Tag Archive for: #mariaparhamhealth

Maria Parham Health Adds Midwife For Womens’ Health Care

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-information courtesy of Donna Young, Maria Parham Health marketing & communication coordinator

Maria Parham Health has announced that Sofronia Germany, MSN, CNM has joined its staff and will be offering midwife services to patients throughout Henderson, Vance County and the surrounding area.

“We are pleased to welcome Sofronia Germany to our Maria Parham team,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “Women’s care is an important need in our community, and Germany‘s midwifery experience will go a long way toward giving our area’s parents more choices in their families’ care. She is an important addition as Maria Parham Health works to make our community healthier.”

Germany graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Cincinnati in Ohio and was a student Nurse Midwife at CareConnect OBGYN in Cordele, Georgia. Germany is an advanced practice midwife, and specializes in care during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period; sexual and reproductive health; gynecologic health; and family planning services, including preconception care. She is seeing patients at her offices at Maria Parham Women’s Care. For a referral or to schedule an appointment, please call 800.424.DOCS.

The Local Skinny! Maria Parham Health Remembers Lives Lost In Service To Country

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-Information courtesy of Donna Young, MPH Marketing & Communication Coordinator 

Maria Parham Health invites the public to its third annual Memorial Day Service on Thursday, May 25, 2023. This year’s theme is “Reflection and Celebration.” The service will begin at 10 a.m. by the flagpoles in front of the hospital, where attendees will remember and honor those who have died in the performance of their military duties while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Maria Parham’s keynote speaker this year will be Hartwell Wright, Vietnam veteran and recent recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is among the most prestigious awards conferred by the Governor of North Carolina. It is awarded for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina that is above and beyond the call of duty that has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina communities. Hartwell Wright received the award in February 2022.

The Maria Parham Memorial Day Service will include prayers from Harriett Baptist Church Pastor Will Breedlove, as well as special music, the hanging of a memorial wreath and the reading of names In Memoriam.

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the auditorium.

CLICK PLAY!

 

CNA Anna Williams 2023 Mercy Award Winner For Maria Parham Health

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— Information courtesy of Donna Young, Maria Parham Health’s Marketing & Communication Coordinator

Maria Parham Health recently announced that Anna Williams, CNA, is the 2023 Mercy Award winner. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of Lifepoint Health’s facilities who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded.

The Mercy Award is an annual recognition program that honors the life and contributions of Scott Mercy, Lifepoint’s founding chairman and chief executive officer. The award is considered the highest honor a Lifepoint employee can receive.

“At Maria Parham Health, we share Lifepoint’s commitment to making communities healthier, and we recognize this is supported by the good work and service of our employees on and off the job,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “We are extremely proud to recognize Anna for her efforts on behalf of our patients and our community. She goes above and beyond each and every day to ensure that every person she encounters receives the highest level of care and compassion.”

Beard continued, “Anna has been a certified nurse assistant for more than 17 years with Maria Parham. For the entirety of her work at MPH she has remained at the bedside. Anna is part of the heart and soul of our inpatient services and punctuates the importance of every member of the care team, and the profound impact that one strong team member can have on others.”

Williams also was recognized by her pastor as a leader whom the community looks to for guidance. She is part of the prayer ministry at Union Chapel Holy Church, and for more than 30 years has helped the sick in her church, as well as those who have lost family members by providing food, transportation, financial assistance or just some sympathetic company in a time of need.

Upon receiving this recognition, Williams responded, “I enjoy my job and find happiness in seeing patients progress and return to health. It allows me to be a beacon of light in the lives of others.”

Each facility winner will be in contention for the companw-wide Mercy Award, which will be announced in August during a ceremony in Nashville, TN.

MPH Earns Another Leapfrog “A” For Patient Safety

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-information courtesy of Donna Young, MPH Marketing & Communication Coordinator

Maria Parham Health has earned another ‘A’ in hospital safety from a national watchdog group that rates hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers for protecting patients from preventable harm and errors.

This latest grade from The Leapfrog Group is primarily for the time during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. MPH received an A from the same group last fall.

“This outstanding result represents the work and collaborative efforts of our entire care team and partners over the years,” stated MPH CEO Bert Beard. “We are very proud to have sustained this high standard and will continue to work to provide access to high quality care for the region. With just over a quarter of the hospitals across the country receiving an A, we thank our communities for entrusting us with their care and for the opportunity to serve them at this high level.”

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national organization assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of the The Leapfrog Group. “But this hospital received an A despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible,” Binder said in a press release from MPH Marketing & Communication Coordinator Donna Young.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.  Grades are updated in the fall and spring each year.

To see Maria Parham Health’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HosptialSafetyGrade.org. and follow The Leapfrog Group ofn Twitter, Facebook and via its newsletter.

MPH Dietary Duo Create Award-Winning Chili

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Information courtesy of Donna Young, Maria Parham Health Market Coordinator, Communications and Marketing

Maria Parham Health Executive Chef Tammy Rochester and Dietary Director Keith Weiss brought home top honors at the recent Goat Fest 2023, a BBQ contest and chili contest held in Nashville, NC.

With a recipe for Bourbon & Bacon Chili, it sounds less like beginner’s luck and more like tasty winning ingredients for the duo, who competed under the name “Cranky Chef.”

“We are honored to have been recognized for our passion and dedication to culinary excellence,” Weiss stated. “We are proud to have participated in such a fantastic event and look forward to continuing to support this important cause in the future.”

The recipe calls for the chili to be topped with a roasted Mexican street corn crema, crumbled crispy fried pork belly and fresh chives, according to Donna Young, MPH Market Coordinator of  Communications and Marketing Communication Coordinator. It was a crowd favorite and was served homemade bread bowl, which Rochester crafted from scratch. Six judges unanimously chose Cranky Chef’s chili as the best in competition.

The team’s Polynesian-style Pork Butt was equally impressive. The dish, infused with soy and ginger flavors, was served in a bamboo boat with grilled pineapple wedges and a pickle brine tempura fried pickle chip.

Goat Fest 2023 raised more than $5,000 to support cancer patients. Attendees enjoyed music, food, and fun, with proceeds going to Nashville-area cancer patients with grocery gift cards through the Kitchen Goat Feeds Corporation. This money will help ensure that families dealing with cancer will never have to choose between groceries and much-needed cancer treatment again.

All dishes had to be prepared on-site with no pre-cooking or pre-marinating allowed, which added to the challenge of the competition. Food was served to attendees at the event, and to a panel of judges which included television personality, restaurant reviewer, speaker, pitmaster and BBQ connoisseur Bob Garner.

 

Maria Parham Cancer Center Welcomes New Nurse Practitioner

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-information courtesy of Donna Young, Maria Parham Health Marketing & Communication Coordinator

Maria Parham Health has added a nurse practitioner to provide services at its Cancer Center.

Crystal Kaplan, MSN, RN, AGACNP has joined its staff as an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner with 15 years of hospital and acute care experience, including three years as a hematology oncology nurse practitioner and hospitalist for Florida Cancer Specialists.

Maria Parham Health CEO Bert Beard welcomed Kaplan, saying her experience will be a valuable asset to add to the quality of care that patients receive.

“Maria Parham Cancer Center’s collaborative care approach, in our longstanding partnership with the Duke Cancer Network and Duke Cancer Institute, brings together the expertise and perspectives of providers from a variety of specialties and disciplines, and Kaplan’s extensive experience has given her a great breadth of experience in a wide range of procedures that people in our region need. This expertise will be important as Maria Parham Health works to make our community healthier.”

Kaplan is a cum laude graduate of Auburn University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She also holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Maria Parham Health Adds Midwife To Women’s Care Staff

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-information courtesy of Maria Parham Health Donna Young, Market Coordinator, Communications and Marketing

Maria Parham Health will have the services of a new midwife available to see patients in the hospital’s Women’s Care clinic.

“We are pleased to welcome Liz Carr to our Women’s Care team,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “We pride ourselves on our capacity to give new parents more choices in the childbirth experience, and Carr’s background as a Certified Nurse Midwife will be an important addition to Maria Parham’s award-winning Labor & Delivery Unit.”

Carr earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from Frontier Nursing University in Versailles, KY. She also received midwifery education, training and experience from NorthShore Health Center in Indiana, the University of Louisville Midwife Clinic in  Kentucky, Sterling Women’s Care in Kentucky and the University of Kentucky Midwife Clinic.

She specializes in obstetrical care, general gynecological care, postpartum care, hormone replacement therapy, high-risk pregnancy, contraceptive counseling and menopause management.

Carr will be seeing patients at Maria Parham Women’s Care. For a referral or to schedule an appointment, please call 252.492.8576.

 

 

Maria Parham Health Hosts Lunch And Learn To Discuss Cancer Prevention, Early Detection

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Join a team of health professionals later this month for an educational “lunch and learn” to boost awareness about colorectal cancer.

Maria Parham Health will host the freeevent at the Henderson Campus on Tuesday, Mar. 28 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

According to The American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States, excluding skin cancers. The cancer society estimates that in 2023, there will be 106,970 new cases of colon cancer, and 46,050 new cases of rectal cancer.

A panel of Maria Parham health care providers will discuss the importance of early detection. The panelists include:

  • Ashley Traversa, MSN, AGPCNP-BC, RN, a Duke Cancer Network nurse practitioner specializing in neuro-oncology;
  • Colleen Truax, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, a family nurse practitioner specializing in gastrointestinal disorders;
  • Crystal Kaplan, MSN, RN, AGACNP is a Duke Cancer Network nurse practitioner specializing in hematology/oncology.

Attendees will learn about colorectal cancer prevention, detection, screening, treatment and more at this informational seminar, and lunch will be provided. Due to space restrictions, registrations will be limited to the first 30 attendees who register.

Register online at https://www.mariaparham.com/ or call 252.436.1605.

Older Than 45? Time For A Colonoscopy

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-information courtesy of Maria Parham Health and Colleen Truax MSN, APRN, FNP-C

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. If you are 45 or older, it’s time to think about getting a colonoscopy.

Health experts say screening increases the chance of early detection – which increases greatly the odds of successful treatment. During a colonoscopy, polyps can be removed before they become cancerous, according to Colleen Truax, a nurse practitioner in gastroenterology at Maria Parham Health.

The American Cancer Society recommends people get screened at age 45 – or younger for those at higher risk. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women, excluding skin cancers. It is also the third leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. And while most of these cases occur in people 50 and older, the disease can occur in men and women at any age.

Fortunately, colonoscopies are an easier procedure than many realize. Shortly before the procedure, you will be given medications to minimize your discomfort. This procedure is so tolerable, in fact, that many people will ask, “When will we start?” only to be told the procedure has already begun. During the approximately 30-minute procedure, any polyps found will be removed by the doctor, and tissue samples will be sent to a lab for a biopsy.

Colonoscopies are critical to diagnosing cancer early because the beginning stages of colorectal cancer can often appear without symptoms. A colonoscopy can detect cancer early, making it much easier to treat. In fact, thanks in large part to colonoscopies, the overall incidence of, and death rates associated with, colorectal cancers have been on the decline for more than a decade. But this downward trend is mostly in older adults.  In people younger than 50, rates have been increasing by one to two percent a year since the mid-1990’s. Although the early stages of colorectal cancer are often symptomless, there are some common signs of colorectal cancers you should be aware of, according to the American Cancer Society, including:

  • Bleeding from the rectum;
  • Blood in the stool or in the toilet after having a bowel movement;
  • Dark or black stools;
  • Change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a narrowing of your stool, that  lasts for more than a few days;
  • Cramping, pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen;
  • Weakness and fatigue; and
  • Decreased appetite and unintentional weight loss.

While these symptoms can also be indicative of other health conditions, you should always talk to your doctor about them so he or she can help you get to the root of the issue and determine the underlying cause. In addition to scheduling your colonoscopy and keeping an eye out for common symptoms, you can be proactive in preventing colon cancer by living a healthy lifestyle that includes daily exercise, a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting your alcohol intake and eliminating smoking.

Contact Maria Parham Health at 800.424.DOCS or visit MariaParham.com to schedule your colonoscopy today. For more information about colorectal cancer, visit https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon.

Join Maria Parham Health On Feb. 28 For Healthy Heart Day Community Event

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February is Heart Month, and Maria Parham Health is holding a Healthy Heart Day heart fair on Tuesday, Feb. 28, featuring information and resources to help the Henderson/Vance County community live longer and stronger.

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, claiming an estimated 17.9 million lives each year.  More than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one-third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age. Heart disease is also the leading cause of death in the United States, for both men and women.

Healthy Heart Day at Maria Parham Health will offer tools and resources that individuals need to live a heart-healthy lifestyle and to reduce or prevent cardiovascular disease, according to information from Donna Young, the hospital’s Marketing & Communication Coordinator.

Registered nurses will be on hand to provide free blood pressure and pulse/oximeter readings, and exercise physiologist Chris Cole will be there with Maria Parham athletic trainers, to consult with attendees about the best heart-healthy exercises for their lifestyles. Guests of the heart fair can speak with a registered dietitian about heart-healthy eating, and Director of Cardiac Services Lisa McGhee will give virtual tours of Maria Parham’s state-of-the-art heart catheterization lab, and is available to share information about the cardiac care services the hospital offers.

It’s also a time to learn how to properly administer Hands-Only CPR from emergency medical services professionals. Hands-Only CPR is performed with chest compressions only, and can be crucial to helping heart attack victims to survive until medical assistance arrives.

Also important to heart health is the mind-body connection. Mental health professionals will be on hand at this event to talk to attendees about how mental health is directly connected to heart health.

Heart fair attendees will also be treated to free samples, giveaways, and can register for door prizes.

The Maria Parham Health Healthy Heart Day is free and open to the public, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28. No registration is necessary; the event will be held in the front lobby of the hospital, and all are invited to simply come through the hospital’s main entrance to participate.

To learn more, call 252.436.1408, or email donna.young@lpnt.net.

(This story was originally published on WIZS.com on Feb. 15, 2023.)