Blue Ridge Bone & Joint extends urgent care hours

Blue Ridge Bone and Joint (BRBJ), division of EmergeOrtho, physicians and staff remain extremely appreciative of the opportunity to serve you. 

In continuing efforts to improve the convenient care and to enhance patient access, Blue Ridge Bone and Joint is very excited to announce that starting Monday, July 24, 2017 they will begin offering extended hours for orthopedic urgent care services at our 129 McDowell St., Asheville office.  The expanded hours will be from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (instead of 4:00 p.m.) Monday through Friday.  Pre-visit phone calls are not necessary.  (This service is not for MVA patients.)  

With the current complement of twenty musculoskeletal specialists, Blue Ridge Bone and Joint offers full service orthopedics bringing you the most advanced techniques for regaining maximum function.  Visit www.brbj.com for more in depth information on all BRBJ physicians and support staff.  Blue Ridge Bone and Joint continues to offer the orthopedic urgent care services at 800 Fleming St., Hendersonville and 2585 our Hendersonville Rd., Arden offices Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  They also provide physical therapy (Asheville, Arden, Hendersonville) and MRI services (Arden only).

You can contact Jody English 258-8800 or Stefan Magura at 281-7129 with any questions, comments.

JPS manager Kellie Kanipe becomes certified fraud examiner

Johnson Price Sprinkle PA (JPS) accounting firm is pleased to announce Kellie C. Kanipe has become a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).  Kellie passed the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) rigorous exam and met its character, experience and education requirements. ACFE is identified as the world’s largest anti-fraud organization and leading provider of anti-fraud training and education.

By successfully satisfying the ACFE’s stringent set of criteria, Kellie is qualified to:
•  examine data and records to detect and trace fraudulent transactions;
•  interview suspects to obtain information and confessions;
•  write investigation reports;
•  advise clients as to their findings;
•  testify at trial;
•  understand the law as it relates to fraud and fraud investigations; and,
•  identify the underlying factors that motivate individuals to commit fraud.

Kellie is a manager at JPS  and provides fraud, audit and tax accounting work to non-profit, government, and, small to middle market businesses. She joined the firm in 2014 and holds a B.S. in Accounting from Wofford College.  Kellie has over twenty years’ experience in public accounting working with a variety of industries in both tax and assurance services. Kellie lives in Fletcher, NC and enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, and, showing her dogs in competitive events.

Pardee UNC Health Care announces new urgent care center for Mills River

Pardee UNC Health Care announced today plans to open a 2,500 square foot urgent care center in Mills River by February 2018. Construction of the facility, located in the Ingles Shopping Center at the corner of N. Mills River Road and Boylston Highway, will begin next month. 

Pardee currently operates two urgent care centers in Henderson County: one in Hendersonville off Four Seasons Blvd and one in Fletcher at the Mission Pardee Health Campus. 

“We are excited to see the population and industry growth in the Mills River and Etowah areas of Henderson County,” said Johnna Reed, chief administrative officer at Pardee. “As demonstrated with previous market growth, we see an increased demand for urgent care centers. Urgent care continues to play an integral role in the continuum of care and we want to make sure residents have the care they need, when and where they need it.” 

According to the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine, urgent care facilities fill the gap in health care that exists between the primary care provider and the emergency room. There are approximately 8,000 centers in the United States and another 1,200 retail clinics operating in mainstream drugstores. The difference in the two is that urgent care centers, like the one set to open in Mills River, provide a broader scope of services than a retail clinic. Wounds, injuries, fractures, asthma attacks and mild concussions can be treated, in addition to the sore throats, common cold and allergic reactions treated in retail clinics. In addition, Pardee’s urgent care center will have X-ray and lab facilities, with board-certified providers providing medical services. Pardee’s urgent care centers also offer sports physicals and pre-employment physicals and testing. 

“Since our urgent care centers are part of the larger Pardee UNC Health Care system, our physicians and medical staff can make the appropriate referrals if a patient presents with something more complicated,” said Reed. “In addition, patients usually find that the average cost of a visit to an urgent care center is significantly less than to an emergency department, with much less time spent waiting for care. While urgent care centers are not meant to replace the primary care physician, we do see them as transforming how patients access care, particularly after hours when their doctor may not be available.” 

In 2015, Pardee purchased 20 acres of land across from the planned urgent care center on Boylston Hwy. “We continue to evaluate the best use for the property across the street,” said Reed. “Our board and our administration want to ensure that the health care services offered are in alignment with the long-range needs of the area.” Reed notes that the opportunity for an urgent care center in the Ingles shopping center accommodated the immediate timing and needs of the community.

Mission Health launches new virtual clinic and signs agreement with Cigna

NEW VIRTUAL CLINIC LAUNCHED

Mission Health has launched a new online clinic that offers convenient care for common illnesses from the comfort of your home. Visit www.Mission-health.org/virtual-clinic where a Mission provider is available online Monday through Sunday between 7 am – 10 pm.  You can complete an online written interview anytime and receive a response within one hour. You can even complete it in the middle of the night and receive a response from 7-8 am the following morning.

Conditions we treat through our online clinic include cold, flu and allergies, sinus infection or sore throat, urinary tract infection (UTI), vaginal yeast infection, minor eye conditions such as pink eye (conjunctivitis), skin conditions, canker or cold sore, eczema and dermatitis.

If you have symptoms of heart attack or stroke, or feel that your life is in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.  

A Mission Virtual Clinic consultation costs $25, payable online by any major credit card.

MISSION AND CIGNA SIGN MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT

 

Mission Health and Cigna have signed a new agreement providing Cigna customers who get health care benefits through their employers with in-network access to Mission Health’s hospitals, outpatient centers and employed physicians across western North Carolina

“We are pleased to continue our long-standing, collaborative relationship with Cigna, and to offer sustained network coverage to members who rely on our providers for the highest quality healthcare services,” said Paul McDowell, Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Mission Health. “We believe a much more competitive insurance market in western North Carolina will greatly benefit large and small group employers and consumers alike. Cigna has been a terrific partner for Mission and the community.” 

The agreement is effective September 1, 2017, and includes all of Cigna’s commercial, employer-based health care plans. 

“Cigna is a leader in North Carolina and around the country in developing collaborative programs with doctors and hospitals that reward the value of health care outcomes rather than the volume of services provided,” said Charles Pitts, President of Cigna in the Carolinas. “Mission Heath’s commitment to high quality, affordability and patient satisfaction aligns closely with Cigna’s focus. We are also working to further enhance our collaboration with Mission Health for the future. With Cigna, businesses and consumers can have confidence that Mission Health hospitals, facilities and physicians will be in-network for 2018 and beyond.”  

PHYSICIANS COMPLETE LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP

 

Mission Health partnered with the Tampa, Florida-based Center for Transformation and Innovation (CTI) and its Physician Leadership Institute to provide a 26-member group of talented and engaged physicians with an enriching educational opportunity through a year-long Physician Leadership Fellowship. CTI focuses on working with health system clients to provide leadership, strategic and innovation plans via programs specifically designed for physicians. Since the realities within the world of healthcare are transforming like never before, so too are the requirements for physician leaders.

Mission Health’s physician participants benefited from a customized curriculum that provided them with individualized assessments, leadership skill-building opportunities and exercises, and valuable individual coaching. In addition, they had the opportunity to develop strategic action projects in response to organizational challenges including: effective medical staff engagement, approach to community investment and the redesign of physician employment contracts. The fellowship recognizes that good leadership is not static within any organization, but rather a dynamic force that can significantly augment the work of a health system or practice.

Mission Health is committed to offering its high potential physicians relevant opportunities to engage in leadership, with patients, each other, and their professional peers.  Our approach focuses on introspection, collaboration, and creativity as physician participants examine their roles, duties, and individual personalities and work styles. CTI’s evidence-based curriculum reflects their commitment to fueling transformation within healthcare organizations through innovative leadership ideas and practices. “We are honored to work with Mission Health,” said Mo Kasti, CTI’s CEO and founder of The Physician Leadership Institute. “Mission physicians have demonstrated exceptional dedication to honing their leadership skills in order to build upon the culture of excellence at Mission Health.”

William Hathaway, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Mission Health, asserted that this opportunity is an excellent way to make a positive, far-reaching impact on community care in western North Carolina. “Our investment in physician leadership reinforces our commitment to improve our community members Be Well, Get Well and Stay Well by providing the highest quality of care to them. We are incredibly proud of our talented physicians who completed this fellowship, and we’re certain that the knowledge and experience they gained by participating will heighten the depth of their interactions with patients, and enhance their contributions to Mission Health.”