Catawba Valley Medical Center

We are grateful for this generous gift made through the Catawba Medical Foundation!

You may not know that the Critical Care Unit at Catawba Valley Medical Center utilizes bereavement carts, which provide comfort, respite, and relaxation items for families and patients. The Critical Care Unit stores the carts and delivers them to the bedside of families and patients facing end-of-life situations. Families are encouraged to seek comfort through the items offered on the cart, such as tissues, water, snacks, and prayer shawls like these which were recently donated by Mary Amundson.

As she was crocheting, Mary told us that she prayed for the patients and families who may be the recipients of the prayer shawls. We are grateful for the kindness of Mary’s generous gift. Support from our community like this allows us to continue to fulfill our mission: Exceptional Healthcare, Every Person, Every Time.

To learn about the various ways you might contribute to the mission of our health system, visit Catawba Medical Foundation’s website at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Foundation

This , we’re showcasing our Environmental Services Department! Our EVS workers are instrumental in the day-to-day operations of our hospital, and they are responsible for cleaning and disinfecting medical equipment, patient rooms and other common areas within our facility.

“Environmental Services plays an important role in keeping our patients, staff and visitors safe from infection. Maintaining the cleanliness of a facility this size takes teamwork and we have an Excellent Environmental Services Team,” said Frida Sigmon, Director of Environmental Services.

Thank you to each of our EVS staff members! Are you interested in joining our Environmental Services team? Visit us online at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/JobOpportunities to apply.

It’s National Pharmacist Day! Today, we focus on the importance of pharmacists, and take a moment to honor how much they impact our health and well-being. Our pharmacists are responsible for dispensing medications for our patients and offering their expertise on the safe use of medications.

“Please join us in celebrating our Catawba Valley Medical Center pharmacists and the amazing work they do to support safe medication use for our patients,” said Amy Hollar, CVMC’s Pharmacy Operations Manager.

To learn more about our pharmacy services and our pharmacist residency program, visit CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Pharmacy

Today, we celebrate National Marketing Day! Catawba Valley Health System’s marketing department consists of Matt Webber and Cigi Sparks, and in recognition of the day we (the marketing team) wanted to take a moment to share a message of gratitude for CVHS and those our health system serves.

We’re grateful to be part of an organization that makes marketing easy. On a daily basis, we’re privileged to share the news and stories of our health system, which consists of kind and caring employees, expert physicians and providers, and patients and community members who put their trust in CVHS. Healthcare organizations can only be as great as those providing the care, and CVHS features some of the most considerate, kindhearted people in all of North Carolina.

To all of you in the Catawba Valley and beyond: when you share your positive experiences at CVHS with your friends and family, when you interact with one of our Facebook or Instagram posts, or when you forward one of our newsletters, you help support our mission to provide exceptional healthcare to every person simply by helping to spread the word about a Top 100 National Hospital for Patient Experience.

We’re grateful that we get the opportunity to bring CVHS to life through various avenues, like social media posts, videos, news articles, advertisements, digital campaigns and more. And we’re grateful that you all take the time to read, watch, and comment. Oh, and there are some new and exciting things we can hardly wait to bring you in 2023. Stay tuned!

From your CVHS marketing team, thank you for your support – in fact, like this post to show even more support! We come to work every day excited and privileged to share the next story, and all of those to come.

Take good care,
Matt & Cigi

The awards are in and Catawba Valley Health System is proud to have earned honors in SEVEN Women’s Choice Award categories for 2023! First, we celebrate being a Top 100 National Hospital for Excellence in Patient Experience. Thank you to our community and our patients for allowing us to care for you. To be a Top 100 national hospital for patient experience is a great honor.

Our other Women’s Choice Awards for 2023 include:
- Best Hospital for Stroke Care
- Best Hospital for Comprehensive Breast Care
- Best Hospital for Mammography
- Best Hospital for Outpatient Experience
- Best Hospital for Bariatric Surgery
- Best Hospital for Obstetrics

Throughout 2023, we are excited to share additional details regarding CVHS’s recognitions from Women’s Choice Award. We are grateful to be recognized for excellence among the nation’s best hospitals and health systems. We appreciate that you put your trust in us for the health of you and your family.

To learn more about CVHS’s awards and accolades, visit CatawbaValleyHealth.org/WomensChoice

UPDATE: As of 9 a.m. this morning (1/10) it appears AT&T has resolved the problem its customers were having dialing into our hospital and other health system clinics and offices. Thank you very much for your patience.

To Our Community, Providers and Patients:

Please be aware that we are experiencing interruptions in telephone service to our hospital, our physician practices, and our other CVHS off-site locations.

Those who use AT&T as their service provider are receiving messages such as “your call cannot be completed at this time." AT&T has been notified and their engineers are working toward a solution. Callers should try to use a phone of a different service provider (Verizon, Spectrum, etc.) if at all possible. We have learned that you may also use WiFi Calling on your device if available.

If you are a patient of a Catawba Valley Medical Group (CVMG) practice, you may use the Patient Portal to communicate with your clinic.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. We will post updates as we have them.

Join us in congratulating our January C.A.R.E Award Recipient – Mallory Goodwin! Mallory serves as a Charge Nurse in our Critical Care Unit.

“I worked in the Critical Care Unit and Mallory Goodwin was the charge nurse. Although we had a lot of patient movement and activity that kept us all very busy, she still managed to help the entire unit as a whole, without any hesitation,” according to the person who nominated Mallory. “She did not sit down to eat lunch until late afternoon in order to ensure that everyone else was able to take a lunch break and catch up. She has exceptional work ethic with a very pleasant and positive attitude to follow. She is an exceptional employee!”

The C.A.R.E Award is given monthly to a Catawba Valley Health System employee who has exhibited Courtesy, Attitude, Respect, and Enthusiasm throughout their work.

To learn more about becoming one of the exceptional team members who work at CVHS, visit our careers page at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Careers.

Catawba Valley Health System employee, Bob Benfield, is a “jack of all trades.” He is a former navy corpsman, an Emergency Medical Technician, a volunteer firefighter, a missionary, a tour bus driver in training, a pilot, a chaplain, and a part-time police officer for the CVHS Company Police. What do each of Bob’s passions have in common? They allow him to serve others.

“Right after high school, I served in the Navy for six years. While I was in the Navy, I got my paramedic certification. After leaving the Navy in the 1980s, I started the Burton Volunteer Fire Department in South Carolina,” Bob said. His work as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic soon led him to a career in law enforcement. From 1986 until 2019, Bob served as an officer for various municipal police departments and sheriff’s offices across North and South Carolina. After retiring from the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Bob began his part-time role at CVHS.

Although it has been a passion of his for many years, Bob looks forward to continuing his mission work in his retirement. He has plans to visit Mexico on a mission trip this spring.

“I always knew that I wanted to help others, and throughout my life, I have been able to do that in many capacities,” Bob said.

At Catawba Valley Health System, we’re thankful to have employees like Bob who believe in public service and strive to serve their community. To learn more about working for CVHS, visit us online at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Careers

Catawba Valley Medical Center welcomes the first baby of 2023!

Baby Grayson was born on January 1, 2023 at 12:27 a.m. weighing 7.2 pounds and 20 inches long.

As part of the celebration, Grayson and his family were gifted a baby basket complete with all the items a newborn would need, which was graciously donated by CVMC Birthing Center staff and local businesses including Massage Envy - Hickory, Birth Tissue Recovery, Courtney Causby Photography, Walmart Hickory, Chili's Grill & Bar, Once Upon A Child, LongHorn Steakhouse, Burlington of Hickory, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, and Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Congratulations to Grayson’s family for welcoming their newborn son, and Happy New Year from CVMC!

Join us as we recognize and celebrate the retirement of three long-time Catawba Valley Health System employees – Vice President Phyllis Johnston, Nurse Kim Pennell, and Administrative Assistant Dianne Hart. Each of these women have spent three decades or more working within the health system, dedicating their time and skills toward the smooth operations of the hospital.

Phyllis Johnston, Vice President of Human Resources, 32 years of service –
Phyllis began her career at Catawba Valley Medical Center in 1990. In her Vice President role her responsibilities included the management and oversight of Human Resources, Organizational Learning, and Payroll. Throughout her professional career Phyllis served on various community boards including the Catawba Valley YMCA Corporate Board, the Catawba Valley Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board, and the Catawba Valley Community College HR Advisory Committee. In retirement Phyllis plans to help her mother-in-law restart a small business, help her sister-in-law with her Real Estate & Property Management business, and have frequent visits with her sister and niece.

Kim Pennell, RN, Birthing Center, 31 years of service –
Kim Pennell has worked at CVMC as a nurse for 31 years in a variety of departments – from Telemetry, Dialysis, Occupational Health, and Labor & Delivery. Kim celebrated her retirement on December 14, which was also her birthday. On this day, Kim was hoping to help with the delivery of one last newborn. Her retirement/birthday wish was granted, and she helped deliver a baby girl that morning.

Dianne Hart, Emergency Department Administrative Assistant, 41.5 years of service –
Dianne began her career at CVHS in 1981 as an administrative assistant. Throughout the years, she has served in various departments, most recently in the Emergency Department. Dianne has been responsible for ensuring smooth administrative functions of our ED. In retirement Dianne looks forward to spending time searching for antiques, painting, woodworking, and she also plans to learn how to make stained glass.

We want to express our sincerest appreciation for Phyllis, Kim and Dianne. CVHS would not be the same without caring, dedicated employees like these ladies. Share your congratulatory comments below!

Safe Kids Catawba County, which is led by the Health First Center of Catawba Valley Medical Center, is a proud supporter of the Catawba County Christmas Bureau. The bureau, which consists of various local agencies and organizations, works to provide toys, food, clothing and coats to children and teenagers during the holiday season.

This year's Catawba County Christmas Bureau was held in early December. A few of the highlights during the three-day event included:
• Safe Kids distributed close to 700 bike helmets of all sizes to accompany the many bikes, skateboards, scooters, and wheeled toys that were given out at the Christmas Bureau;
• All of the older helmets that were in storage have been replaced with brand new helmets, which will be used at future Safe Kids events;
• Even though the Safe Kids car seat check had to be cancelled, the coalition was still able to provide and install two seats during the Christmas Bureau; including a large special-needs seat.

A huge thank you to the Safe Kids volunteers who provided assistance this week with the bikes, helmets, and handing out flyers! Pictured in attendance are Thomas R***r, Hickory Fire Department; Ray Ball, Claremont Fire Department; Ashley Rink, CDC Foundation; Meghan Harmon, Catawba Valley Health System.

To learn more about Safe Kids Catawba County, visit our website at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/SafeKids.

It looks like Santa Claus has made it to town, and his first stop was the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Catawba Valley Medical Center!

We hope you all have a joyful, happy, and healthy winter season. From our CVHS family to yours, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

During last week’s Nurse Leadership Forum, Catawba Valley Health System recognized Emergency & Cardiovascular Service Line Administrator, Chuck Scronce, for his career in the military.

After 40 years of service, Chuck will officially retire from the military in March. Currently, he serves the N.C. Air National Guard as the commander of the Medical Group for the 145th Airlift Wing, and most recently served as the commander of the 156th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. He has also served in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Navy Reserves.

In 1993, Chuck earned his associates degree in nursing from Catawba Valley Community College. The completion of that degree changed the trajectory of his military career.

“I was active duty Navy for four years, and in the Naval reserve for five years. Then when I got my nursing degree, the Navy was not recognizing an associate’s degree for a full-commission, but the Air Force was,” Chuck said. “I did not even know that there was an air guard base in North Carolina, but it has been a passion of mine, and it has given me some of my proudest moments.”

Throughout the last 40 years, Chuck has served in various countries such as Afghanistan, Kuwait, Botswana, and many more. He has also been the recipient of many awards and recognitions such as the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon, Global War on Terror Medal, and several others.

We’re grateful for Chuck, his dedication to serving our country, and his continued passion for helping others. Join us in thanking and congratulating Chuck in the comments!

During a season that is dedicated to giving thanks, we want to take a moment to thank our Catawba Valley Health System Company Police Officers. The company police department exists to serve and protect both the staff and visitors who frequent Catawba Valley Medical Center and the surrounding campus. The department is comprised of seven full-time officers, and five part-time officers, most of which have previously served in municipal police departments or sheriff’s offices.

Tom Freeman, who serves as the department’s Chief of Police, has worked at CVMC since 2009. He decided to begin a career in law enforcement because he wanted to “help people through whatever situation they’re in” – a sentiment that Freeman believes he and his fellow officers share regarding their duty to hospital patients and staff.

CVHS Company Police provide a myriad of services ranging from vehicle related issues such as keys being locked inside cars, to more serious issues like domestic violence. “This hospital is like its own little city,” said officer Shane Brown. “We do a lot of the same exact things that municipal police do.”

Please join us in thanking our officers for their hard work and dedication!

Full Time Officers:
Thomas Freeman CVMC Police since 2009.
• Prior experience with the Hickory Police Dept. and Town of Catawba Police Dept.

Dale Greer CVMC Police since 1997.
• Has been with CVMC since 1990.
• Started the Company Police Dept. at CVMC.

Allen Deal CVMC Police since 2011.
• Prior experience with the Caldwell Co. Sheriff’s Office.

Pete Carswell CVMC Police since 2011.
• Prior experience with Glen Alpine Police Dept., Valdese Police Dept., Claremont Police Dept., and Burke Co. Sheriff’s Office.

Shane Brown CVMC Police since 2012.
• Prior experience Burke Co. Sheriff’s Office.

Soua Vang CVMC Police since 2020.
• Prior experience with Hickory Police Dept.

Cody Price CVMC Police since 2021.
• Prior experience with Caldwell Co. Sheriff’s Office.

Part-time Officers:
Bryan Martin CVMC Police since 2011.
• Officer with Claremont Police Dept.

Bob Benfield CVMC Police since 2021.
• Prior experience with Alexander Co. Sheriff’s Office
• Part time with Catawba Co. EMS
• Vol. Firefighter

Daniel Sharpe CVMC Police since 2021.
• Officer with Granite Falls Police Dept.

Steven Moulton CVMC Police since 2022.
• Reserve Officer with Lenoir Police Dept.
• Program Coordinator CJ Dept. at WPCC in Morganton.
• Prior experience with Hickory Police Dept.

Shawn Annas CVMC Police since 2019.
• Officer with Burke County Sheriffs Office.

CVHS is currently looking to add one full-time officer to the Company Police Department! To learn more about working with the CVHS Company Police, visit us online at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Careers.

Tis the Season to give back! CVMC social workers Marea Pinto, Elizabeth Miller, Patti Weatherford, and Miranda Phillips spent time giving back to the community at The Corner Table earlier this month.

The Corner Table is a community kitchen offering several programs to address food insecurity in the Catawba Valley area. In addition to a lunch meal served daily (M-F), The Corner Table has a backpack program for students, provides bagged lunches that are sent with guests for the weekend, and they have a frozen meal program.

To learn about each of their programs, and ways to support The Corner Table visit thecornertable.org.

Recently, four pharmacists from Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) attended the 2022 American Society of Health System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Chinmay Bondugula, PharmD, and Vraj Satasia, PharmD, both presented their research projects during a poster session at the largest gathering of pharmacists in the world. Along with preceptors Zach Howard, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, and Gary Smith, BSPharm, BCPS, the residents recruited and interviewed potential members of next year’s CVMC residency class.

"The ASHP Midyear Clinical meeting consistently gives us useful and practice-changing information for hospital pharmacists. We were all grateful to attend," said Gary Smith, CVMC's Clinical Pharmacy Manager.

To learn more about CVMC's PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program, visit us online at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/PGY1.

Clinical and administrative leadership from throughout Catawba Valley Health System gathered today for the 2022 Nurse Leadership Forum. The forum, which was hosted at Catawba Valley Community College and sponsored by Hendrick Honda Hickory, provided a re-cap on the progress of various health system projects that occurred in 2022, and also gave insight into what is coming in 2023.

The forum had not been held in-person since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last three years since then, the world of health care has changed drastically, and our health care professionals have gone through many challenges. Knowing how difficult it has been to work in a healthcare setting in recent years, the event’s organizers had the idea to invite a special guest – comedian, actor, and Hickory-native Jon Reep.

“The past three years have been extremely challenging. We wanted our first in-person Nursing Leadership Forum since the beginning of the pandemic to be informative and productive, but also fun and uplifting.” said Michelle Lusk, CVHS Chief Nursing Officer.

The guest speaker session and lunch for attendees were sponsored by Hendrick Honda Hickory. We’re grateful for our community partners who support our staff, for John Reep who provided some comedic relief during today’s event, and to CVCC for allowing us to host the forum on campus.

To learn more about becoming a nurse at CVHS, visit us online at BeACatawbaNurse.com.

Catawba Valley Health System has over 2,300 employees, each of which play a crucial role in providing the best care possible to the citizens of Catawba Valley! Last week, CVHS staff were celebrated during a week-long employee appreciation event.

Each day, staff had the chance to visit the employee appreciation table to pick up small gifts and goodies. Staff could make their visit during three designated times throughout the days. Also, Organizational Learning along with Kristen Morrison and Nadin Knippschild made visits to each hospital department and each Catawba Valley Medical Group practice to ensure all employees had a chance to participate.

“The employee appreciation event was a huge success. Our team enjoyed speaking to our valued employees as they stopped by the employee appreciation table outside of HR, the cart as we made rounds on our CVMC units and as we stopped by the practices to deliver cupcakes and small tokens of our appreciation,” said Rose Cook, CVHS Director of Organizational Learning. “As a valued member of the CVHS team, we wanted to take an opportunity to thank each employee for their hard work and dedication for all they do for CVHS, our community and especially our patients.”

To learn more about working at Catawba Valley Health System, visit us online at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Careers

The Organizational Learning department of Catawba Valley Health System and Catawba Medical Foundation hosted a banquet yesterday to award the first Eddie Beard RISE scholarship!

Robust Internship Student Experiences, or RISE, is a semester-long, intensive apprenticeship program at CVHS designed to help students discover career paths in healthcare. After participating in 120 hours of observation in their chosen areas, students are honored with a banquet and the opportunity to win a $1000 scholarship provided by Catawba Medical Foundation.

Winner of this year's RISE scholarship is Hickory High School Senior, Carley Land! Carley completed her internship within the Supply Chain Department at CVHS. Congratulations, Carley!

The RISE program is offered to juniors and seniors enrolled at all high schools in Catawba County. For more information regarding the program, contact Katie Fulbright, student program coordinator, at 828-326-3576.

Join us in congratulating our December C.A.R.E Award Recipient – Lisa Michel! Lisa serves as a Physician Assistant at Catawba Valley Cardiology.

“I have worked alongside Lisa for the past 5 years and hold her in high esteem. She has the title of Physician Assistant, but she means so much more to our organization and community,” according to the person who nominated Lisa. “Lisa is a patient advocate. For the past 20 plus years, Lisa has gone above and beyond to make sure her patients get the best cardiac care possible. Often this means a sacrifice of her personal time to stay late to make sure the patient gets the care they desperately need. Lisa is a friend. Whether she is offering encouragement on a tough day, being available to listen, or checking in on you when you’re out sick, I always know I have Lisa’s support. She always goes the extra mile to be there for you, no matter the situation.”

The C.A.R.E Award is given monthly to a Catawba Valley Health System employee who has exhibited Courtesy, Attitude, Respect, and Enthusiasm throughout their work.

To learn more about becoming one of the exceptional team members who work at CVHS, visit our careers page at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Careers.