Pender Memorial Hospital in Burgaw showcased the results of the largest capital campaign in its history May 18 at a public open house.

The renovation project was made possible through more than $500,000 in contributions from area donors. The work upgrades technology and provides a more welcoming environment for patients and their families, hospital president Ruth Glaser said in a news release.

Improvements at the hospital include the addition of a new 16-slice CT scanner.  

CT scanners combine two-dimensional, X-ray imaging with computing power to generate detailed cross-section views of the body. 

Each year, more than 2,400 patients treated at Pender Memorial receive a CT scan, including 1,500 emergency department patients, officials said.

“The upgrade to a 16-slice CT scanner gives doctors more detailed images, which can be very important to making a fast and accurate diagnosis. It also means scans can be done more quickly, so patients spend less time on the table and receive less radiation,” Walter Whitehurst, a radiologist with Delaney Radiology, said in the release.

As part of the renovation project, a new and larger room was built for the CT scanner, and it was positioned closer to the emergency department for quicker access in an emergency.

Other improvements included a new reception area outside the emergency department that was finished in February. It provides a larger, brighter and more comfortable space for patients and families, Glaser said.

“Our patients are already telling us what a big difference it makes in easing their anxiety when they’re sick or injured,” Glaser said. 

The upgrades extend to the hospital’s main lobby and include new floors, ceilings, walls and furniture. The hospital chapel was also renovated, and a new gift shop was built just off the lobby.

The capital campaign for the renovation project started in June and was led by campaign chairmen Mike Taylor and Bernadette Silivanch.

Gifts were made through the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation, a separate, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that supports the programs and services of New Hanover Regional and Pender Memorial.

Pender Memorial is an affiliate of New Hanover Regional. It is licensed for a total of 86 beds, including 43 skilled nursing beds for short-term rehabilitation and long-term care. The hospital offers inpatient and outpatient surgery, endoscopy, imaging, laboratory, rehabilitation and respiratory services.

Novant Health Brunswick implements new name

Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia recently incorporated a new name, signage and other visual alterations.

All of Novant Health’s facilities in the health care system’s four-state operating area have made similar changes, uniting under the Novant Health brand name.

“Our new brand helps more easily connect the dots for our communities,” Shelbourn Stevens, Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center president, said in a news release.

Novant Health’s Brunswick County facility opened in July 2011 as Brunswick Novant Medical Center, replacing Brunswick Community Hospital. Novant Health took over operation of that facility in 2006 and announced plans in 2007 to build the new $107 million hospital.

Changing the name to Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center and other cosmetic alterations will help consumers better understand what Novant Health has to offer, Stevens said.

“With this change, we have united Novant Health facilities across the four states we serve, making it easier for our patients to understand the connections between all our facilities, from our physician practices to our hospital,” he said.

By year’s end, the Novant Medical Group physician practices will also change signage.

In recent years, Novant Health also has initiated a series of strategic steps, beginning with the Codman Award-winning hand washing campaign in 2005.

Within three years, staph bacteria MRSA infections were down 63 percent, and more than 3,000 hospitals around the world started using the program.

Since then, Novant Health has focused on transforming health care to create an experience that allows patients to focus on getting better and staying healthy, Stevens said.

Since September 2010, Novant Health facilities have screened all admitted patients for type 2 diabetes. The program has diagnosed nearly 5,000 people with previously undiagnosed diabetes, Novant administrators said.

Another step in the strategic plan includes open access for patients. Real-time online appointment scheduling, E-visits and collaborative patient-clinician care are also part of the unified system strategy, officials said.

Dosher earns program recognition

The cardiopulmonary services department at Dosher Memorial Hospital in Southport has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of respiratory care services available, hospital officials said.

About 700 hospitals, or about 15 percent of all those in the U.S., applied for and received the award. It’s the third consecutive year Dosher has received the national recognition.

The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) started the program in 2003 to help consumers identify facilities using qualified respiratory therapists to provide respiratory care. Hospitals earning the QRCR designation ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services.

“We are proud of this accomplishment. Dosher’s respiratory therapists take great pride in providing quality respiratory care services,” John Watkins, director of cardiopulmonary services at Dosher, said in a news release.

Hospitals that meet the QRCR requirements provide a level of respiratory care consistent with national standards and guidelines, officials said. 

A list of QRCR hospitals for consumers to use is maintained at the association’s website (www.YourLungHealth.org).

The AARC is a membership organization representing more than 50,000 health professionals involved in respiratory care nationwide.

NHRMC heart center gets national nod

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has given the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Heart Center a three-star rating for quality of coronary artery bypass surgery.  

Nationwide, only about 10 percent of heart centers attain the three-star rating, which is a designation recognizing quality and clinical excellence, officials said.

The designation was awarded as part of a comprehensive rating system that compares the quality of cardiac surgery among hospitals across the country. 

The STS awarded the three-star rating for overall quality of care and clinical excellence.

Its database is the “national report card” that compares the quality of cardiac surgery programs across the country, hospital officials said.

“Our physicians, nurses and staff have worked diligently to provide high-quality care to our patients, and we are very pleased to be recognized by this prestigious organization,” David Parks, vice president of cardiac services at New Hanover Regional, said in a news release.

The hospital’s Heart Center is home to 29 cardiologists and three cardiovascular surgeons who perform more than 550 surgical procedures and 12,000 diagnostic procedures each year.

Insurer highlights ortho hospital

Insurer Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has named New Hanover Regional’s Orthopedic Hospital as a “Blue Distinction Center” in knee and hip replacements.

The Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program is a national designation awarded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans to medical facilities that have proven success in delivering quality care in key treatment areas, officials said.

The program recently expanded to include enhanced quality measures focused on improved patient health and safety, as well as new cost-efficiency measures.

“This distinction is a testament to the quality and value our orthopedic program offers our patients. Our team of physicians, nurses and staff is continuously working to find new ways to improve patient care,” David Oehler, site administrator at the NHRMC Orthopedic Hospital, said in a news release.

Newly designated Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients, with lower rates of complications and readmissions than their peers. Blue Distinction Centers also are more than 20 percent more cost-efficient, according to Blue Cross and Blue Shield.