Matthew Heywood, executive vice president and chief operating officer of New Hanover Regional Medical Center, has accepted a position as new president and CEO of Aspirus Inc., effective July 1.

Aspirus is a health care system that operates in Wisconsin and upper Michigan. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel initially reported Heywood’s acceptance of the position.

Heywood’s last day with NHRMC is June 30, hospital spokeswoman Erin Balzotti said.

Heywood, 46, has been COO at the hospital since January 2008.

As of mid-June, a successor had not been announced.

“We are in the process of evaluating the needs of the organization to determine the best course moving forward,” Balzotti said in an email answer to questions.

During Heywood’s tenure at NHRMC, he “worked with the leadership team, physicians and staff across the organization with a focus on enhancing our high quality care, while also staying focused on the important patient-centered approach for which we are so well known,” Balzotti said.

Heywood is a former Michigan resident and has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a bachelor’s degree in government from Dartmouth College.

“We extend our best wishes as Matt moves on to assume the role as CEO and president of another health care institution closer to his hometown,” Balzotti said. 

Heywood will replace Duane Erwin, who will retire on June 28, Aspirus announced.

The health care system is based in Wausau, Wis.

Wilmington Health highlights Medicare savings

Data released recently by Wilmington Health shows a three-year trend of substantial savings to the Medicare system and improved health care outcomes for patients seen by Wilmington Health providers versus other health care providers across the country.

The data was collected and analyzed from the past three years’ worth of Medicare participants’ claims.

In 2012, Wilmington Health showed an average total yearlyexpenditure by a Medicare patient at $7,019, down 11.7 percent from the organization’s 2010 numbers. It also was $2,844 less than all other recent Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) participants – a 28.8 percent savings. 

Wilmington Health providers currently participate in the MSSP through Physicians Healthcare Collaborative (PHC), an accountable care organization based in Wilmington.

“Four years ago, we began a journey at Wilmington Health to reduce the cost of care and demonstrate quality through evidence-based medicine,” Wilmington Health CEO Jeff James said in a news release. “The data provided to us by Medicare proves that our efforts have had a significant impact in meeting our goals,” he said. “Data-driven decision making has established our organization as a beacon of hope in the fight to retain a high-quality healthcare system without compromising the service our patients expect.” 

Based in Wilmington, the Physicians Healthcare Collaborative has more than 150 participating providers.

GE Foundation gives grant to health center

GE Foundation recently presented New Hanover Community Health Center with a significant “Developing Health” grant to cover the next two years.

New Hanover Community Health Center officials received the surprise check presentation for $175,000 at their headquarters, 925 N. 4th St. 

Developing Health is a three-year, $25 million program created by the GE Foundation – GE’s philanthropic arm – and the GE Corporate Diversity Council.  

The program provides GE Foundation grants to support nonprofit community health centers, improving primary care access for underserved populations in targeted cities. 

New Hanover Community Health Center also receives federal grant money to provide primary and preventative health services to medically underserved populations, according to the center’s information.

Seeking to improve access to quality health care for underserved residents, the GE Foundation announced in 2011 that it selected New Hanover Community Health Center to receive a $250,000 grant over two years through the Developing Health program.

Aganette Young, CEO of the health center, called the donation significant “because we want to continue to provide services for the uninsured and the underinsured.”

Coastal Connect receives innovation award

Coastal Connect, a community Health Information Exchange network in southeastern North Carolina, was recently awarded with Intel’s National Innovation Award for Clinical Applications at an award ceremony in Chapel Hill.

Intel’s award recognized the ability of the exchange network (CCHIE) to accelerate transformation of the health care system in eastern North Carolina through the use of information technology.

The innovations illustrate improved quality at the point of care, strengthened security of protected health information, facilitation of health information exchange and achievement of meaningful use initiatives, officials said.

In 24 months, the network has connected five unaffiliated hospitals and 203 unaffiliated practices, representing 725 providers and touching nearly a million patient lives in 11 North Carolina counties.

The five hospitals are NHRMC, Pender Memorial Hospital, Dosher Memorial Hospital, Southeastern Health in Lumberton and Sampson Regional Medical Center in Clinton.

“CCHIE has achieved a unique exchange of ideas rarely seen across the nation by bringing together entities through collaborative methods,” CCHIE spokeswoman Anne Marie Robertson said in a news release.

NHRMC gets specialty center nod

The UnitedHealth Premium designation program recognized NHRMC’s orthopedic hospital as a total joint replacement specialty center.   

Health insurance company UnitedHealthcare developed its specialty center program to recognize hospitals meeting rigorous quality criteria. The designation is based on information about specialized training, practice capabilities and outcomes and is designed to help consumers make informed decisions when choosing quality and cost efficient orthopedic care, officials said.

To receive the designation, the NHRMC Orthopedic Hospital, which was formerly called Cape Fear Hospital, met extensive quality and outcomes criteria based on nationally recognized medical standards and expert advice, the release stated.

SEAHEC hosts future leaders conference 

South East Area Health Education Center (SEAHEC), as part of the N.C. Area Health Education Centers, recently hosted the 14th annual N.C. Future Leaders in Healthcare Conference.

The conference, held in May at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, provided a forum for high school students from across the state interested in pursuing a career in health care to learn more about jobs in the industry, the delivery of health care and managing their own health.  

Through educational workshops and discussions, students had the opportunity to learn about health care issues with focus given to pressing issues such as obesity and eliminating health care disparities.

The event was a collaborative effort with the UNCW College of Health and Human Services.