BUSINESS NEWS: Submit your business news and photos to holly@wtoe.com

Auctions to Raise Money for Patient Beds

 Looking for a special gift for someone you love? Ready to treat yourself to a new bauble? Join the Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation on August 6th for the 33rd Annual Fashion Show & Luncheon. The silent auction and champagne reception begin at 10 am at the Blowing Rock Country Club.

Auction items include gift certificates, artwork, jewelry, electronics and more. The items have been collected from local stores as well as individuals. In 2008 the silent auction raised more than $9,000. In 2009, it raised $7,202.00.

"We are extremely grateful to our silent auction committee for all of their work in securing the items for the auction," shared Megan Ellis, Special Events Coordinator for Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation.

In 2008, the Blowing Rock Fashion Show Committee made a 3-year commitment to raise funds to replace 60 beds in the Davant Extended Care Unit at Blowing Rock Hospital.

"Funds raised at the 2008 and 2009 Fashion Shows and the 2010 Showcase Home allowed the procurement of 40 beds," shared Tim Ford, CEO of Blowing Rock Hospital. "It is our hope that an additional 20 beds can be purchased with this year's proceeds."

Those supporting the event at the Patron's level will be honored as celebrities of the "Prettiest Town in North Carolina" at the black tie Patron's Gala on August 5 at the Blowing Rock Country Club Lake House. The gala will feature music by The Lucky Strikes and a delicious dinner prepared by Chef George Myers. Attendees will be photographed by paparazzi and have the opportunity to bid on four fabulous live auction items:
Dinner for eight prepared in your home by Chef George Myers and Lee Ann Myers.
A week at Seabrook Island.
A week at an Interval International location.
The Dande Lion Diva package. A limousine will transport eight "friends" for a private shopping experience at the Dande Lion replete with wine, hors d'oeuvres and special discounts.
Tickets for the Patron's Gala are $350 per couple and are partially tax deductible. Tickets for the Fashion Show are $60, so reserve your seat today by calling Megan Ellis at (828) 262-9564.

For more information about Blowing Rock Hospital or ARHS, visit www.apprhs.org

Healthcare System and Drager Donate Medical Equipment to Samaritan's Purse

 Appalachian Regional Healthcare System recently acquired a new Drager Medical MRI Anesthesia Workstation and donated their older machine. Lance Campbell, Director of Anesthesia for Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS), worked with Rob Hazlett, Clinical Applications Specialist with Drager Corporation to donate the replaced workstation model to Samaritan's Purse for medical mission utilization. While several years old, the donated machine is in excellent condition and functioning as it did when originally acquired.

"We are thrilled that our machine is being recycled and used to help people around the world," shared Lance Campbell, Director of Anesthesia for Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

Anesthesia workstations are utilized to deliver a calibrated mix of oxygen, nitrous oxide and potent inhaled anesthetic gasses to deliver safe general anesthetic techniques. Anesthesia machines allow spontaneous breathing and the capability to deliver positive pressure ventilation via an onboard ventilator.

"The donation extends the vision of ARHS even beyond our immediate community," shared Campbell. "It will be a wonderful asset to the community that receives it through Samaritan's Purse."

To learn more about Watauga Medical Center or Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, visit www.apprhs.org

Blue Ridge Regional Hospital ranked nationally within top health systems

Mission Health System, of which Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is a member,  has been named one of the  51 best-performing health systems in the nation. The ranking was given in the annual quantitative study  called  The Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals: Health System Benchmarks . It was awarded for demonstrating higher quality patient outcomes across all facilities in the system. Mission Health System was the only health system  in North or South Carolina to  receive the designation. 

In all, 255 health systems  were studied.  According to the study,  Mission Health System is among the top 20 percent in the nation for performance. 

In addition to Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, members of Mission Health System are Mission Hospital and Mission Children's Hospital  in Asheville, and McDowell Hospital in Marion.

“Blue Ridge Regional Hospital’s staff is committed to providing the high quality of care that our patients expect and the compassionate care that our patients deserve,” said Keith S. Holtsclaw, president and CEO of BRRH. “That’s why we implemented our successful patient family centered care model several years ago and are now among the first rural hospitals in the nation to implement Lean, Toyota’s successful production model, that develops a self-sufficient workforce trained to continually enhance patient care, improve efficiency and eliminate waste.”

In recent years Blue Ridge Regional Hospital has substantially upgraded its environment of care (a new clinical wing featuring all private patient rooms opened in 2007 and a new Women’s Imagining Center will open soon) and range of services.  The hospital also owns Blue Ridge Medical Center—Mayland, Spruce Pine and Yancey Campuses, Blue Ridge Medical Center—Orthopaedics, Blue Ridge Medical Center—General Surgery, Blue Ridge Medical Center—Pain Clinic, Blue Ridge Urology, Blue Ridge Fitness and Rehabilitation Center, and Toe River Children’s Dental Clinic.  With the hospital’s partner, American HomePatient, it owns and manages Blue Ridge Home Care.

Top performers in the studied health systems outperformed their peers – they provided better care, followed standards of care more closely, saved more lives, had fewer patient complications, made fewer patient errors, and had better overall patient satisfaction scores.

Specifically, the study noted:

 • The top health systems are providing higher quality care and have better patient outcomes.

• Patients treated at hospitals in the winning systems are having better longer-term outcomes.

• Patients treated at hospitals in the winning systems are returning home sooner.

• Patients treated by members of the top health systems are reporting a better overall hospital experience than those treated in other similar hospitals which did not make the top 20 %.

• The top systems perform better even though they treat sicker patients.

The study shows that the leadership of hospital systems can improve quality of care and increase value to the communities. The study group included every system with two or more acute care member hospitals. Like all 100 Top Hospitals studies, it used publicly available data and objective statistical analysis. Performance measures, which focus on clinical quality and efficiency, reflect aggregated data across the entire system, including critical access hospitals.

Other systems named to the list include  Cleveland Clinic,  Kettering Health Network in Dayton, and Scripps Health in San Diego.

Below are names and phone numbers of leading area businesses. All area codes 828 unless otherwise indicated. Click on highlighted names for more information on that business

	Appalachian Equipment Rental, 765-7368, 652-7391
	Appalachian Eye Associates, 765-2020
	B & H Used Auto Parts, 1-800-832-4014
	B & W Stone, 675-5188
	Banks Jewelry & Gifts, 682-3414
	Brookside Rehabilitation & Care, 682-9759
	Buchanan & Ledford Auto Body Specialists, Inc., 765-0648
	Buchanan & Young Chrysler,Dodge, Jeep, 682-2194
	Buds Auto Parts, 682-2818
	Burleson Plumbing & Heating, 765-4042
	Burnsville Veterinary Clinic, 682-2100
	Cardinal Insurance Agency, 765-5445, 688-9203
	Carolina Interiors Flooring Outlet, 800-273-1162
	Cleo Greene Nationwide Insurance, 765-2790, 682-7625
	Crown Rentals & Sales, 766-8775
	D & R Furniture, 682-6740
	DT's Blue Ridge Java Coffee Shop & Cafe, 766-8008
	Farm Bureau Insurance of Mitchell County, 765-9678
	Fitness Express, 765-6336
	Fortner Insurance, 765-6121, 682-2147
	G & R Power Equipment, 675-9724
	Grassy Creek Clothing, 766-7502
	Grassy Creek Country Club Restaurant,  765-6589
	Grassy Creek Golf & Country Club, 765-7436
	H & R Block, 765-4452, 682-6333, 733-0272
	Hardees of Spruce Pine, 765-4893
	Heritage Lumber, 682-4232
	Heritage Lumber Design Center, 682-4232
	High Country Wireless,  765-1340, 678-3530
	Hospital Drive Pharmacy, 765-2025
	Insurance Service Associates, 765-0455
	Jonathan's Used Appliances, 766-9005
	La-Z-Boy Gallery, 765-2715
	Leland Riddle Financial Services, 766-9064
	Mitchell County Public Transportation, 688-4715
	Monkey Business Toy Shop, 682-9101
	Mountain Lifestyle Realty Group, 682-1524
	Norman and Perry Furniture Company, 765-2370
	Peoples Furniture, 765-5557
	Precision Auto Body Shop, 675-4109
	Pretty Paws Grooming, 765-2339
	Randolph's Body Shop, 682-4156
	RBC Centura, 682-0900, 766-2000
	Red Hill Hardware, 688-1065
	Riddle's Used Appliances, 682-4214
	Sears of Spruce Pine, 765-5700
	ServiceMaster of WNC, 765-4034
	Something Special, 682-9101
	Spruce Pine Indoor Market, 765-0338
	Summit Building Supply, 682-9841
	Terminix, 765-0543
	The Chalk Building Components, 828-374-0036
	The Shepherd's Table, 765-0870
	Toe River Health District, 682-7967, 688-3421
	Westside Rental, 682-3030
	Wildcat Mountain Forge, Inc., 675-5853
	Young's Fuel Oil, 688-2116

	Alpine Real Estate, 688-9482
	Appalachian Realty, 682-3800
	Blue Ridge Properties, 766-9509
	Burnsville Realty, 682-6026
	Carolina Mountain Realty, 682-6166
	Castle Rock Realty, 765-8888
	Grassy Creek Realty, 765-2249
	Great Meadows Inc., 765-9086
	Howell-Sparks Real Estate, 765-7477
	June Jerome Realty, 675-9536
	Lunsford Realty, 678-3400
	Misty Mountain Land Company, 765-7729
	Mitchell Mountain Real Estate, 467-9862
	Mountain Air Country Club, 682-5600
	Mt. Mitchell Lands Inc., 675-4923
	Mt. Mitchell Realty, 675-4414
	Open Hearth Real Estate, 682-2200
	Premier Mountain Properties, 682-7408
	Real Property People, 688-3921, 765-2282
	Realty One Service, 765-4275
	Simmons Construction & Realty, 765-1290
	Spruce Pine Real Estate, 765-7722
	Switzerland Realty, 765-7878
	Thurston Associates, 675-5038
	Timberline Properties, 766-8900
	Tree House Mountain Realty, 765-1655
	United Country Misty Mountain Land, 765-7729
	Yellow Bird Realtors, 688-3064

Click Here To Visit Our Sister Radio Station

©