Kathy Haddix-Hill, BSN, MSN, recently joined the Pender Memorial Hospital staff as Chief Nurse Executive/Chief Operating Officer. She started Jan. 23.

Prior to coming to Pender Memorial Hospital Burgaw, Haddix-Hill worked at Moses Cone Health System in Greensboro as vice president of nursing services.

In that position, she was responsible for emergency services, urgent care, endoscopy, trauma services, mobile critical care transport, employee health, occupational medicine and disaster management.

Prior to that job, Haddix-Hill held various positions in Florida, Virginia, and West Virginia. Haddix-Hill received her associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in nursing from Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W.V., and her master of science in nursing administration from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. She was named one of the North Carolina Great 100 Nurses in 2010.

Wilmington Health Imaging granted accreditation

Wilmington Health Imaging (Radiology) was recently granted a three-year term of accreditation in the areas of Neurological MRI, Musculoskeletal MRI, and Body MRI by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Magnetic Resonance Laboratories (ICAMRL).

The accreditation process required a thorough review of Wilmington Health’s operational and technical components by a panel of experts and a comprehensive application confirming their compliance with national standards. The ICAMRL accreditation assures patients and referring physicians that Wilmington Health MRIs are performed only by well-trained and competent personnel using properly functioning equipment, a Wilmington Health official said.

“As a clinic, we are continually seeking opportunities to improve the quality of care for our patients. Imaging (Radiology) has shown a commitment to this initiative by meeting the rigorous standards of ICAMRL and earning their accreditation,” Jeff James, Wilmington Health’s CEO, said in a news release.

Gastroenterologist begins colonoscopies at PMH

Dr. Joseph Kittinger, a gastroenterologist with Wilmington Gastroenterology, is now offering colonoscopies at Pender Memorial Hospital. Kittinger has a regular schedule at Pender and his patients are able to have all their pre-procedure appointments in Burgaw.

“This is a significant benefit to our area neighbors to have another physician performing colonoscopies here. It is our mission as a community hospital to provide these types of services locally so travel isn’t a factor that might prevent our area residents from getting the screenings they need,” Ruth Glaser, president of Pender Memorial Hospital, said in a news release.

In addition to Kittinger, general surgeons Dr. Larry Dashow and Dr. Naseem Nasrallah offer colonoscopies at Pender Memorial Hospital.

An initial colonoscopy is recommended for people over the age of 50, with subsequent screenings every ten years. The procedure helps detect colon cancer, one of the most treatable forms of cancer if caught early.

Kittinger received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Co., and his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Ark. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, and a gastroenterology fellowship at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Kittinger is Board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Weller-Stargell appointed to statewide committee

Coastal Horizons Center President and CEO Margaret Stargell-Weller was recently appointed to serve as a member of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Waiver Advisory Committee. The committee is an advisory body to DHHS, providing input and consultation on the implementation and operational phases of the 1915 b/c Medicaid waivers and ongoing Local Managing Entities – Managed Care operations (LME-MCO).

The state is currently implementing the 1915 (b) (c) Medicaid waiver in several different regions across North Carolina, with full statewide implementation expected by 2013. New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties’ local managing entity, the Southeastern Center, is slated to join with Onslow-Carteret Behavioral Healthcare Services in 2013 to become a Medicaid 1915 (b) (c) waiver site.

The Medicaid waiver combines state, federal, and Medicaid funding for mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services into a funding model based on the local managing entity’s per-person cost for the Medicaid population in their respective areas, which is called a “capitation,” Coastal Horizons officials said.

The advisory committee will review quarterly and annual report summaries of LME-MCO performance, provide consultation about local and statewide system goals, and review outcome measures and trend data. It will also will highlight and recommend areas of best practice and will assist with problem identification and resolution.

N.C. Coastal Horizons Center, Inc. is a local private non-profit agency that promotes choices for healthier lives and safer communities “by providing a continuum of professional services for prevention, crisis intervention, sexual assault victims, criminal justice alternatives, and treatment of substance use and mental health disorders,” officials said. It serves the 53 counties of Eastern North Carolina.