TABLE OF

Contents

06 Welcome

08  Feature: UNC Health Lenoir CEO’S Focus

12 Spelling Bee

16 East Point Prosthetics

20 Membership Directory

301 North Queen Street, Kinston, NC 28502

Phone: (252) 527-1131 | www.lenoircountyncchamber.com

Welcome

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Featured Story

UNC Health Lenoir CEO’s focus: Exceptional Care, Without Exception

By Mike Danahey

One of Crystal Hayden’s fondest memories since becoming the new president and chief executive officer of UNC Health Lenoir happened last June, just two weeks after she started the job.

“I threw out the first pitch for UNC Health Lenoir Health Care Night at the Ballpark for a Down East Wood Ducks game. That was a lot of fun,” Hayden said.

It was but one example of the kindness, welcoming spirit and outpouring of support Hayden said she has found as she leads the hospital, if not onto a field of dreams, into a journey to advance and elevate care, ensuring UNC Health Lenoir’s continued success as a strong community health system.

Toward that, shortly after coming to the 117-year-old hospital, Hayden began working with staff and community on putting together UNC Health Lenoir’s game plan. A committee of stakeholders met once a month from July through January and worked with a consultant to create a strategic plan. In January, the plan was adopted by the hospital's Board of Directors. In February and March, it was introduced to staff, and in May and June there will be outreach to the public.

The new UNC Health Lenoir Strategic Plan will drive performance and improvement over the next 3-5 years in support of the hospital’s mission to “ensure exceptional healthcare for the people we serve”; Exceptional Care, Without Exception.

The plan holds four pillars, its priorities toward that mission include:

•  Stabilizing and growing key clinical services: Initiatives here include developing a robust recruitment program based on a physician needs assessment; evaluating and improving operational status for identified priority service lines; determining capital needs to support those service lines; assessing referral patterns of priority service lines and developing a plan to strengthen them; and evaluating expansion of outpatient clinical services.

•  Improving Emergency Department outcomes: Hayden noted that the ED is often-times someone’s primary experience with a hospital, so efficiency and quality control are of the utmost importance. ED initiatives include making sure that experience is patient centered throughout the process; working toward having patient experience scores in the ED at or above the 65th percentile for overall care; optimizing the provider team; and establishing a presence of the department in the community through targeted outreaches.

•  Focusing on people, service, and quality: Initiatives include optimizing the patient experience; improving medical staff engagement and involvement to improve quality and care delivery; improving workforce engagement and recognition; implementing initiatives to position UNC Health Lenoir to be the region's employer of choice, thus aiding in recruitment and retention.

•  Rebuilding reputation and trust in the community: Initiatives here include demonstrating to the community and its businesses that UNC Health Lenoir is the provider of choice; engaging the community in the hospital’s mission, vision, values and strategic plan; rebuilding trust in provider/caregiver relationships; demonstrating that staff and providers are dedicated to the community.

Related to the strategic plan, Hayden said she and staff are working on a financial/margin improvement plan. Prior to her arrival, UNC Health Lenoir had a couple of tough years, brought on by COVID and the subsequent nursing shortage, Hayden said. While the hospital has healthy cash reserves, it cannot use that reserve for day-to-day operations. So, the task is to lead a recovery to a positive cash flow by 2027, Hayden said.

Since Hayden arrived, UNC Health Lenoir unveiled new equipment and thus new service capabilities. In August, two Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers were purchased and installed in the UNC Health Lenoir Wound and Infusion Center. Hayden said the hospital is averaging three hyperbaric treatments a day with the new equipment.

“Our wound treatment program is growing nicely,” Hayden said. Additionally, in January, the hospital’s imaging department purchased a new, stronger Nuclear Medicine Camera. Hayden said this was a much-needed upgrade as well.

In addition, the UNC Health Lenoir Infection Control Team has introduced quality improvement initiatives that have the hospital on track with low rates of infection, Hayden said.

UNC Health Lenoir continues to work with Lenoir Community College to address workforce development and the nursing shortage. Hayden said that for the 2024-25 school year, UNC Health Lenoir is introducing a nursing scholarship program that will offer multiple scholarships each year. The scholarships will come with a promise of employment if the student finishes the program and passes required state exams.

Being part of the UNC system remains a plus for the hospital. This allows UNC Health Lenoir to do things it most likely would not be able to do on its own, Hayden said. Those include having access to supply chain purchases and payer contracts made through the system; being part of the Epic medical record software system for patients; case management; broader physician recruitment; and patients access to UNC Health clinics.

Speaking of clinics, Hayden said the relationship with Kinston Community Health Center continues to be a strong one. The center’s mission is to provide quality and accessible health care to all the people of our community in the most cost-efficient manner. That dovetails nicely with UNC Health Lenoir’s mission, Hayden said.

As UNC Health Lenoir brings the message of its strategic plan forward to the community, it will also be sharing stories, particularly about the positive things happening at the hospital, Hayden said. As part of the strategic plan, the hospital will also be conducting a survey about how the public perceives it. The goal here will be to target where improvements might be needed. UNC Health Lenoir also hopes to define opportunities through the plan for community outreach programs, thus promoting and potentially improving public health.

As for what she has enjoyed about her very busy first year, that’s been getting to know the community as well as the hospital’s staff. Such experiences include attending the induction banquet last September for the UNC Health Lenoir Hall of Honor.

“It was humbling hearing about the inductees and their commitment and dedication to the community,” Hayden said.

Hayden felt much the same attending the hospital’s annual employee service awards ceremony last fall. The gathering celebrated staff for their years of service and dedication to the organization.

“It has been an honor getting to know the team here at UNC Health Lenoir. They are very committed to providing top quality care to the community. It is a privilege to lead them,” Hayden said.

Spelling Bee

Lenoir County Spelling Bee participants help raise money for area schools

By Ann Piccininni

In this Adult Spelling Bee, the veteran speller is put to the test. Does spelling get easier as the speller matures? Can the adult speller rival the young student speller, without the help of a spellcheck program?

Every year, the Adult Spelling Bee, presented by the Lenoir County Education Foundation, reveals just how well these seasoned spellers and teachers of spelling can do under a little bit of amicable pressure. And the whole evening turns into a memorable, festive event that benefits schools and students across the county.

The Feb. 20, 2024 Adult Spelling Bee featured 27 four-person teams of players made up of teachers and administrators from Lenoir County Public Schools and Lenoir Community College along with several local business people and staff from the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Service of North Carolina State University.

“You have to be 18 or over to participate,” said Ginny Pollock-Moody, committee chairperson of the Lenoir County Education Foundation.

Some participants stepped up to the challenge playfully dressed as bees, complete with black-and-white striped outfits and antennae, setting the tone for a convivial evening at the Lenoir County Livestock Arena.

“We do this annually. Typically, it’s in the fall. We have a wonderful partnership with our school system,” said Pollock-Moody, who is also a Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce board member and the chamber board’s chairperson-elect. “I had a phenomenal committee that worked with me.”

Teams each pay a sponsorship fee of $175. Teams may also purchase three “buy” words for $50. Buy words may also be purchased during the competition at $20 per word during the easy and intermediate rounds and for $40 during the difficult round.

Buy words are words that essentially function as second chances when a team initially misspells a word. The money raised is used to fund mini-grants awarded to teachers and students for school supplies and equipment.

“If a team misspells a word, they can get a ‘buy’ word. Buy words can be purchased ahead of time. They can also be purchased on the night of the spelling bee at a higher cost. The night of the bee, the teams can use their ‘buy’ words to remain in the competition,” Pollock-Moody said.

The evening was an enjoyable one for participants and spectators alike.

“I was born and raised here. I love Kinston,” said Pollock-Moody. “I enjoy the spelling bee. I do try to participate in as many as I can.”

This year, Pollock-Moody served as a judge, an honor that confers the power of ruling on accuracy and on when a team should be eliminated for a misspelling.

“Each judge has four teams,” she said.

This Adult Spelling Bee has three rounds of competition which are progressively more difficult as the bee goes on.

First, the word to be spelled is announced.

Working collaboratively, team members field each word pitched at them and decide collectively on the correct answer – or their best guess. They then write down their response on a piece of paper. Each team gets 30 seconds to come up with their answer, 45 seconds during the round with the most difficult words.

Judges collect the pieces of paper and the responses are compared to the correct answer which is revealed on a large screen.

“Buy” words can be used by teams that didn’t spell the word correctly on their first try. But when a team misses a word and there are no “buy” words left for that team, they are eliminated by the ceremonious deflation of the helium balloon decorating their table.

“If they spelled it wrong and they were out of ‘buy’ words, then the judge popped the balloon and they were out of the bee,” Pollock-Moody said.

The Adult Spelling Bee is customarily held each fall but was moved to mid-winter this year. To get back on course, a second Adult Spelling Bee for 2024 will be presented this fall, she said.

Pollock-Moody said about 150 people, including team members, judges, volunteers and other school personnel, were at the February bee.

“Every member of every team was provided with dinner for the evening,” she said, a meal that featured barbecued sandwiches provided by the North Carolina Pork Council along with drinks, chips and dessert donated by local businesses.

“It is so much fun. Everybody had a good time. Everybody was a good sport,” Pollock-Moody said. “It’s a great way to strengthen the partnership with the school system and the college.”

The competitors were closely matched.

“It was kind of interesting because we had a three-way tie,” she said. “Lenoir County College had two teams. One of theirs won.”

The challenging words used in the Adult Spelling Bee were selected and compiled by Patrick Holmes, public information officer and community schools coordinator for the Lenoir County Public Schools.

What was the word that brought the Lenoir County College Team Two to the finish line, victorious? It was “pilosebaceous,” common spelling.

The first place prize was $300, second place was $200 and third place was $100. Prize money goes to the school represented by the winning team. Last year, more than $37,000 in grant funding was awarded, Pollock-Moody said.

While each team pays $175 for a Team Sponsorship at the time of registration, the Lenoir County Education Foundation also offers Queen Bee Sponsorships for $2,000, Beehive Sponsorships for $1,000, and Stinger Sponsorships for $500.

Pollock-Moody said a Queen Bee sponsorship was purchased by Lenoir Community College and a Stinger Sponsorship was purchased by Judy Jones State Farm.

Other sponsors included Piggly Wiggly, NC Pork Council, BBQ Fest Neuse, Minges Bottling Group, Alsco Uniforms, Kings Restaurant, NC Cooperative Extension, NC A&T State University and North Carolina State University.

Team sponsors included: ICPS, Neuse News, Lenoir County Agricultural Fair, UNC Health Lenoir, Triple P Positive Parenting Program, Banks Elementary School, Contentnea Savannah School, LaGrange Elementary School, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, MM, Eastpoint Prosthetics and Orthotics, Inc. and The Bryan Hanks Show.

Eastpoint Prosthetics and Orthotics offers patients a chance to participate more fully in life

By Ann Piccininni

Patients in need of prosthetic or orthotic devices have been trusting in Eastpoint Prosthetics and Orthotics, Inc. for quality service since the company was launched in 2008.

“We are a full-service orthotics and prosthetics facility,” said owner and founder Paul Sugg.

The company has two office locations in North Carolina, one in Kinston, the other in Raleigh. Eastpoint also has offices in Ontario, Ohio and Harmony, Pennsylvania, along with a fleet of 14 mobile units, enabling the company to serve patients throughout a wide geographical swath.

“We go to homes, therapy appointments, doctors’ offices, wherever we need to go to meet the patient,” Sugg said. “We also see our local patients out of our office and at their homes, if homebound.”

Sugg found his way into the field of prosthetics and orthotics after first learning about information technology and business.

After completing a degree in computer information systems at East Carolina University in Greenville, Sugg went on to earn certificates in both prosthetics and orthotics at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago.

He said his interest in helping people using prosthetic limbs and orthotic devices was piqued earlier in his career when he attended amputee clinic sessions at a local hospital.

“It was really fascinating to watch those guys,” he said.

In the mid-90s, he was poised to join the Air Force when an apprenticeship in prosthetics enticed him to change course.

During the apprenticeship, he discovered that his natural aptitude for the field meshed well with his personal passion for helping people.

The business took off and continued to grow. Sugg said the company employs a team of 15 practitioners who each see six to eight patients per day.

Sugg said his staff practitioners meet with patients to evaluate their needs before casting or scanning to create or fit the device needed. After checking for any needed adjustments, a final fitting is done to ensure proper fit and function.

Sugg said the difference between prosthetic and orthotic devices is easy to define.

“Orthoses will aid or correct a deformity or weakened body part. A prosthesis will replace a body part,” he said.

Examples of orthotic devices are arch supports that are placed inside shoes, braces used to immobilize fractured arms and splints that are used to treat carpal tunnel syndrome.

Prostheses are available for both lower and upper extremities.

“We do limb prostheses. We do artificial arms and legs, we do fingers and toes,” Sugg said. “The number one reason for lower limb amputation is due to peripheral vascular disease from conditions such as diabetes that involve poor blood flow.”

Upper extremity amputations most often result from industrial accidents, he said.

Sugg said Eastpoint takes advantage of today’s most advanced technology for creating and fitting devices: 3-D printers. Sugg tapped into his educational roots as a student of computer science and found that 3-D printers provide a way to fabricate orthotic and prosthetic devices accurately, quickly and efficiently.

“We bought the first 3-D printer to make artificial limbs in North Carolina,” he said.

The company has three color and one black-and-white 3-D printer in its Kinston location.

While he continues to lead Eastpoint Prosthetics and Orthotics through growth, expansion and challenges such as the pandemic, Sugg also is currently working on completing his doctorate in philosophy of religion at Bethany Divinity College in Dothan, Alabama.

His Christian faith has led him and his family to found a nonprofit organization called LevLegacy, also known as EPLegacy.

“We’re a nonprofit organization founded by Christians and we do humanitarian work,” he said.

LevLegacy ships devices and supplies overseas to under-served places such as Tanda, Côte d’Ivoire. Partnering with the 10 40 Initiative, an Oklahoma City-based charity, Sugg has traveled to Africa to offer prosthetic and orthotic care.

“Medical care is oftentimes overlooked,” Sugg said. “We’re there to provide someone with an artificial limb and to give them hope.”

Restoring a lost limb often means restoring acceptance in society and allows patients to regain the ability to participate more fully in life by working in the fields or washing clothes or taking care of family members.

Sugg said that while operating Eastpoint Prosthetics and Orthotics and offering his skills on mission trips keep him busy, he does have time for a pastime or two, such as being a private pilot.

“But I do not own a plane yet,” he said, chuckling.

For more information about Eastpoint Prosthetics and Orthotics, Inc., please visit www.eastpointpo.com and www.facebook.com/EastPointPO or to learn about their 3-D printing operation go to www.advanced3dinc.com.