MRH Bariatric
Center named
ASBS Center of
Excellence
The Bariatric Center at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital
has been named a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the
American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS.) The designation
followed an extensive application process that included a site visit by
examiners who evaluated all aspects of patient care and reviewed the
center’s record of treatment results.
“The Center of Excellence designation means we are recognized
nationally as having a great program,” says C. Kenneth Mitchell Jr.,
M.D., of Pinehurst Surgical, who started the region’s first bariatric
surgery program at Moore Regional in 1999. “It gives patients who
are currently in our program—and people who might be interested
in our program in the future—even more confidence that they will
get the highest level of care and the best, most comprehensive support
services.”
Bariatric surgery is a treatment option for some people who are
extremely overweight. Dr. Mitchell and Raymond Washington,
M.D., also of Pinehurst Surgical, perform as many as 12 to 15 bariatric
surgery procedures a month.
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Dental director
receives national
mentoring award
During more than 14 years in dentistry, nine as director of the
FirstHealth Dental Care Centers, Sharon Nicholson Harrell, DDS,
MPH, has mentored more than 50 new or aspiring dentists, dental
hygienists and dental assistants—students from community colleges
as well as major universities. Because of her influence, some have
gone into pediatric dentistry.
Sharon N. Harrell, DDS
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She has introduced all to the unique sensitivities of disadvantaged patients.
“Of course, I want to educate students about excellence in clinical
dentistry,” Dr. Harrell says, “but I want more than only clinical training
for my students. I want them to understand the challenges that
many patients face in obtaining dental care, such as lack of transportation,
inability to take off work to get to the dentist and no reliable
phone service.”
Earlier this year, the American Dental
Association’s Committee on the New
Dentist recognized Dr. Harrell with its
Golden Apple Outstanding Leadership
in Mentoring Award for her work with
young dental health professionals.
FirstHealth of the Carolinas, with
the endorsement of the North Carolina
Dental Society, nominated Dr. Harrell
for the award, which was presented
during the Committee on New Dentist
Awards Luncheon in Boston.
Established in 2000, the ADA Golden
Apple Award for Outstanding Leadership in Mentoring annually
recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding initiative
and leadership as a mentor. Judged by the ADA Committee on the
New Dentist, the award recognizes individuals who mentor grade
school, high school and undergraduate students considering a career
in dentistry, dental students, recent graduates, new dentists or other
professionals in dentistry.
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Grant
expands teen
tobacco use
prevention
program
FirstHealth Community Health Services
has received a three-year, $300,000
grant from the North Carolina Health
and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) to
continue and expand a regional effort
to reduce tobacco use among young
people and to eliminate their exposure to
secondhand smoke.
Despite the known health risks, thousands
of young North Carolinians take up
tobacco use each year. According to North
Carolina’s 2005 Youth Tobacco Survey, the
vast majority (82 percent) of N.C. students
who have ever smoked tried their first
cigarette before the age of 15.
 To reach teens with tobacco prevention
messages while they are young,
FirstHealth of the Carolinas and its school
and community partners have started
educational and policy-oriented programs
in Moore, Hoke, Montgomery and Richmond
counties.
FirstHealth has also used a portion of
the new grant to develop a Smoke-Free
Sandhills network that brings together
schools, community groups and religious
organizations to advocate for policies that
protect young people from the harmful
effects of secondhand smoke.
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MRH participates in
national Celebrex study
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital is participating in a nationwide
clinical trial to find out if Celebrex, a drug commonly prescribed for arthritis
pain, is a safe and effective alternative to surgery for treating a pre-cancerous
condition in women.
Cervical dysplasia, the abnormal development of cells on the cervix, is
diagnosed in more than 250,000 women in the United States each year. If not
treated, the condition can turn into cervical cancer, the third most common
type of cancer in women. Surgery to remove abnormal cells is the standard
treatment for cervical dysplasia, and it is effective in about 90 percent of cases.
“Even though we can treat this disease fairly easily with surgery, it would be
good to have an alternative,” says John Byron, M.D., an OB/GYN specialist
with the Southern Pines Women’s Health Center and the principal investigator
for the clinical trial. “One reason to avoid surgery is that if cervical
dysplasia comes back, the patient has to have surgery again. Surgery increases
the risk of having problems with pregnancy such as pre-term labor and premature
birth.”
Medical researchers are looking for a drug that might eliminate the need
for surgery. Celebrex, an anti-inflammatory medication, showed promising
results in a small pilot study completed last year. The current study is
designed to determine to what extent the drug is effective in curing cervical
dysplasia.
The study is sponsored by the national Gynecology Oncology Group
(GOG). Moore Regional is a member of the GOG through its affiliation
with UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.
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MRH Foundation grants assist
diabetes and heart failure patients
The Moore Regional Hospital Foundation has awarded $55,000 to
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital’s community diabetes and heart failure
programs to assist patients in managing their chronic illnesses.
“We have some patients who do not have insurance, or if they have insurance,
they can’t afford the co-payments for all of their medications or testing
supplies,” says Jeany Copley, R.N., coordinator of the Community Diabetes
Program.
The Community Diabetes Program currently follows 125 patients. About
the same number of patients are in the Community Heart Failure Program,
which helps patients in the community obtain the education and resources
necessary to maintain their health and prevent complications, therefore
improving their overall quality of life.
It is estimated that together the heart failure and heart failure/diabetes
programs have helped patients avoid more than 1,200 hospital admissions
and Emergency Department visits since December 2001.
“As a member of the Moore Regional Hospital Foundation, it is a privilege
to participate in projects such as these,” says Dick Keener, chair of the Moore
Regional Hospital Foundation Grant Review Committee. “Through the
generous contributions of our community, the Foundation is proud to sponsor
projects, from home health care, to staff education, to equipment for the
diagnosis and treatment of our patients. The generosity of this community
over the years has allowed Moore Regional Hospital to continue to provide
high-quality health care services, which are recognized as among the best in
the country.”
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