FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley’s award-winning joint replacement program has been honored yet again.

The Joint Commission awarded the health system two Gold Seals of ApprovalTM for healthcare quality in the areas of Total Knee replacement surgery and Total Hip replacement surgery.

This is the second time Cape Fear Valley has been awarded the two quality certifications. The original certifications were in 2010.

Disease-specific programs that successfully demonstrate compliance with national standards for care, evidence-based clinical care, and taking an organizational approach toward performance improvement are awarded the certification.

FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley’s heart failure treatment program has received official certification under The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program.

Launched in 2002, The Joint Commission program evaluates a variety of clinical programs for quality, ranging from breast cancer and joint replacement surgery to pediatric asthma and diabetes.

Disease-specific programs that successfully demonstrate compliance with national standards for care, evidence-based clinical care, and taking an organizational approach toward performance improvement are awarded the certification.

Once certified, programs are required to regularly submit data to The Joint Commission and add more performance improvement measures to maintain quality.

Benefits of The Joint Commission certification include patient care quality improvement, better staff recruitment and development, and recognition by health insurers.

FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley Heart & Vascular Center has been awarded a “3-star” rating, the highest rating possible, for quality in cardiac surgery by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). The ratings system is the gold standard for rating cardiac surgery programs in the U.S.

Cape Fear Valley received its overall quality rating for surgeries performed between Jan. 1, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2011, the latest data period available.

The STS developed the comprehensive rating system to allow for comparisons regarding the quality of cardiac surgery among US. Hospitals. Just 14 percent of hospitals nationwide received the 3-star rating.

More than 6,400 cardiothoracic surgeons nationwide participate in the ratings program by voluntarily submitting patient outcomes data. The data criteria includes patient survival for at least 30 days after surgery, absence of surgical complications, usage of recommended medications, and employing optimal surgical techniques.

FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley Health’s Take Charge of Your Health program and Fayetteville’s African Physician Association partnered provide a free health clinic at this year’s Umoja Festival.
The health fair was on Aug. 18 at Seabrook Park’s Smith Recreation Center, near Fayetteville State University.

Blood pressure screenings, cholesterol screenings, blood sugar tests and EKG tests were available to screen for heart disease and diabetes. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among minorities in the U.S. Other screenings will include lung function and rapid HIV testing.

Physicians, including internal medicine physicians, nephrologists, dentists and cardiologists, were on hand at the clinic.

ELIZABETHTOWN – Two Bladen County Hospital nursing assistants were recently honored by Cape Fear Valley Health System during Partners in Caring week.

D’Vora Lennon and Jennifer Parker, both NAII/Unit Clerks, were recognized during a banquet ceremony on Wednesday, June 20, along with other health system staff. Partners in Caring celebrates the achievements of nursing support staff throughout the health system during the past year.

Lennon has been employed with Cape Fear Valley Bladen Healthcare since November 2001. Parker has been employed since November 1995.

FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley Health’s Pastoral Care Department has been approved for provisional accreditation as a clinical chaplaincy training center.

The new program will help train a new generation of hospital chaplains who provide spiritual and emotional support to patients, families, employees and the general community. The accreditation program is through the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education.

Students accepted into the Clinical Pastoral Education program will train at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. A major part of their training will include visiting patients at the hospital.

Pastors in the community and seminary students can request application information by calling the Rev. Cary Melvin at (910) 615-6363. The first class begins, Monday, Aug. 20.

FAYETTEVILLE – State officials have approved Cape Fear Valley Health’s request to build a new 65-bed hospital, adjacent to Health Pavilion North, to better serve the growing healthcare needs of northern Cumberland and southern Harnett counties.

The planned hospital will include 57 medical/surgical inpatient beds, eight intensive care beds, seven observation beds, a 20-bed Emergency Department, two operating rooms, imaging services, laboratory and other ancillary services.

Cape Fear Valley Health originally submitted a Certificate of Need (CON) requesting the hospital last June. Under N.C. law, state regulators must approve new hospitals to prevent expensive and unnecessary duplication of healthcare services.

The new hospital would complement Health Pavilion North’s existing services, which include a cancer center, physical and occupational therapy, ExpressCare, pharmacy, laboratory, CT, ultrasound, X-ray and offices for family practice and pediatrics.

“We are very excited,” said Mike Nagowski, CEO of Cape Fear Valley Health, “ about bringing the first new civilian hospital to Cumberland County in more than 50 years.”

FAYETTEVILLE – The American Heart Association has recognized Cape Fear Valley Medical Center as a Mission: Lifeline® Performance Achievement Award Hospital for 2012.

The annual awards are bestowed upon hospitals that provide high quality care to STEMI (ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction) heart attack and cardiac resuscitation patients.

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center won a bronze-level Mission: Lifeline® award for sustaining 85 percent or better quality scores for at least 90 consecutive days during 2011.

Mission: Lifeline® was created by the American Heart Association to address missed opportunities for prompt, appropriate STEMI heart attack treatment.

Each year, more than half a million Americans experience STEMI heart attacks, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, or both. A majority of these patients fail to receive appropriate treatment for their life-threatening conditions within the recommended time.

ELIZABETHTOWN – Two Bladen County nurses were recently honored by Cape Fear Valley Health System during national Nurses Week.

Jane Kinlaw, LPN, was one of 12 nurses named an Exemplary Nurse by the health system for 2012. The Bladenboro native works in Bladen Medical Associates’ Bladenboro Office.

The honor was bestowed upon Kinlaw for her consummate compassion both on and off the job. She recently came back to her clinic after hours to help a patient’s family after seeing them in a supermarket. A child in the family was out of asthma medication and the family could not afford a refill.

She also tirelessly reassures nervous patients about medication safety and provides financially strapped patients with the telephone number and address of the local Food Pantry. Kinlaw has worked at the Bladeboro Office for seven years and was nominated for her award by Pearline Grant, M.D.

Allison Strickland, RN, was named Bladen County Hospital’s Nurse of the Year for 2012. The Clarkton native won for her professional dedication and growth during the past two years.

She chairs the hospital’s Nursing Policies and Procedures committees, as well as the Nursing Peer Review Team. Each committee’s goal is to identify opportunities to improve and enhance nursing care.

Strickland joined Bladen County Hospital in 2009. She works as a Charge Nurse on the hospital’s Surgical Services team and is cross-trained as an Emergency Department and Obstetrics nurse. Her focus is to provide excellent, safe care to patients using her strong clinical nursing background.

FAYETTEVILLE – Sam Fleishman, M.D., has been elected President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). His one-year term began June 1.

Dr. Fleishman is Medical Director of Cape Fear Valley Sleep Center and Behavioral Health Care. He is a Fayetteville native and has spent his entire 17-year medical career at Cape Fear Valley.

He is board certified in the Specialty of Sleep Medicine, a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Established in 1975, the AASM is the only professional society dedicated exclusively to the medical subspecialty of sleep medicine. The organization includes 8500 physicians, researchers and healthcare professionals dedicated to diagnosing and treating sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.

ELIZABETHTOWN – All three Bladen Medical Associates clinics have received Level 3 (highest level) designation as patient-centered medical home programs by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

The three-year designation is provided through the Physician Practice Connections-Patient Centered Medical Home (PPC-PCMH) program. It recognizes facilities that use evidence-based, patient-centered processes to address a patient’s entire range of healthcare needs, including disease prevention, early detection and care coordination.

The three Bladen Medical Associates clinics recognized are in Elizabethtown, Bladenboro and Dublin. Each demonstrated the ability to promote partnerships between patients and their clinicians, instead of emphasizing episodic office visits, which improves patient care quality and efficiency.

ELIZABETHTOWN – All three Bladen Medical Associates clinics have received Level 3 (highest level) designation as patient-centered medical home programs by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

The three-year designation is provided through the Physician Practice Connections-Patient Centered Medical Home (PPC-PCMH) program. It recognizes facilities that use evidence-based, patient-centered processes to address a patient’s entire range of healthcare needs, including disease prevention, early detection and care coordination.

The three Bladen Medical Associates clinics recognized are in Elizabethtown, Bladenboro and Dublin. Each demonstrated the ability to promote partnerships between patients and their clinicians, instead of emphasizing episodic office visits, which improves patient care quality and efficiency.

RAEFORD – Cape Fear Valley held a topping-off ceremony for its new Health Pavilion Hoke outpatient facility, located off U.S. 401. The event was held May 15 on the facility campus at 210 Medical Pavilion Drive, across from Paraclete XP SkyVenture.

The planned facility will provide much-needed outpatient services for Hoke and southwestern Cumberland County residents, including: digital x-ray, mammography and ultrasound; urgent care for minor injuries and illnesses; family medicine; specialized medical services; and an on-campus pharmacy for patient convenience.

Health Pavilion Hoke is just the first phase of a $92 million investment by Cape Fear Valley in Hoke County. A 41-bed acute care hospital will also be built on the campus. 

FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley CEO Mike Nagowski has been appointed by Gov. Beverly Perdue to the State Health Coordinating Council (SHCC). He was sworn in April 19 during a ceremony atCape Fear Valley Medical Center.

The SHCC helps develop the annual State Medical Facilities Plan, which must be approved by the governor every year. The plan is an annual document that helps determine the need for new healthcare facilities and services in North Carolina, such as hospitals and expensive medical equipment purchases.

Marshall Faircloth, a Cumberland County Commissioner and Chairman of the Cape Fear Valley Board of Trustees, performed the swearing in ceremony, on behalf of Gov. Perdue. Nagowski’s appointment is for a three-year term that expires on Dec. 31, 2014.

FAYETTEVILLE – The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PCNB) has recognized Cape Fear Valley’s Children’s Center and Children’s Emergency Department for having at least five certified pediatric nurses on staff.

The certified pediatric nurses at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center are: Ida Zuniga, RN, BSN, CPN; Patricia Brady, RN, BSN, CPN; Amy Frazier, RN, CPN; Cheryl Norris, RN, BSN, CPN; Jacquelyn Allen, RN, CPN; and Lorena Sanchez, RN, CPN, CPEN.

Cape Fear Valley is just one of 16 hospitals in the state and one of approximately 300 nationwide to receive the distinction, which recognizes the pursuit of excellence in the pediatric nursing field.

Hospitals that achieve the “5 or More” distinction receive a commemorative certificate and are listed on the PCNB’s website at http://www.pncb.org/ptistore/control/news/hospitals_with_cpns.

ELIZABETHTOWN – Dan Weatherly has been appointed President of Bladen County Hospital.

The native of Harrisburg, Ill., has more than 16 years of experience in healthcare. He previously held the position of Interim CEO at the hospital. Prior to that, he was Director of Outpatient Operations with Cape Fear Valley Health, responsible for developing and growing outpatient volumes for Hoke, Bladen and southern Cumberland counties.

He was also a Territory Sales Manager for PathGroup Labs, based in Brentwood, Tenn. His duties included developing services throughout eastern Tennessee and north Georgia, and managing laboratory service operations for more than 145 physician practices.

Weatherly received his bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla., and his master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of St. Francis in Chicago, Ill.

In his new position, Weatherly will oversee daily operations at Bladen County Hospital. He replaces Cameron Highsmith, who resigned as Bladen County Hospital president in October.

FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley Medical Center has received two awards for its lactation program efforts.

The first is the Golden Bow Award for the medical center’s decision to stop distributing infant formula and related materials to new mothers. The North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition presented the award to Cape Fear Valley during a ceremony at the medical center on March 23.

UNICEF launched the Golden Bow campaign in 2002 as a symbol for the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding efforts worldwide.  
The second award was for excellence in lactation care. It was given by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and the International Lactation Consultant Association (ICLA).

The medical center received the IBCLC Care Award for staffing International Board Certified Lactation Consultants and for providing a lactation program available 5-7 days a week for breastfeeding families.

In addition, the medical center demonstrated it has provided breastfeeding training for medical staff who care for new families, and have recently completed activities that help protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Cape Fear Valley’s International Board Certified Lactation Consultants are: Kenyatta Elliott, IBCLC-RLC; Catherine Diehl, RN, IBCLC, BSN; and Mary Wroblewski, RN, IBCLC. Each teaches in classes offering breastfeeding education and consultation with new mothers seven days a week.

ELIZABETHTOWN – Cape Fear Valley CEO Mike Nagowski will meet with Bladen County Commissioners tonight to finalize the official purchase of Bladen County Hospital by Cape Fear Valley Health System. 

A ceremonial letter-signing and plaque presentation will be held during the board’s regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Bladen County Courthouse. The signing fulfills a four-year promise by the health system to purchase the hospital and make annual improvements. To date, Cape Fear Valley Health has invested nearly $19 million in upgrades.

In 2008, Cape Fear Valley Health and Bladen County Hospital entered into a multi-year affiliation that allowed the health system the option of purchasing the hospital within five years. In the years since, the affiliation has brought an influx of improvements to Bladen County, improving healthcare for all.
The numerous improvements include:

• A new roof for Bladen County Hospital
• Aggressive physician recruitment to bring additional physicians to the county, including pediatricians, general surgeons, OB/GYN phsycians, hospitalists, ED physicians and family practice physicians
• Bladen Kids’ Care opening in Elizabethtown, bringing the first pediatrician to the county in decades
• Bladen Sleep Center opening to offer in-house sleep studies at Bladen County Hospital
• Fayetteville Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine opening an Elizabethtown office for greater patient convenience and access
• Fayetteville cardiologists now performing initial visits and follow-ups through the Bladen Consultation Center
• Bladenboro Family Practice merging with Bladen Healthcare to offer improved family care services to local residents
• Bladen County Hospital Birth Center renovations to offer an improved birthing experience for patients
• Hospitalists working in-house at Bladen County Hospital to care exclusively for hospitalized patients
• New Mid-Level Provider (Physician Assistant) added to Emergency Department staff to reduce patient wait times
• Digital Mammography equipment purchased
• New C-arm X-ray machine purchased for greater diagnostic imaging capability in the Operating Room
• Bladen Digital Mammography Services receiving accreditation from the American College of Radiology
• Bladen County Hospital Lab receiving accreditation by The Joint Commission on Healthcare Organizations
• Bladen County Hospital being named a “Red Apple” hospital by the North Carolina Prevention Partners for its commitment to provide healthy food for employees, patients and visitors
• And Bladen Nurse, Terri Duncan, RN, BSN, being named a Great 100 Nurse for 2011.

Cape Fear Valley Health is the state’s 9th largest health system and serves a five county region within southeastern North Carolina, including Bladen County. Bladen County Hospital is one of just two Critical Access Hospitals in the region, federally designated to provide care for primarily rural patients.

FAYETTEVILLE – A Cumberland County EMS Emergency Paramedic (EMT-P) has been honored for his public service.

Lee Westbrook, EMT-P, won a 2011-2012 Public Servant Gold Medal from the Veterans of Foreign Wars – Department of North Carolina chapter. The Clinton native’s award came in the Emergency Medical Technician category.

The annual award is presented to a chapter member who actively gives emergency medical treatment, provides rescue service, or civil disaster assistance, as a member of any public or volunteer EMS department. Hope Mills VFW Post 10630 sponsored Westbrook in this year’s competition.

He is the ninth member of Cumberland County EMS to win a VFW Public Servant Gold Medal from the state chapter. Kevin Brunson, EMT-P, was the last state winner in 2009. Deborah Collado, EMT-P, was a post winner in 2010.

Westbrook is no stranger to awards. He previously helped Cumberland County EMS’s competition team win first place in the 2010 Journal of Emergency Medical Services national paramedic competition. The local team won by beating several national EMS powerhouses, such as the Official Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

The 7-year U.S. Air Force veteran has worked in the EMS field since 1998. He currently teaches specialty certification classes for the American Heart Association, and works with the North Carolina Urban Search and Rescue Team. Westbrook has also participated in tactical medical programs with law enforcement agencies.

BLADENBORO – Bladen Medical Associate’s Bladenboro Clinic moved to a new, state-of-the-art location in the spring.

The new primary care facility is located inside existing space at 1106 West Seaboard St., across from Bo’s Supermarket. Bladen Medical Associates-Bladenboro leased the 5,600-square-foot building and renovated it to offer new diagnostic services to area residents.

The project is a collaborative effort among the Town of Bladenboro, Bladen’s Bloomin Agri-Industrial, Inc., the N.C. Rural Center Foundation, and the Golden Leaf Foundation.

The leased space was completely renovated to accommodate the practice’s new services, including Obstetrics and Gynecology. A provider from Bladen Healthcare’s Women’s Health Specialists has scheduled days at the facility.

X-rays, ultrasounds and blood drawsis available at the practice for the first time. Local patients previously had to drive 20 minutes or more to obtain these services.

“The staff and I are so excited about the new office,” said Pearline Grant, M.D. “It’s going to allow us to offer more services, which means we can provide a higher level of care to our patients. I just know that our patients are going to love the new building and services.”

The Bladenboro office adds a new provider: Shelly Brown, FNP-C, a Bladenboro native.

FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley Health is being rewarded for consistently delivering high quality care.
The health system was named an Attainment Award winner under the Healthcare Quality Incentive Demonstration (HQID) Project in 2011. As a result, Cape Fear Valley Health will receive $50,000 in incentive payments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The federal agency partnered with the Premier healthcare alliance to create the pay-for-performance study in 2003. The project’s goal was to improve patient care quality and to determine if financial incentives are effective at improving patient care quality among hospitals. More than 200 hospitals nationwide participate in the study.

Cape Fear Valley Health won for its work in the areas of heart attack, heart failure, heart bypass surgery, pneumonia, hip and knee replacement surgery and surgical care improvement. To date, the health system has received 23 HQID awards and received more than $450,000.

CMS issued out approximately $12 million in additional incentive payments to just 211 hospitals in 2011. Overall, CMS has awarded more than $60 million throughout all six years of the HQID project.
HQID was the first CMS incentive program of its kind. It measured such things as prescribing a daily aspirin to prevent heart attacks and teaching heart failure patients to weigh themselves daily. These are considered best practices, which lead to best patient outcomes.

The Premier healthcare alliance is a performance improvement alliance of more than 2,500 hospitals nationwide and 78,000 other healthcare facilities, which collaborate to improve quality and cost-effectiveness. To learn more, visit www.premierinc.com.

FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley Health has been named a Top Performing hospital for 2011 under QUEST, a performance program developed the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Premier healthcare alliance.

Based on third-year results, the health system received awards for top performance in the areas of saving lives, safely reducing patient care costs, and delivering the most reliable and effective care.

As a result, Cape Fear Valley will receive a $21,052 monetary award for meeting its goals under the program.

QUEST was created in 2008 with a goal to incentivize hospitals to increase healthcare quality, while also reducing costs, to prepare for changes in the healthcare industry. Cape Fear Valley has been named a Top Performing hospital for the last two years of the project.

More than 150 hospitals nationwide joined QUEST in 2008 to set initial performance goals and then try to meet them annually under the project. Participating hospitals can collaborate and share knowledge with each other to develop best practices, which benefits all hospitals.

The federal government will soon begin penalizing poor-performing hospitals by reducing their Medicare reimbursement payments. Higher performing hospitals will receive bonuses. QUEST hospitals consistently outperform other hospitals at a lower cost, benefitting everyone.