Bladen Nursing Assistants Honored During Partners In Caring Week

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.

Bladen Nurses Honored During Nurses Week

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. 

BMA Clinics Earn Recognition For Patient-Centered Care

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. 

Weatherly Named Bladen County Hospital President

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.

Cape Fear Valley To Officially Purchase Bladen County Hospital

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 9^th 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. 

Bladen Medical Associates Office New Location

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

The new primary care facility is located inside existing space at 1106 West Seaboard St., across from Bo’s Supermarket. Bladen Medical Associates-Bladenboro is leasing the 5,600-square-foot building and renovate it to offer new diagnostic services to area residents. The renovation began in late December and is expected to end in April. 

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

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

X-rays, ultrasounds and blood draws will also be 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 also adds a new provider: Shelly Brown, FNP-C, a Bladenboro native. 

“I look forward to providing quality care,” Brown said, “not only to clients but to neighbors as well. This new building is to going to be great and the practice will continue to be an invaluable asset to our community.”

Bladen Medical Associates Office Moving To New Location

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

The new primary care facility will be located inside existing space at 1106 West Seaboard St., across from Bo’s Supermarket. Bladen Medical Associates-Bladenboro will lease the 5,600-square-foot building and renovate it to offer new diagnostic services to area residents. The renovation began in late December and is expected to end in April.

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

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

X-rays, ultrasounds and blood draws will also be 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 will also add a new provider: Shelly Brown, FNP-C, a Bladenboro native.

“I look forward to providing quality care,” Brown said, “not only to clients but to neighbors as well. This new building is to going to be great and the practice will continue to be an invaluable asset to our community.”

Once completed, a facility grand opening will be held.

Dr. Bronitsky Joins Bladen Women’s Health

ELIZABETHTOWN – Carl Bronitsky, M.D., has been approved for the Associate Staff in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Cape Fear Valley Health System and has joined Bladen Women’s Health.

Dr. Bronitsky received his medical degree from the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine in Hershey, Penn. He performed his OB/GYN residency at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, also in Hershey, and completed his fellowship in Laparascopic Surgery at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Baltimore, Md.

He is board certified by the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology and was previously affiliated with Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz.

Bladen Kids’ Care To Offer Pediatric Care Six Days A Week

ELIZABETHTOWN – Parents of sick children will soon be able to take their children to the pediatrician in the evenings after work and on Saturday.

On Jan. 3, Bladen Kids’ Care will begin offering pediatric services six days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jose Buenaseda, M.D., will join Nileshwa Senthe, M.D., in caring for children from birth through adolescence at their practice on 300 East McKay Street in Elizabethtown.

Dr. Buenaseda formerly practiced in Fayetteville. He received his medical degree from the University of Santo Tomas in The Philippines in 1998 and completed a residency in pediatrics at Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, N.J. in 2006. Dr. Buenaseda is board certified in pediatrics.

Parents may call 862-5500 for an appointment weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-ins are welcomed after 5 p.m. weekdays and on Saturdays. However, for shorter wait times, it is recommended they call the after-hours number, 862-2122.