It takes a village to raise a child: Let’s be theirs
Do you remember having questions as a parent of a newborn? Did you wish you could talk to your nurse just one more time? That’s what you will provide when you give to Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation on Giving Tuesday.
We are partnering with other local organizations to bring Family Connects International to Watauga County, providing short-term nurse home visits to ALL families with newborns, voluntarily and free-of-charge.
What will my donation fund?
Your gift will help Watauga Medical Center provide nurses to visit with families of newborns and supplies.
What are the results?
Infants have 50% fewer ED visits and hospital overnight stays in the first year of life
Mothers are 28% less likely to report possible clinical anxiety
Community connections increased by 15%
Home environments were rated higher quality and safer by blinded observers
What is included in a home visit?
Typical visit includes:
Physical exam for mothers and infants
Perinatal mood disorder screening
Domestic violence screening
Breastfeeding support
Postpartum care, including scheduling appointments as needed
Tobacco cessation referrals
Safe sleep and SIDS prevention
Parent – child interaction assessment and coaching
Assistance with obtaining health insurance coverage, child care, and social services
Reinforcement of connection to medical home to reduce unnecessary ED visits
Other partners
Harmony Center for Women
Children’s Council
AppHealthCare District Health Department
Blue Ridge Pediatrics
Stickboy
F.A.R.M Café
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Provide in-home care for mothers and infants
$5,000 will provide 50 nurse visits for mothers of infants. It takes a village to raise a child. Help be a supportive part of our village by donating to the health and wellness of our mothers and infants. 100% of your donation will benefit the Family Connects program.
What will my donation fund?
Your gift will help Watauga Medical Center provide nurses to visit with families of newborns, as well as supplies. Do you remember having questions as a parent of a newborn? Did you with you could talk to your nurse just one more time? That’s what you will provide when you give to the Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation on Giving Tuesday.
What are the results?
Infants have 50% fewer ED visits and hospital overnight stays in the first year of life
Mothers are 28% less likely to report possible clinical anxiety
Community connections increased by 15%
Home environments were rated higher quality and safer by blinded observers
What is included in a home visit?
Typical visit includes:
Physical exam for mothers and infants
Perinatal mood disorder screening
Domestic violence screening
Breastfeeding support
Postpartum care, including scheduling appointments as needed
Tobacco cessation referrals
Safe sleep and SIDS prevention
Parent – child interaction assessment and coaching
Assistance with obtaining health insurance coverage, child care, and social services
Reinforcement of connection to medical home to reduce unnecessary ED visits
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For the second year, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) along with many other High Country businesses and organizations, have adopted a Together We Fight approach to breast cancer.
The collaborative approach took shape after several community organizations discussed ways to join forces to support breast cancer patients on a local level.
The Together We Fight collaborative includes the following community events and fundraisers.
September 28: Tanger Outlets Blowing Rock Black, Gold, and PINK Festival
Tanger Outlets Blowing Rock will host a Black, Gold and Pink Tailgate Party for the whole family on Saturday, September 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy live entertainment, food trucks and family activities, located in the Courtyard near Tanger Shopper Services! And to launch the annual Tanger PINK campaign, their PINK beneficiary, High Country Breast Cancer Foundation, will be on-hand selling PINK cards. And then hang around for a live Concert in the Courtyard from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Don’t miss THE community party of the season where we’ll serve up great deals, great food, and great fun!
Since 2014, more than $96,000 has been donated through Mining for a Purpose to support the Cancer Center. October 5: Mining for a Purpose
Longtime owners of Doc’s Rocks Gem Mine Randy and Trina McCoy along with their son, D’Artagnan, will host their 8th annual “Mining for a Purpose” event at the gem mine. The McCoys donate 100 percent of the proceeds from this event to the Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center patient emergency fund. Since 2014, more than $96,000 has been donated through Mining for a Purpose to support the Cancer Center.
Back by popular demand, ARHS will host its 16th annual Pink Day celebration at both Watauga Medical Center and Cannon Memorial Hospital. The breast cancer awareness event and fundraiser is free and open to the public.
10 a.m. to noon at Cannon Memorial Hospital lobby in Linville, NC.
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Watauga Medical Center auditorium in Boone, NC.
Participants are encouraged to wear pink, purchase raffle tickets, schedule a mammogram, and hear remarks from a breast cancer survivor. Light refreshments will be provided.
Each year Pink Day raises money through raffle items and donations, 100 percent of which will support the Cancer Center.
This year CrossFit Boone, Seven Seals CrossFit,CrossFit Postal, and Ashe CrossFit are working together to support the cause through a program called Kilograms for Mammograms. This fitness oriented fundraiser will celebrate survivors and help remove the cost barrier for those in need of a mammogram – all proceeds will go to the Wilma Redmond Mammography Fund. The 2nd annual event will also include a silent auction and kid-friendly exercise challenges. Kilograms for Mammograms will take place at the Paul H. Broyhill Wellness Center. To learn more visit wellness.apprhs.org.
October 26: High Country Walk/Run for Breast Cancer
The 3rd annual High Country Walk/Run for Breast Cancer will take place in Blowing Rock, NC. The event is hosted by the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation and 100 percent of the funds raised are used to provide for the needs of breast cancer patients, survivors and their families in the High Country.
Help support Breast Cancer Services in the High Country! Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center invites local businesses, and community organizations to design and create a themed bra that celebrates the stories of the survivors and the spirit of those working to promote breast health!
September 16: Registration form due
September 30: Completed bra creation due
November 4: Deadline to pick up your bra
Local businesses and community organizations will have their creations displayed at Together We Fight events.
All entries are to be created on a new 38C back-closure, underwire bra. The front, back and sides should be completely decorated. Strapless bras cannot be accepted. Please do not sew the bra closed.
The inside does not need to be decorated.
Bras should be well constructed, as they will be moved and mounted in various locations. Appliques and other applied objects should be firmly attached. Sewing is preferable, but strong glues and other mechanical fastening methods are acceptable. Tape is not acceptable.
Bras are to be constructed of materials that are not soiled, perishable, or in any way inherently dangerous or offensive. Please do not use food or food products.
Bras must be constructed in a manner that allows for mounting or transfer to a display mannequin/hanger. No backing panels or plaques.
Each entry must include a registration form, name tag with the designer’s name/business and bra name. Bra entries may include a short paragraph of 500 characters or less describing the inspiration for the piece.
Judging
If the bra fails to meet submission rules and guidelines or is offensive and/or disrespectful, we reserve the right to remove the bra from display and judging.
All bras that meet submission guidelines will be posted on Appalachian Regional Healthcare System’s Facebook page. The bra that gets the most “likes” will be the winner. Be sure to share your creation with friends, family, and patrons.
Submitting your entry
Please drop off (and pick up) your creation with Angie Del Nero, Social Worker at Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center by September 30th. Feel free to display your creation at your business or organization until Sept. 30th to help raise awareness.
For generations the mountainous region of Western North Carolina was referred to as the Lost Province. Due to The Great Depression, World War I and the natural geographic barriers that prevented the development of connecting roads and infrastructure, lowlanders in the state often joked that the only way to reach the mountains of North Carolina was to be born in them.
But being born safely in the High Country in the first half of the twentieth century was no joking matter. As author Howard E. Covington Jr. points out in his book “Caring for One Another,” through the efforts of selfless and dedicated individuals, access to quality healthcare in the landlocked High Country became a reality.
In 1897, Rev. Edgar Tufts’ mission field brought him to Avery County where he found a dire need for education and medical access. He recruited Dr. William C. Tate to Banner Elk and eventually Grace Hospital, which was built on the campus of Lees-McCrae Institute (now Lees-McCrae College) opened in 1924. Inspired by Tufts’ work, Drs. Eustace and Mary Sloop opened Garrett Memorial Hospital just 20 miles away in Crossnore five years later. Both Avery County hospitals received Duke Endowment funding and were bustling places as they served neighboring counties as well as their own.
In Boone, Blanford B. Dougherty cobbled together money and land from the State of North Carolina and a grant from The Duke Endowment to erect Watauga Hospital on the campus of the Appalachian State Teachers College (later Appalachian State University) in 1938. It was there that students could receive rudimentary nursing care, which was paid for by a $1.50 health fee collected at the beginning of the school year. The hospital also served as a place for local patients to deliver babies or to recuperate from illness. In place of payment, compensation for said services often consisted of a basket full of fresh produce or a ham.
During the 1930s and 40s, Dr. Mary Cabel Warfield was making house calls and maintaining a modest clinic in Blowing Rock for the year-round and seasonal residents. Building her practice on free, well-baby clinics, she was ahead of her time and educated her patients about preventive medicine and prenatal care. When her medical career ended due to an automobile accident in 1948, Dr. Charles Davant, Jr. stepped in as a replacement. Shortly after, the community rallied to gather the resources to build the 20-bed Blowing Rock Hospital, which opened in 1952.
In captivating detail, Covington goes on to reveal the innermost thoughts, dreams and struggles of the High Country’s most influential healthcare visionaries. Thanks to people like Isaac “Ike” Garfield Greer, Richard Sparks, Dougherty, Tufts, and countless others, patients no longer need to leave the mountain for their healthcare needs. These brave men and women laid the foundation for what is today the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.
To receive a free copy of “Caring for One Another” by the award-winning North Carolina native and history author, Howard E. Covington Jr., visit the lobby at Watauga Medical Center, Cannon Memorial Hospital or send an email to marketing@apprhs.org.
A cloudy day on the Linville Land Harbor Golf Course seemed to energize the 27 foursomes who played in the “Wish Upon a Cure” annual cancer charity golf tournament. Co-sponsored by the 18 Hole and 9 Hole Ladies Golf Associations, this year’s tournament generated more than $18,000 in donations for the Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation’s Avery County Cancer Patient Emergency Fund. These funds are used for cancer patients throughout Avery County who are facing cancer treatment and recovery.
Myra’s Catering donated a delicious luncheon enjoyed by more than 120 players and guests. Three large gift baskets were raffled off as well as over 25 smaller gift baskets with a very broad, sometimes surprising, selection of items! Area businesses supported this charity event by providing gift certificates, bottled water and monetary donations that added significantly to the total. We thank you!!!
Format for the tournament was a step-aside scramble using “magic puts” as an added feature in the contest. Tournament winners were: Flight A: Sheila Divvens, Pamela Patrick, Gary McCormick and Mercere Collins with a gross score of 54; Flight B: Anne Lynch, Randy Lynch, Kellie Pearson and John Pearson with a gross score of 53; Flight C: Sondra Schimmoller, Jack Hannon, Randy King and Victor Grassman with a gross score of 59; and in Flight D, Sherry Steber, Ron Steber, Kathleen Reed and Michael Reed won with a gross score of 65. Closest to the pin for ladies on hole #7 was Julie Flowers (3 feet 2 inches) and for the men on hole #3, Roger Ciske (5 feet 10 inches).
The outstanding success of the “Wish Upon A Cure” cancer charity tournament depends on the many volunteers who give of their time, creativity, generosity, hard work and attention to detail. Special thanks go out to Michael Hayes, Golf Operations Manager and Dexter Bentley, Golf Course Manager, Along with their respective “crews”, the golf course was in excellent condition. Volunteers from the 18 Hole and 9 Hole Men’s Golf Associations, and a long list of other volunteers too numerous to list, ensured that the Tournament achieved its important goal: to provide support and assistance to those receiving cancer treatment or those progressing through the often challenging stages of cancer recovery.
To learn more about Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation, call (828) 262-4391 or visit apprhs.org/foundation/.
What makes Christmas, Christmas? Depending on whom you ask, you are bound to get a sleigh full of different answers. Most kids will shout Santa, while parents will say a few days off work to travel and then stand in long return lines. It’s true, right? We spend so much time cooking, shopping, cleaning the house and getting ready for the big gift exchange that we often don’t pause long enough to reflect on a year full of blessings.
At Appalachian Regional Healthcare System we are not immune to the hustle and bustle of the season. Since our doors are always open to care for patients, we too sometimes feel guilty for not slowing down enough to enjoy the holiday. Thankfully, Lilly Hagaman, a beautiful seven-year-old girl and student at Hardin Park School, recently reminded us of the true reason for the season.
A heartwarming idea
According to her parents, Daniel and Katie Hagaman, Lilly woke up at the crack of dawn a month before Christmas and approached her parents with an idea. Over a very early bowl of cereal, Lilly shared that she wanted to do a fundraiser to help people with cancer at the hospital.
“Cancer is not good,” she said. “And I know people with it have to see doctors to get better, which I’m sure is expensive. So, I thought I could help them as a Christmas gift.”
Pride that only a parent can imagine welled up inside of Katie’s heart. Although she admits that tears of laughter burst forth moments later when her daughter went on to explain in a very serious tone that she would like to raise a grand total of $10 for the cause. “It was one of those moments when you think to yourself, ‘that’s my baby!’”
The sentiment also touched Daniel’s heart. Over the years, both he and his mother, Lilly’s grandmother, have overcome bouts with cancer at the Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center in Boone, NC.
A lesson for us all
Left to right: Angie Del Nero, Lilly Hagaman, Katie Hagaman
When asked if she had any previous fundraising experience Lilly said no, but she didn’t see that as a problem. She went on to tout her affinity for arts-and-crafts and how that in itself was a transferrable skill. Evidently, drawing unicorns and cat-mermaids is her specialty.
Before school the next morning she helped her mother put together a GoFundMe account to accomplish her goal. Thanks to social media, the idea spread quickly and before long $365 was donated – enough to give a dollar a day for an entire year. Lilly was thrilled.
Four days before Christmas, Lilly and Katie made a special after school trip to personally deliver the check to Angie Del Nero, the Social Worker at the Cancer Center. Angie explained that the gift will go into a very special fund, known as the Cancer Patient Emergency Fund. Angie added that this fund is used to help remove some of the financial barriers that a patient may run into during the course of their treatment. This fund is often used to help patients pay their electric bills during the winter months and to cover transportation expenses.
Lilly beamed as she took it all in, awestruck by the realization of a goal accomplished and a dream fulfilled.
When asked what makes Christmas, Christmas, Katie said, “I think Christmas is always ultimately about giving. We tend to look at the receiving side of things, but the first Christmas was all about what we were gifted. And that was a huge gift of love and sacrifice. I believe that first Christmas gift was given as an example for us to follow. And as a mother, I’m proud of Lilly’s heart for staying so true to that.”
At Appalachian Regional Healthcare System we are grateful for Lilly’s thoughtful heart and gift this year. We also would like to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year.
To learn more about how you can also give a gift for the advancement of healthcare in the High Country, contact the Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation at (828) 262-9105, or visit apprhs.org/foundation.
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