Dr. Barbara Walker, a physician with South East Area Health Education Center, retired June 27 after 14 years of   service to SEAHEC.
Walker is one of the founding physicians at Coastal Family Medicine in Wilmington, and also a member of the teaching faculty at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Residency in Family Medicine.

“Dr. Walker was instrumental in SEAHEC’s founding of Coastal Family Medicine. Her invaluable knowledge and expertise has shaped the course of a number of physicians who completed their residency under her guidance,” Dr. Mark Darrow, SEAHAC president and CEO, said in a prepared statement.

Added Darrow: “We at SEAHEC will be forever grateful for the work she has done to further our mission of improving the quality of healthcare in the region and wish her all the best as she retires.”

Walker earned her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California at Irvine and a doctorate of osteopathy from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. She is a U.S. Army veteran and served 26 years, retiring in 2006 with the rank of colonel.

During Walker’s time in the service, she had the distinction of being the first female physician ever to be deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division and the only grandmother physician to deploy with them during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Walker said in a prepared statement that she looks back fondly on her years with SEAHEC. 

“I have been honored with patients of all ages trusting me with their care and the care of their families. I have watched the full cycle of life in the practice, from singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to newborns, to helping patients face terminal illnesses and a wide variety of diagnoses in between.

“I have watched the new interns begin their residencies and grow into specialists in family medicine during their three years here and in return, I have learned from the residents as much as I taught each of them,” Walker said.

Walker serves as adjunct clinical professor for the Pikeville College of Osteopathic Medicine, an associate professor in the Clinical Track of Family Medicine with the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine and an associate professor in Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Walker also serves on the board of trustees for the American Osteopathic Association and is a past president of the N.C. Osteopathic Medical Association.

SEAHEC is Wilmington’s largest foundation-based non-profit organization. It was founded in 1973 to improve the quality of healthcare in the region by providing education, training and resources to healthcare professionals in New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick, Duplin and Columbus counties.

Doctors graduate from NHRMC medical residencies

New Hanover Regional Medical Center and South East Area Health Education Center recently celebrated the graduation of 17 residents and three preliminary year residents   from four specialty programs at the regional hospital.

Graduates completed residencies in family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine and obstetrics/gynecology.
Hospital officials said the residency programs “are rigorous teaching programs in which doctors learn hands-on skills in their chosen specialty.”

The following are graduates in the field of family medicine: Heather Merlo, MD; Amanda Ruxton, DO; Claude Roofian, MD; and Shalini Vaid, MD.

Graduates in the field of general surgery are Devan Griner, MD; Larry Watson, MD; and preliminary year graduate Paul A. Bryant, MD.

In the field of internal medicine, graduates are William C. Burton, MD; Mesha M. Chadwick, MD; Shazia A. Choudry, MD; Ashley L. Forystek, DO; Xiaokui Li, MD; Iadara Martinez Miranda, MD; Diana Pallin, MD; and preliminary year graduates Jonathan Hinshelwood, MD; and Travis C. Jenkins, MD.

Graduates in the field of obstetrics/gynecology are Jenifer Conde, MD; Daniel Mandel, MD; Wilfredo Negron, MD; and Christopher Rickman, MD.

NHRMC offers transition program for cancer survivors

New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Zimmer Cancer Center is participating in a new national program to help cancer survivors make the transition from active treatment to post-treatment care.

The Cancer Transitions program was developed by The Wellness Community and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It was created to bridge the gap between cancer treatment and life following cancer, hospital spokeswoman Erin Balzotti said.
“Spaces are still available for this free, five-week program designed for cancer survivors and their caregivers,” she said.

The five sessions will be held 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, beginning August 9, in the conference room at NHRMC’s Zimmer Cancer Center.

Expert panelists, including physicians, nutritionists and fitness experts, will host the sessions, Balzotti said. Topics will include specialized nutrition for people after cancer treatment, the need for continued emotional and social support, and the medical effects of cancer treatment and long-term medical management.

“This much-needed program, which is offered at no cost to participants, will provide local cancer survivors with information and tools to make the transition into living a full and productive life as a survivor,” LaSonia Melvin, community outreach coordinator of the Carolina Well program at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, said in a prepared statement. “Specifically, the program addresses nutrition, emotional health, quality of life and medical management after cancer treatment ends.”

More than 12 million cancer survivors in the U.S. face a physical and psychological burden as they transition from cancer patient to survivor. Cancer is increasingly being viewed for many as a chronic illness, Melvin said.

Participants may bring one guest. For more information or to register for Cancer Transitions, contact Melvin at (910) 342-3403.

Zimmer Cancer Center receives commendation

New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Zimmer Cancer Center was recently granted a three-year re-accreditation with commendation by the Commission on Cancer, a division of the American College of Surgeons, hospital officials said.

The re-accreditation was granted following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor of 36 standards of care that represent the full scope of the cancer program. Commendation is possible in seven of the 36 standards of care, and Zimmer Cancer Center demonstrated a commendation level of compliance with all possible standards, hospital officials said.

“This re-accreditation by the Commission on Cancer means we are adhering to rigorous national standards for our patients in terms of cancer care,” Dr. Cyrus Kotwall, surgical oncologist and medical director of the Zimmer Cancer Center, said in a news release.

“(It) means that all the physicians, nurses, social workers, nutritionists, and spiritual care givers who make up the team at Zimmer Cancer Center work hard to provide quality care for our patients throughout southeastern North Carolina during a difficult time of their life,” Kotwall said.

Accreditation by the Commission on Cancer is given only to those facilities that voluntarily commit to providing the highest level of quality cancer care, and undergo a thorough evaluation process and performance review, hospital officials said.

To maintain accreditation, facilities must undergo an on-site review every three years. Standards evaluated include quality of care, research programs, survivorship programs, genetic counseling and community outreach.

The Zimmer Cancer Center is southeastern North Carolina’s only community cancer center dedicated solely to the diagnosis, treatment and support of people with cancer.