of excitement and nervousness in advance of the white coat ceremony. “It’s going to be a proper white coat,” she said. “It will be a very different feeling to be addressed as ‘doctor’ instead of ‘medical student,’” Saincher added.

During the first year of the program, the residents will spend a majority of their time at Duke University Hospital and Duke Regional, as well as Maria Parham Hospital and Duke Primary Care in Oxford. Over the next two years, their time will be spent mainly in Henderson and Oxford.

Maria Parham CEO Bert Beard said Tuesday that having the residents working at the hospital sends a positive message to the community. “It’s a big deal to have a residency program,” Beard told WIZS Tuesday. “And it’s a huge deal to have one associated with Duke University.”

Being a part of the rural training track sends “a signal to the region we serve that our partnership with Duke is strong and is growing,” and that Maria Parham is committed to the long-term health and well-being of patients in the community.

Those patients will benefit as well, Beard said. The physicians who are participating in the residency program are licensed, with some limitations, to write orders and care for patients. The plan is to have 12 residents within five years participating in the program – four in Year 3, four in Year 2, and four in Year 1.

The program will give them a lot more training and hands-on experience, Sanders said, mainly because they will be working more closely with patients in the rural setting. Beard said it’s a way to “cultivate the importance and the joy of serving as a primary care provider in a rural community.”

“I feel that the best cases and the best experiences in connecting with the community actually lie in the rural area,” Saincher said. “One thing that this pandemic has shown us is that every corner of society deserves the best care and I’m really excited to be able to help deliver that care and also to be able to improve my own skills in the process.”

Both physicians will go through a variety of different rotations in different areas of medical care; Saincher said she especially looks forward to working at the VA Hospital in Durham and in the areas of geriatrics and palliative care.

Sanders also looks forward to working at the VA. “Obviously, they are a very under-served population,” she noted. She also is interested in women’s health so she looks forward to the OB-GYN rotation.

Sanders said her “real-world” experiences between undergraduate school and medical school helped shape her approach to medicine. “I know Duke has wonderful mentors and providers,” she said, noting the importance of having that type of resource for support.

Saincher said her approach is to take every moment as a learning opportunity, “realizing that this is such a unique and great experience to grow. We’re all helping each other out the best way we can,” she said.

(This article and audio are not a paid ad.)

Maria Parham Job Fair; June 24th; 2p-9p

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Maria Parham Health Job Fair

June 24, 2021

2 p.m. until 9 p.m.

RSVP

(Maria Parham is an advertising client of WIZS Radio and WIZS.com. This is not a paid ad.) 

Maria Parham Practice Opens Second OB-GYN Office In Henderson

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Maria Parham Physician Practices opened a second office in Henderson for women’s care on Thursday, June 3. The new clinic, Maria Parham Women’s Care, is located at 568 Ruin Creek Road, Suite 001. The other office is located in Oxford, and CEO Bert Beard said the new clinic expands the medical group’s footprint for OB-GYN services in the area.

“Maria Parham Health is committed to expanding access to healthcare for women in all stages of life,” Beard, stated in a press release. “Last year, our hospital received national recognition for Newsweek’s Best Maternity Hospitals, and this year, we are excited to expand our footprint for OB-GYN services with our newest practice location in Henderson offering local access to great women’s care.”

Maria Parham Women’s Care provides a comprehensive range of services and procedures including routine checkups, general gynecological care, urinary incontinence treatment, minimally invasive gynecological surgery, prenatal and postnatal care for mother and baby, as well as menopausal management. The providers deliver babies exclusively at Maria Parham Health in Henderson.

Providers are: Kayla Cagle-Colon, MD; Emma White, DO; Janice Martinez, CNM; Karen MacLean, CNM; and Alyson Ringle, CNM.

To schedule an appointment, call 252.492.8576 or visit MariaParhamPhysicianPractices.com.

(Maria Parham is an advertising client of WIZS Radio and WIZS.com. This is not a paid ad.)

Nurse Practitioners Join Maria Parham Primary Care

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Maria Parham Health announced the addition of two nurse practitioners to its staff at Maria Parham Primary Care.

Cheryl Hester is a family nurse practitioner with 14 years of experience in health care. Melanie Kiser specializes in gastrointestinal (GI) care.

Hester will serve patients in Henderson and Louisburg; she has been employed with Maria Parham Health since 2007, according to information from MPH.

Kiser had been a clinical nurse II at UNC Hospital and at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington.

“Cheryl Hester has years of experience in patient care, and she is an excellent addition to the Maria Parham Primary Care team,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “Family Medicine is a continuing concern in Henderson, and (her) clinical expertise will be important as Maria Parham Health strives to meet our region’s evolving healthcare needs and make our community healthier.”

Hester has worked as a licensed practical nurse in the Emergency Department, as well as registered nurse, charge nurse and triage nurse during her time at MPH. She also has been the assistant director of the progressive care unit before being promoted to director of critical care and medical-surgical units and then director of critical care services.

Hester is a 2015 graduate  Chamberlain College of Nursing and received her master’s degree in nursing from Grand Canyon University in 2019. Most recently, she completed a family nurse practitioner post graduate certification from Herzing University.

Hester’s office is in Vance Medical Arts Building, 511 Ruin Creek Road, Suite 101 in Henderson. Call 252.436.0440 for a referral or to make an appointment. The Louisburg office is located at Maria Parham Multispecialty Clinic, 1501 N. Bickett Blvd., Suite E. For an appointment in Louisburg, call 919.497.8380. Online appointment scheduling is available at https://www.mariaparham.com/schedule.

Kiser is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with more than seven years of clinical experience.

“Melanie Kiser has years of experience in primary and critical care, and she is an excellent addition to our hospital team,” Beard stated.

Kiser graduated from East Carolina University in May 2020 with the designation of doctor of nursing practice-family nurse practitioner. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society, the American Association of Critical Care, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Kiser is seeing patients at her office at Maria Parham GI Associates. For a referral or to schedule an appointment, please call 252.430.8111.

(Maria Parham Health is an advertising client of WIZS Radio and WIZS.com.  This is not a paid ad.)

TownTalk 2-10-21: Dr. Sydney Short, MPH Cardiology; Feb is American Heart Month

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February is American Heart Month, and a local cardiologist was happy to steal the medical spotlight from COVID-19 for a short while to discuss heart health, risk factors and ways people can contribute to their own good heart health.

Dr. Sydney Short has more than 30 years’ experience as a cardiologist, and he has been at Maria Parham Health since late January 2019. He spoke with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk. In addition to the usual suggestions for improving heart health – regular exercise, watch your diet, and stop smoking – Short offered additional insights to help people feel better about how they treat their hearts.

Although heart disease is an increasing concern, he said, advances in treatments are encouraging. “It’s important,” Short said, “and something that a lot of people deal with in their lives.” And yes, regular exercise is still the best way to improve your heart function,” Short said. During the pandemic, however, regular exercise regimens may have been affected by COVID-19 restrictions. It needs to be sustained, aerobic exercise that gets your heart rate up, Short reminded. Unfortunately, simply being physically active in the workplace doesn’t count.

He said he has enjoyed having an ongoing doctor-patient relationship with his patients. When patients come in with a problem and have a heart catheterization study “and you see that it can be fixed, patients often feel better quickly and get back to a normal life,” he said. “It’s fun to be involved in their lives and see how much better they’re doing after they’ve actually been able to have an intervention,” Short added.

To Hear Dr. Short’s TownTalk Interview, Click Play…and continue reading below.

Of course, it’s always better to maintain good heart health and not need the services of a cardiologist. But for those who need a cardiologist’s care, help is a short drive away.  “It’s very exciting and very rewarding to see patients get this health care that previously had been a farther distance away – and now it’s on their doorstep,” Short added. Maria Parham’s Cardiology office is located behind the main hospital in the Jenkins Building.

There’s a difference between heart disease and a heart attack, Short explained. For example, a person who exhibits chest pain each day when he walks to the mailbox is probably describing an ongoing or developing heart problem. Sudden, immediate pain in the chest, however, is more associated with a heart attack.

Symptoms, in addition to sudden chest pain that are warning signs of a heart attack include: breaking out in a sweat, shortness of breath, weakness and dizziness, Short said. “The longer I’ve been in medicine, the more unusual presentations I’ve seen,” he explained. “Most patients have a more typical kind of presentation with their chest pain, with their heart problem.” But that pain could show up in other areas, such as back pain or other areas. And women seem to exhibit more unusual or out-of-the-ordinary symptoms, he said.  “All of these symptoms should be taken seriously,” he said.

Short puts family history at the top of the list of indicators of heart disease. Smoking is a very important risk factor, too. Although other health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol can contribute to heart disease, Short said, it’s not a done deal.

“If all those are treated and are under control, you are less likely to have heart disease,” he said. “We do speak of those risk factors when patients come into the office. It’s one of the first things we go through” he said, and then he and the patient try to modify those factors to decrease the chances of having problems in the future.

Similarly, people who have already experienced some sort of heart problem can take steps to maintain good heart health. “Once they’ve had an event of some kind, then we work very carefully … to try to decrease their risk of having further problems in the future.”

“If you still smoke, then you are much more likely to have another problem with your heart in the future,” Short said. “If you have had heart disease in the past, you definitely need to stop smoking,” he said.

(This article and the audio contained within are not meant to offer any diagnosis or treatment or offer medical advice.  Maria Parham Health is a paying advertising client of WIZS.  This is NOT a paid ad.)

Maria Parham Health

Why I Got the COVID-19 Vaccine by Adrian Ogle

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Submitted by Adrian Ogle, Chief of Staff, Maria Parham Health

For most of us, this past holiday season was unlike any other we have experienced. Instead of the typical hustle and bustle of holiday parties, family gatherings and being surrounded by those we love – this year was just different. I know for me personally, I missed seeing my mother and other beloved family members due to the restrictions of COVID-19.

While changing traditions this year was hard, I know there are people here in our community who are facing much greater difficulties because of how COVID-19 has impacted their lives. I see these challenges every single day in my role on the frontlines of fighting this pandemic as a Chief of Staff.

That’s why I’m excited and proud to be among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. I know many people have questions or concerns about the vaccine – I did too, at first. However, after talking to other clinicians I know and trust, reviewing the facts and being tired of missing so much in 2020, I feel very confident in my decision to get vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccines have gone through the same rigorous process to gain authorization that all vaccines available in the United States have gone through – no steps were skipped, and no corners were cut. Researchers anticipate that the vaccine will be approximately 95% effective. This is significantly higher than other common (and important) vaccines like the flu vaccine, which is typically between 40-60% effective.

You’ve probably heard about the potential side effects, which can include pain at the injection site and sometimes headaches, muscle pain, body aches, fatigue or fever. I personally experienced mild soreness and achiness around the injection site, which were mild and went away within two days. I can tell you from personal experience serving patients and families every day during this crisis that these potential side effects pale in comparison to the challenges that come with a serious case of COVID-19.

For me, I chose to get the vaccine because it is very important that we as a community all take measures to control Covid-19 to allow us to return to a sense of normalcy.

With the COVID-19 vaccine, I believe we are on the right path toward reaching an end to the pandemic and returning to normal life – but it is going to take all of us doing our part by choosing to get vaccinated, continuing to wear masks, maintaining social distancing and practicing hand hygiene until the vaccination is widely administered. I want to encourage every member of our community to step up and be a vaccine hero once it is available to you. Do it for your family, your friends, yourself – and all of us at Maria Parham Health.

While there is much that we all missed last year because of the pandemic, there is now a light at the end of the tunnel. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve this community, and I will continue to do my part to help ensure that brighter days are ahead in 2021.

(This is not a paid ad.  Maria Parham Health is a paying advertising client of WIZS.)