Here are the finalists in the 2014 Health Care Heroes Community Achievement category.

Honors an individual or team who successfully implemented a program addressing a problem in health care administration or delivery.
 

Randy Anderson

TITLE: Vice president of global product development and therapeutic area leader for metabolics

ORGANIZATION: PPD

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “With more than 25 years of experience as a statistical scientist, he has been a key designer of clinical development programs in type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetes complications, obesity and other metabolic disorders. Diagnosed at age 6, Dr. Anderson has lived with type 1 diabetes for 51 years, and has made a positive impact in the fight against this disease.

In 1999, after his elder son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Dr. Anderson became deeply involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in Wilmington. He has volunteered many hours in support of the organization, including local fundraising and serving nationally on the Medical Sciences Review Committee, where he has provided scientific reviews for more than 70 grant proposals and special initiatives submitted to JDRF for funding.

On being named to the 2010 PharmaVOICE 100 list of the most inspiring people in the biopharmaceutical industry, Dr. Anderson said, ‘To be able to help define development strategy for new treatments of diabetes is an awesome privilege and responsibility. I am grateful to my colleagues who share my commitment to help our clients deliver medicines to better treat these diseases.’”
 

Deborah Rochelle

TITLE: Manager of volunteers and guest services

ORGANIZATION: Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “The Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center Compassionate Clothes Closet committee is well deserving of the Health Care Heroes community achievement award.

In 2010, this committee identified the need for the Compassionate Clothes Closet after witnessing a patient admitted from a nursing home to the hospital due to a fall. That day a leader at the hospital, Deborah Rochelle, explored ways to help this patient maintain her dignity as she was discharged.

A note received from the hospital's medical social worker stated: ‘I use the Compassionate Closet every day for patients who don't have family to bring clothes, have soiled or have had clothes cut off them for various medical reasons. This has been a tremendous resource, and has even brought some patients to tears knowing they have something to wear home other than a hospital gown. The volunteers have gone out of their way to make sure our patients have necessities.’”
 
 

Margaret Weller-Stargell

TITLE: President and CEO

ORGANIZATION: Coastal Horizons Center

WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “Margaret Weller-Stargell ... supervises services in a 53 county area with a budget of over $15M, and monitors the activities of 9 Program Directors and over 200 staff members.

Coastal Horizons Center, Inc., nationally accredited through CARF, provides professional assistance to those in need of prevention, crisis intervention, criminal justice alternatives, community outreach, and treatment for substance use and mental health disorders.

Margaret currently serves on the North Carolina Medical Care Commission, and was appointed to serve as a member of the Department of Health and Human Services  Waiver Advisory Committee. She also currently serves on the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities’ Services [and Substance External Advisory Team, the NC Practice Improvement Collaborative on Substance Abuse and is a member of the Wilmington Downtown Rotary.

[She] is the President of the Willie Stargell Foundation, a private non-profit organization that raises money to assist those struggling with kidney disease. Mrs. Weller-Stargell is the widow of the late National Baseball Hall of Fame Member, Willie Stargell.”