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FOR RELEASE
October 18, 2011
HealthGrades National Report: Catawba Valley Medical Center Ranked Among Top 5 Hospitals in North Carolina for Overall Orthopedics for 2012
Catawba Valley Medical Center 5-Star Rated for Hip Fracture Treatment in 2012
Hickory, NC (Oct. 18, 2011) – A report released today by HealthGrades, the nation’s most trusted, independent source of physician information and hospital quality outcomes, named Catawba Valley Medical Center one of the top 5 hospitals in North Carolina for Overall Orthopedics. HealthGrades also announced that Catawba Valley is the best hospital for Overall Orthopedics in the Hickory region*, and the only hospital in the region* 5-star rated for Hip Fracture Treatment. According to the report, patients in the Charlotte area are increasingly seeking such quality information online, with over 425,000 patient visits to HealthGrades.com in the past year. And for good reason: Choosing a hospital can be a life or death decision. The HealthGrades report found that patients treated at 5-star rated hospitals experience a 73 percent lower risk of mortality and a 63 percent lower risk of complications.
A quality comparison of doctors and hospitals in the Charlotte area can be found online at www.HealthGrades.com. Information on overall hospital quality for 13 major medical specialties as well as the top five most searched medical specialties by patients in the Charlotte area can be found online: Charlotte Market Information.
“We work hard to ensure that Catawba Valley Medical Center’s orthopedic services incorporate the newest advances in technology and the highest standards of patient care,” says J. Anthony Rose, Catawba Valley Medical Center President & CEO. “We are pleased that this commitment is reflected by these outstanding ratings from HealthGrades.”
“Patients today have a wide array options when it comes to choosing a health care provider,” said Kerry Hicks, HealthGrades chief executive officer. “At HealthGrades, we are proud to have led the way for empowering patient choice based on objective clinical outcomes and access to actionable quality measures. We commend Catawba Valley Medical Center for its superior quality and support of consumerism and transparency in the Charlotte area.”
Key findings of the HealthGrades 2011 Healthcare Consumerism and Hospital Quality in America report include:
- Patients had, on average, were 63 percent less likely to experience in-hospital complications than patients at 1-star programs, and had a 43 percent lower chance of developing an in-hospital complication than the national average.
- If all Medicare patients from 2008 through 2010 had gone to 5-star hospitals for their procedure, 164,472 in-hospital complications could have potentially been avoided.
- In an online survey, 80 percent said they are very or somewhat concerned about the quality of hospital care in their community.
- In an online survey, 42 percent of HealthGrades visitors said that they believe their chances of experiencing an unexpected death or complication is higher in some hospitals in their community compared to others.
About HealthGrades
HealthGrades is America's most trusted, independent source of physician information and hospital quality outcomes. HealthGrades online properties are the nation's leading destination for physician search and empower more than 170 million consumers annually to make informed health care decisions.
*Region is the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Census Bureau Statistical Area as defined by the federal government’s Office of Management and Budget*
About Catawba Valley Medical Center
Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., is the region’s largest not-for-profit, public healthcare system and serves the community without direct funding from taxes. CVMC provides and promotes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventive medicine and acute care. CVMC has received three Magnet designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has been recognized for providing “An Outstanding Inpatient Experience” for a fourth consecutive year by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, please visit www.catawbavalleymedical.org.
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FOR RELEASE (PHOTO ATTACHED):
October 18, 2011
Recession Impacts Youngest CitizensCatawba Valley Medical Center Knits Over 400 Caps for New Parents
HICKORY, NC— If you think babies aren’t impacted by the recession, think again. A study published in the October 2011 issue of Pediatrics highlights the fact that the economic downturn can have dangerous, even fatal consequences for infants. A group of researchers, headed by Dr. Rachel Berger at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, showed a significant rise in the incidence of Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT) since the start of the recession in 2007. Frustration with a baby’s crying is the number one trigger for the violent shaking that can result in SBS/AHT. The added stress placed on families during hard economic times can make handling a crying infant overwhelming. That makes prevention efforts even more important during the current recession.
To help parents of newborns deal with the inevitable stress brought on by their baby’s inconsolable crying, hospitals are responding by educating parents about the Period of PURPLE Crying. This describes a stage when normal, perfectly healthy babies can cry for five hours a day or more. Since January 2009, over 800 hospitals and organizations have implemented the program.
Catawba Valley Medical Center volunteers assisted in rolling out the program by knitting over 400 purple caps, which will be distributed to new parents during the month of November. According to Polly Shook, CVMC Auxiliary President, “The purple caps are designed to remind new parents that it’s normal for their new baby to cry without explanation during the developmental stage from around two weeks to four months. Although frustrating for parents and other caregivers, the program is designed to let them know that what they are experiencing is normal and will pass.” For more information about Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma or about the Purple Caps program, visit www.dontshake.org or www.purplecrying.info.
Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., is the region’s largest not-for-profit, public healthcare system and serves the community without direct funding from taxes. CVMC provides and promotes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventive medicine and acute care. CVMC has received three Magnet designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has been recognized for providing “An Outstanding Inpatient Experience” for a fourth consecutive year by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, please visit www.catawbavalleymedical.org.
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FOR RELEASE
October 14, 2011
One-Ton Oxygen Chamber To Be Delivered To Catawba Valley Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbarics at Catawba Valley Medical Center
HICKORY, NC –A hyperbaric oxygen chamber will be delivered to the Catawba Valley Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbarics, 1501 Tate Medical Commons, Suite 105, on Monday, October 17 at 8a.m. The chamber weights 1,992 pounds and is approximately 9 feet high, 4 feet long and 5 feet high. The hyperbaric chamber will be used to treat patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections, compromised skin grafts and flaps, and wounds that haven’t healed within 30 days.
Media are invited to shoot, film and interview. Press should meet at the lower entrance. Richard Taylor, Program Director, will be available for interviews about the use of the chamber. Visuals will include the one-ton chamber offloaded and wheeled into the new Catawba Valley Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbarics at Catawba Valley Medical Center.
Catawba Valley Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbarics, a National Healing managed Wound Healing Center, is scheduled to open in November to meet a growing need in the community. Chronic wound patients are often the elderly, who are susceptible to vascular disease, diabetes and pressure ulcers. In addition to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Catawba Valley Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbarics will offer highly specialized treatments, including negative pressure wound therapy, bio-engineered skin substitutes, biological and biosynthetic dressings and growth factor therapies.
About Catawba Valley Medical Center
Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., is the region’s largest not-for-profit, public healthcare system and serves the community without direct funding from taxes. CVMC provides and promotes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventive medicine and acute care. CVMC has received three Magnet designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has been recognized for providing “An Outstanding Inpatient Experience” for a fourth consecutive year by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, please visit www.catawbavalleymedical.org.
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FOR RELEASE (PHOTO ATTACHED):
October 14, 2011
Catawba Valley Medical Center Recognizes October 2011 CARE Employee
HICKORY, NC – Catawba Valley Medical Center recognized Aime Whittington, RN, Level I Nursery, as the October 2011 CARE employee.
Following are remarks offered in nominating Aime: “Aime is an incredible nurse, from her ability to multi-task and handle stress without becoming overwhelmed, to the loving care she gives to each of her patients. She has a positive attitude every day that she works, and gets along well with co-workers in her unit as well as other units. Aime is a great teacher to new employees, students and families. She sets an example that other nurses strive to be.” Congratulations, Aime!
Catawba Valley Medical Center’s CARE employee, nominated monthly by employees and guests, embodies Courtesy, Attitude, Respect and Enthusiasm for commitment to maintaining a positive guest relations atmosphere while demonstrating a sincere compassion and concern for patients and fellow staff members.
Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C. is the region’s largest not-for-profit, public healthcare system and serves the community without direct funding from taxes. CVMC provides and promotes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventive medicine and acute care. CVMC has received three Magnet designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has been recognized for providing “An Outstanding Inpatient Experience” for a fourth consecutive year by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, please visit www.catawbavalleymedical.org.
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FOR RELEASE:
October 3, 2011
Catawba Valley Medical Group Opens New Practice, Welcomes Dr. Patel
HICKORY, NC—Catawba Valley Medical Group (CVMG), a service of Catawba Valley Medical Center, will open a new practice—Catawba Valley Family Care—on October 3. Dr. Shital S. Patel has worked in the Newton area since 2010 and will now be joining Catawba Valley Family Care.
After receiving her MD degree from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Dr. Patel completed her Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency from University of Texas at Houston. She was also Chief Medical Resident in Internal Medicine at the University of Texas at Houston. Dr. Patel is board certified for Pediatrics and Internal Medicine and licensed by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners and the North Carolina Medical Board. She is a member of the North Carolina Medical Society.
Dr. Patel is accepting new patients. The medical office is located at 105 B South Main Avenue, Newton, NC 28656. To reach the practice by phone, call 828/464-7770.
Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., is the region’s largest not-for-profit, public healthcare system and serves the community without direct funding from taxes. CVMC provides and promotes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventive medicine and acute care. CVMC has received three Magnet designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has been recognized for providing “An Outstanding Inpatient Experience” for a fourth consecutive year by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, please visit www.catawbavalleymedical.org.
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