ANNE ROSTAN
TITLE: Assistant Director/ Alzheimer’s Specialist
ORGANIZATION: Home In­stead Senior Care
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “Anne has worked at Home Instead Senior Care for the past 4 years. Her employment started as a Caregiver and she quickly understood she wanted to do more-give back more to our Senior clients. She has advanced to Assistant Director in no time! She has worked tirelessly, sometimes off the clock, to take homemade soup to a homebound elderly client, she has picked up medication for someone too sick to get out, to supporting our staff and caregivers to always give back and the importance to serve our wonderful Senior Community.

She has managed those clients that others may feel are challenging and sometimes downright impossible to care for. She has a way of understanding that they feel scared and at times misunderstood and alone. Anne can quickly resolve their concerns and fears through her caring, comforting ways and teachings.

She has been a bright, supportive guiding light for many overwhelmed daughters and sons that are not sure what to do to keep their Senior loved one at home and safe. I never hear her complain or tell a family she can’t help. She gives so much of herself to serve this community. “
-Tammy Godusi

NHRMC HEART FAILURE PROGRAM TEAM
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:“In 2015, Bridgette Williams and Lauren Gardner, ACPs with Cape Fear Heart Associates, identified a growing population with heart failure and worked with the practice managers to establish a heart failure clinic at the office. It quickly became obvious that the need was larger than initially thought, and both outpa­tient and inpatient services were needed.

In 2016, Dr. John Rommel, a board-certified advance heart failure cardiologist, was hired as Medical Director of the heart failure program, splitting each day seeing outpatients at the Cape Fear Heart office each morning and inpatients at NHRMC each afternoon. Rachel Hayworth, RN, CHFN, was hired to manage inpatient and com­munity outreach heart failure-related services. Six others staff the inpatient and outpatient programs. Team members will do almost anything to help their patients maintain their care plan, including personally paying for an Uber to get a patient to a clinic appointment, going to patients’ homes to pack their pill minders.

They also work closely with staff at nursing homes where their patients reside to help them provide the appropriate care there to avoid hospitalizations.

Because of this team’s work, heart failure patients are enjoying better quality of life, allowing them to participate in activities with their families. Also, the readmission rate for heart failure patients has dropped by 14 percent.”
-Iris Baker

JAMES FISH
TITLE: President/CEO
ORGANIZATION: Brunswick Senior Resources Inc.
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “Six-and-a-half-years ago, during a time when BSRI was without an executive officer, Jim Fish presented to the BSRI Board of Directors, requesting they permit him to manage BSRI operations for 6 months, without pay, and at the end of the 6 months, the board would consider Jim for a position with the organization.

The board approved Jim’s request and this was the beginning of the revolution that has been taking place in Brunswick County for the past seven years, an explo­sion of programs and services, ensuring senior participants have access to the programs and services they need to remain healthy and safe in their own homes for as long as possible.”

-Debra Marlowe