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.

Webster Named Behavioral Health Services Director

FAYETTEVILLE – Doug Webster has been appointed Service Line Director for Behavioral Health Services at Cape Fear Valley Health.

The native of Miami, Fla., has more than 25 years of behavioral health leadership experience and was previously CEO of Hermitage Hall, a 100-bed residential treatment facility for adolescents in Nashville, Tenn. Prior to that, Webster was an administrator with Horizon Mental Health Management, a national contract management firm, based in Lewisville, Texas. 

He was also Behavioral Health Director at Community Hospital in New Port Ritchey, Fla., Hospital Administrator at Coliseum Psychiatric Center in Macon, Ga., and Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Fla.

Webster received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work from Florida International University in Miami. 

In his new duties, Webster will oversee all aspects of Behavioral Health Care at Cape Fear Valley Health, including an inpatient psychiatric hospital, outpatient services for children, adolescents, adults and families, and the health system’s Sleep Center. 

Cape Fear Valley Receives Two Lactation Awards

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; Mary Wroblewski, RN, IBCLC; and Catherine Diehl, RN, IBCLC, BSN. Each teach in classes offering breastfeeding education and consultation with new mothers seven days a week.

McGarry Named ICU Patient Care Manager

FAYETTEVILLE – Felicia McGarry, RN, BSN, has been appointed Patient Care Manager for the Medical, Cardiac and Surgical Intensive Care units at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

The Fayetteville native joined Cape Fear Valley Health in 2001 as an LPN. She was previously Patient Care Manager for 3 Valley Pavilion at the medical center. She was a Clinical Educator with the health system prior to that.

She received her associate’s degree in Nursing from Fayetteville Technical Community College and her bachelor’s degree in Nursing from East Carolina University in Greenville. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Nursing Leadership, also from East Carolina University.

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.”

Paramedic Wins State Public Service Award

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.