AppFamily Medicine

10/21/2025

💊 It’s Pharmacy Week, and we’re celebrating our incredible team of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at Watauga Medical Center and Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital!

From ensuring every medication is safe and effective to supporting patients and providers across our hospitals and clinics, our pharmacy teams play a vital role in delivering exceptional care.

10/21/2025

Update on Medicare Advantage Coverage

Beginning January 1, 2026, UNC Health will no longer be in-network with the following Medicare Advantage plans:
• Humana (if you have Humana coverage through the NC State Health Plan (SHP), nothing is changing)
• WellCare
• Health Care Service Corporation (formerly Cigna)

Need Help?
UNC Health has partnered with Chapter to offer free, personalized Medicare guidance. Chapter can help you find a plan that keeps UNC Health in-network.

Call: 1-877-230-3239
Visit: askchapter.org/unchealth

We know these changes can be confusing. You are not alone. We are here to support you and help you keep the care you trust.

10/20/2025

10/20/2025

It’s Physical Therapy Month! 🎉

We’re proud to celebrate our incredible Physical Therapy teams who help patients in the High Country regain strength, mobility, and independence every day. 💪

Our dedicated professionals serve patients across three locations: The Rehabilitation Center–Watauga, The Rehabilitation Center–Cannon, and the Inpatient Physical Therapy team at Watauga Medical Center.

10/17/2025

We’re hiring!

Our UNC Health Appalachian Learning Center in Boone, NC is seeking an IT professional to support technical education needs, with a focus on Epic training. 💻

This role helps deliver IT training to staff across the organization through classroom, small group, and one-on-one sessions. Prior healthcare or Epic experience is preferred.

For more information visit: 👉https://jobs.unchealthcare.org/jobs/16188058-it-trainer-unc-health-appalachian-boone-nc

10/16/2025

Mental health challenges like anxiety and depression are something we all experience in one way or another. The truth is, you're not alone if you’ve felt, or are currently feeling, overwhelmed, anxious, or sad – these emotions are part of being human. But when they become persistent and start impacting your daily life, it's important to take them seriously.

In this blog post, Benjamin Ramsey, MD, a psychiatrist at Appalachian Regional Behavioral Healthcare, helps us understand anxiety and depression and offers practical advice on how to manage them.

unchealthappalachian.org/blog/2024/navigating-anxiety-and-depression-a-conversation-with-dr-benjami/

Dr. Benjamin Ramsey shares signs of anxiety or depression as well as tips for managing these common mental health issues.

10/14/2025

We’re so grateful to hear from patients who share their experiences with our care teams! This review highlights how UNC Health Appalachian services work together to provide seamless, high-quality care. AppOrtho and The Rehabilitation Center truly exemplify what it means to be .

10/14/2025

🔹 Beginning January 1, 2026, UNC Health will no longer be in-network with the following Medicare Advantage plans:
• Humana (if you have Humana coverage through the NC State Health Plan (SHP), nothing is changing)
• WellCare
• Health Care Service Corporation (formerly Cigna)

🔹If You’re Affected
If you’re enrolled in Humana, WellCare, or HCSC Medicare Advantage (not through SHP):
• You’ll have UNC Health access through December 31, 2025
• To keep your UNC Health providers in 2026, you can switch to Original Medicare or choose a different Medicare Advantage plan that includes UNC Health during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15-December 7, 2025)

🔹Need Help?
UNC Health has partnered with Chapter to offer free, personalized Medicare guidance. Chapter can help you find a plan that keeps UNC Health in-network.

📳 Call: 1-877-230-3239
👉Visit: askchapter.org/unchealth

💻 Join a free webinar:
October 15, 2025
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
With Ari Parker, co-founder of Chapter
Webinar link is here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81589337045
Or you can visit: askchapter.org/unchealth

10/13/2025

With Medicare Advantage, provider networks can change yearly. Before you enroll or renew Medicare Advantage, make sure your healthcare provider is in-network so you can get the most from your plan.

UNC Health has teamed up with Chapter to offer free and complete Medicare guidance to our patients.
For more information, visit 👉askchapter.org/unchealth
or call 919-727-8141 to speak to a Medicare Advisor.

10/10/2025

Postpartum care is about giving yourself grace and support as you adjust to life with a new baby. 💙 In this blog post by Heather Jordan, CNM, she shares insights from her 22+ years of experience—covering the physical and emotional changes new moms often face.

Read more here: 👉unchealthappalachian.org/blog/2025/healing-after-having-a-baby-with-heather-jordan-cnm/

Heather Jordan offers advice to face the physical and emotional changes that can be overwhelming - especially when learning to care for a newborn.

10/09/2025

🌟Employee Spotlight 🌟
on Angela Hopson, RN, BS
PACU, Watauga Medical Center

For 37 years, Angela Hopson has worked at Watauga Medical Center, where she currently helps post-anesthesia patients recover from surgery in the PACU.

“I love providing direct patient care. I work with an incredible group. I feel truly blessed to be able to do what I love,” she said.

One of Angela’s co-workers says of her: “Angie is able to function in any area, having valuable knowledge. She is always cheerful and has a good attitude. She is an excellent preceptor for nurses orienting to the department, as she has a wealth of knowledge to share. Angie has seen a lot of changes in her time at the hospital, and she remains a reliable, dependable asset to the hospital and her coworkers.”

Outside of work, Angela loves being outdoors, especially at the beach, and spending time with her four children, seven grandchildren (one she is raising), her parents, and her beloved fur babies. She finds strength in her family, church, neighbors, and above all, her faith.

“I give my Lord and Savior all the glory. I am a blessed child of the King,” she says.

10/09/2025

Important Update on Medicare Advantage Coverage

Starting Jan 1, 2026, UNC Health will no longer be in-network with Humana, WellCare, and HCSC (formerly Cigna) Medicare Advantage plans.

State Health Plan retirees with Humana coverage are not affected.

Switch plans during Annual Enrollment (October 15 - December 7, 2025) to keep your UNC Health providers.

Need help? As a patient of UNC Health Appalachian, you are eligible for trusted, one-on-one counseling through Chapter at no cost to you. Call 919-421-4476 (or toll-free at 877-230-3239) or visit 👉
askchapter.org/unchealth.

07/11/2024

Attention Parents of young Ashe County Athletes: AppFamily Medicine is providing free sports physicals for students in grades Pre-K-6. These will take place at the Ashe County High School on Saturday, July 13 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. No appointment is needed. For more information call, 828-382-2222.

07/08/2024

We are excited to introduce our new podcast,
🌸Here’s to Her Health. 🌸

Just like the name implies, this podcast is all about ’s Health. Each month we will feature local healthcare providers who share their expertise, debunk myths,
and offer practical advice.

Tune in for candid conversation, expert insights, and a community that celebrates women’s health.

Check out our first episode where we unravel the Myths, Mysteries and Misconceptions of with Dr. Beverly Womack. Learn more in the comments ⬇

11/13/2023

AppFamily Medicine will be closing at 5 p.m. today.

06/22/2023

If you live in Ashe County and have a child participating in sports this fall, don't miss this opportunity.

The resident doctors at AppFamily are offering FREE sports physicals and EKG screenings for children in grades Pre-K – 8 at Ashe County High School on Saturday, July 22nd from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Click this link to let us know if you’re planning to attend: https://forms.gle/xsGMBLCxa4Lvjyt59

04/20/2023

04/20/2023