“As we continue to open access to quality healthcare throughout the county, the Harnett Health Board of Trustees welcomes Barbara McKoy and Frank Stewart and looks forward to their contributions to the board,” said Dr. Ron Maddox, chairman of the Harnett Health Board of Trustees.

Barbara McKoy

A native and current resident of Lillington, McKoy, now retired, served as a Business Agent with Workers United in the Central and Sandhills District. She has held appointments by three North Carolina governors to statewide boards including the North Carolina Council for Women and the North Carolina Community Development Council.  McKoy also organized the Harnett County Council for Women and is one of the founders of the Harnett County Food Pantry.

She served two terms on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of Harnett County and currently serves as vice president of the board of directors for the Harnett County United Police Athletic League.

“I am very honored to join the Harnett Health Board of Trustees and want to see Harnett Health grow and continue to open access to quality healthcare for all citizens of Harnett County and surrounding areas,” said McKoy. “I am so proud of the new Central Harnett Hospital in Lillington. The hospital keeps healthcare local so that people don’t have to go out of the area for healthcare. I am also proud of how the Harnett Health Board and the Harnett Health President and CEO, Ken Bryan, have promoted the hospital by reaching out to all citizens to tell them what Harnett Health provides the community. I am excited to be part of Harnett Health and want to further the reach of quality healthcare in Harnett County.”

Maddox commented, “Barbara has a passion for helping Harnett County citizens. She brings years of community board experience to the table, and we welcome her input. As ratified by the Harnett County Commissioners, she fills the unexpired term held by the late Donnie Olds through the end of March 2013 and then will begin a three-year term from April 2013 through March 2016. Barbara will serve on the board’s Human Resources Committee.”

Frank Stewart

Frank Stewart is a life-long educator and resident of Lillington. He received his bachelor’s degree from Campbell College in Health and Physical Education with a minor in Business Administration. Stewart completed his master’s degree in education at East Carolina University and earned his Principal’s Certification at Fayetteville State University. He retired from Harnett County Schools where he most recently served as a teacher and coach at Western Harnett Middle School.

Stewart was appointed by former Governor Easley in 2007 to serve on the Central Carolina Community College Board of Trustees where he served through 2012. He currently serves on the BB&T Regional Board of Directors.

“I am looking forward to working on the Harnett Health Board of Trustees to continue to develop and expand into the western Harnett area,” said Stewart. “It is great to have Harnett Health expanding across Harnett County and especially with a new hospital in Lillington providing care close to home.”

“Frank is committed to the community and has dedicated his life’s work to educating our children,” remarked Maddox. “His drive for excellence will help Harnett Health push forward in excellence. As ratified by the Harnett County Commissioners, Frank will serve on the board’s Finance Committee. He fills the unexpired term of Thomas Womble through March 2013 and then will begin a three-year term from April 2013 through March 2016.

Harnett County, N.C. (March 14, 2013)

Dunn Medical Services’ new location is in the Harnett Health Medical Park at 803 Tilghman Drive in Dunn (directly across the street from Betsy Johnson Hospital). Dunn Medical Services will occupy Suite 100. Other medical offices will be located in the building and announced in coming weeks.

“Harnett Health is growing to meet the healthcare needs of our community,” said Harnett Health President and CEO Ken Bryan. “Dunn Medical Services will have a significantly larger space in the Medical Park that will allow us to grow that practice and add providers who will continue to deliver quality care to area residents.”

Vidette Cooper, MD; Jodi Miller, D.O. and Heather Parker, PA-C will continue see patients at Dunn Medical Services.

“This is great news for us and the citizens we serve,” said Harnett Health System President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Bryan. “We are excited to be a community value five-star hospital, and we’ll continue to work to provide healthcare services in a caring environment and in a manner that reflects quality, innovation and value. Not only does this show the hard work of the Betsy Johnson Hospital staff, but it also shines a light on the value that our new Central Harnett Hospital will provide. We will use the same cost structure, pricing and quality metrics at Central Harnett as we use at Betsy Johnson.”

Written by William O. Cleverley, Ph.D., a noted expert in healthcare finance, the State of the Hospital Industry reports selected measures of hospital financial performance and discusses the critical factors that lie behind them. The publication focuses on the US acute-care hospital industry over a three-year time period (2008-2010).

For the ninth year, the 2012 State of the Hospital Industry reports an exclusive measure developed by Cleverley + Associates: the Community Value Index® (CVI). The CVI is a proprietary index created to offer a measure of the value that a hospital provides to its community. The book outlines the data used to calculate the CVI as well as provides a list of the Top 100 and all Five-Star (top quintile) hospitals.

“The topic of hospital value is increasingly being discussed. Issues of pricing and community benefit have been well-publicized but little has been offered to measure the broad scope of value,” adds James Cleverley, co-author. “In response, the Community Value Index® was created to provide an assessment of a hospital’s performance in four areas: financial strength and reinvestment, cost of care, pricing, and quality. Fundamentally, the CVI suggests that a hospital provides value to the community when it is financially viable, is appropriately reinvesting back into the facility, maintains a low cost structure, has reasonable charges, and provides high quality care to patients.”

More than 315 patients were seen in the emergency department, and several surgeries, including emergency surgeries, were performed at Central Harnett Hospital from opening day on Friday, January 18, through Thursday afternoon, January 24. Also, admitted patients have already nearly filled the twenty bed side of the inpatient floor.

“As a surgeon who has performed surgery at the new Central Harnett Hospital and as the Harnett Health Chief of Staff, I am impressed with the employees, the technology, the equipment and the facility,” said Dr. Sandy Hawkins. “Hospital operations are running very well, and we look forward to serving you and your family’s healthcare needs at Central Harnett Hospital.”

“Volumes in our new hospital are higher than we originally anticipated,” commented Bryan. “These numbers demonstrate the need for access to local healthcare in our area, and we are very pleased that the community has entrusted us to provide them with quality, local healthcare.”

A key strategy in preparing for the opening of Central Harnett Hospital was implementing an Incident Command Center before and throughout the opening weekend. Staffed from Thursday through Monday, Harnett Health leadership monitored all aspects of patient care, staffing, information systems and technologies, etc., to ensure a smooth opening and that a smooth operation was well underway.

About Central Harnett Hospital
Central Harnett Hospital opened January 18, 2013 and is located in the Brightwater Park in Lillington, N.C. Central Harnett Hospital is a $56 million investment, and the single largest capital project in Harnett County’s history. The two-story, 122,500 square foot building has 50 private inpatient beds including a special care unit, an emergency department, three operating rooms, imaging services, laboratory services and more! Physicians and specialties offered at the new hospital include Orthopedics, Cardiology, Ear, Nose, and Throat, General Surgery, Gynecology, Emergency Department, Hospitalists, Urology, Family Practice, Internal Medicine and Pathology.

Harnett County, N.C. (December 17, 2012)

“This is exciting and momentum building news,” said Sondra Davis, Harnett Health’s Vice President of Human Resources and System Development. “Harnett Health works to foster positive, employee engagement, encourages team building and supports personal and professional employee development. We are so happy that our employees are engaged in their daily work and the overall growth and development of our healthcare system.”

Recipients of the Excellence in Engagement Award were selected from the Advisory Board’s healthcare-specific database, comprised of industry-leading hospitals and health systems throughout the nation. Winners not only demonstrated exceptional levels of engagement among employees, but they also maintained extremely low levels of disengagement. Congratulations to all of our employees who make Harnett Health a best-in-class place to work!

Harnett Health System looking for qualified applicants for jobs in Lillington and Dunn

Harnett County, N.C. (October 2, 2012) – Harnett Health System leaders have hired the first external job candidate for a role in the new Central Harnett Hospital.

“Emily Wilson, RN, accepted a role at Central Harnett Hospital and will work as a nurse in the inpatient medical unit,” said Darrell Parker, Harnett Health System Talent Acquisition Coordinator. “Emily is the first external new hire to join our team at the new hospital. We are very excited about this milestone in our journey to staff the new facility.”

Harnett Health System is hiring for clinical positions such as lab technicians, imaging technicians, nursing assistants, phlebotomists, and nurses for all levels of care and for multiple departments, especially emergency nursing professionals. Non-clinical jobs such as housekeepers and food services technicians are also available.

“While we are hiring for a variety of jobs, our focus at this point is hiring qualified nurses who demonstrate knowledge and skill, and who will deliver compassionate, quality care,” continued Parker. “Job seekers should visit Harnett Health System’s new website, HarnettHealth.org, to view open positions and to apply. People are also welcome to talk with us at upcoming events and job fairs.”

Harnett Health System recruiters will be at the following events to talk with job seekers.

• The NC Nurses Association Annual Conference on October 3 and 4 at Embassy Suites Golf Resort and Spa,
  5400 John Q. Hammonds Drive, Concord, N.C.
• The WRAL Job Link Career Expo on Thursday, October 4 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the McKimmon Center,
  1101 Gorman Street, Raleigh, N.C.
• The Cabarrus College of Sciences Job Fair on Thursday, October 4 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in Concord, N.C.
• The North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday, October 11 from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the WRAL tent.
• The Medical Recruitment Fairon Thursday, November 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C.

Harnett County, N.C. (September 24, 2012) – A Federal designation now covering Harnett County allows Harnett Health System to attract and retain more healthcare providers in order to help increase access to quality healthcare for area residents.

The Federal government has approved Harnett County for designation as a health professional shortage area (HPSA). The designation means that the community was able to prove to the state and federal governments that there is an on-going shortage of primary care providers available in the area.

In exchange for a minimum two-year commitment to practicing primary care medicine in HPSA communities, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and mid-wives who are working in primary care can apply for government loan forgiveness towards their medical student loans.

Other benefits to doctors and the community include building improvement grants to eligible rural or impoverished community clinics. The Federal government also offers an incentive through this program to encourage higher levels of service for Medicare patients’ needs, not just with primary care, but also with specialists.

“This is exciting and positive news for residents in this area,” said Harnett Health System President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Bryan. “This designation will greatly aid in our recruitment and retention of primary care providers. The average debt of a graduating physician is well into six-figures. To be able to offer providers a program in which the government recognizes our community’s healthcare needs and shares in the cost of loan repayment is an excellent step in our quest to continue opening access to quality healthcare for all of Harnett County and surrounding communities.”

To encourage physicians to practice in underserved areas, the HPSA designation also provides for a 10% Medicare incentive to primary care physicians, specialists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors, allowing them to more easily operate and meet the financial needs of a private practice and more readily accept patients with Medicare.

In order to prove the shortage of primary care providers, Harnett Health System leaders worked with HPSA Acumen, Inc., a company that specializes in healthcare research and securing HPSA designations for hospitals and healthcare networks. HPSA Acumen reviewed the backgrounds of all area doctors and surveyed their offices for physician hours worked, typical patient caseloads, and physicians’ use of certified nurse practitioners and physicians assistants in their practices. HPSA Acumen researchers then worked with the government on our behalf requesting government officials recognize Harnett County’s healthcare needs.

Harnett County, N.C. (September 13, 2012) – Harnett Health System is actively hiring new employees for jobs at the new Central Harnett Hospital that is scheduled to open on January 18, 2013.

“We are seeking well trained professionals who demonstrate a commitment to compassionately serving others as Harnett Health offers quality healthcare here in Harnett County,” said Harnett Health System President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Bryan. “We want to be the premiere healthcare system in our area, and hiring qualified staff helps us to reach that goal. By opening the new hospital and by bringing many new jobs to Harnett County, we are increasing economic development in the area and again demonstrating the Harnett Health System board’s long-standing commitment to meeting the growing community’s healthcare needs.”

Harnett Health System is hiring for clinical positions such as lab technicians, imaging technicians, nursing assistants, phlebotomists, and nurses for all levels of care and for multiple departments, especially emergency nursing professionals. Non-clinical jobs such as housekeepers and food services technicians are also available.

“More than 175 jobs will be filled to open the new hospital,” commented Cassandra McMillan, Human Resources Director. “Applicants should go online to HarnettHealth.org to view the positions and to apply. We are hosting a job fair in Lillington on September 21 and will also have recruiters at upcoming community events to talk with potential employees.”

Harnett Health System Job Fair and other recruitment events

Harnett Health System is hosting a job fair on Friday, September 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Harnett County Government Complex Commons Area, 309 W. Cornelius Harnett Blvd., Lillington, N.C. Qualified job applicants are invited to talk with recruiters and are encouraged to bring a resume.

Harnett Health System recruiters will also be at the following events to talk with job seekers.

• The Dunn Business Expo on Tuesday, September 25 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Dunn Community Building, 205 Jackson Road, Dunn, N.C.
• The WRAL Job Link Career Expo on Thursday, October 4 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the McKimmon Center,
  1101 Gorman Street, Raleigh, N.C.
• The NC Nurses Association Annual Conference on October 3 and 4 at Embassy Suites Golf Resort and Spa,
  5400 John Q. Hammonds Drive, Concord, N.C.
• The North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday, October 11 from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the WRAL tent.
• The Medical Recruitment Fair on Thursday, November 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C.

“Employees of Harnett Health System and the Board of Trustees congratulate Dr. Minior on his election to the board of directors for the North Carolina College of Emergency Physicians,” said Harnett Health System President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Bryan. “We are proud of his accomplishment and look forward to learning of his work as a member of the board.”

“I am excited to be elected by my emergency room physician peers to the board of directors,” said Minior. “I will use my position on the board to help advocate for community hospital emergency departments, to ensure cohesive Emergency Management Services (EMS) access, and to advocate for advanced levels of care for critically ill patients who have been stabilized in community emergency departments.”

Minior is married and has two children. He is residency trained and is board certified in emergency medicine. Minior has been working at Betsy Johnson Hospital since 2006. Prior to coming to Betsy Johnson Hospital, Minior attended medical school at Tufts University in Boston, Mass. and then completed his residency in emergency medicine at Lincoln Hospital in New York City, N.Y. In addition to his role with Harnett Health System at Betsy Johnson Hospital, Minior serves as Medical Director of the emergency department at Nash Health Care.

Harnett County, N.C. (July 10, 2012)

Langaker is a doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.). Such doctors are licensed physicians who focus on the holistic health of a patient including physical, mental and emotional/spiritual health.

“Dr. Langaker is an exciting addition to the Harnett Health team,” said Nancy Stamey, Director of Physicians Practices. “She has more than 10 years of experience and will add her expertise and wealth of knowledge to our Lillington Medical Services office and to our Harnett OB/GYN practice.”

In addition to her role with Harnett Health System, Dr. Langaker will serve as chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine.

“Harnett Health System continues to actively recruit new medical staff to improve access and availability of quality physicians and enhance the services we offer the citizens of Harnett County and surrounding areas,” included Harnett Health System President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Bryan. “Dr. Langaker’s past experience and compassionate personality matches our commitment to providing services in a caring environment and in a manner that reflects quality, innovation and value.”

Langaker is married and has two children, ages four and seven. She enjoys reading, hiking, going to the beach and spending time with her family. A favorite quote of hers comes from the book Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, “The best way you show you care is to care.”

“As a young female with young children, I can personally relate to my patients who have new families. I believe patient education is key to providing quality care and a positive patient experience,” said Langaker. “My goal is for each of my patients to leave the office with all questions answered.”

Receiving her doctoral degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in 2002, Dr. Langaker completed her residency from 2002 to 2006 at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She was then employed by the Contemporary Women’s Centre in Overland Park, Kan. from 2006 to 2008 and next worked from 2009 until 2012 as interim chair and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, Mo., as well as serving the needs of patients at the Women’s Healthcare Group in Overland Park, Kan. from 2008 until 2012.

Call 910-892-4092 to schedule an appointment at either the Lillington Medial Services office or the Harnett OB/GYN office.