Blog Posts in 2019

  • A Special Holiday Treat

    Spending Christmas in the hospital with a newborn can be a challenging time for parents. However, CVMC’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses provide families with special moments to enjoy during the holiday, including welcoming Santa to the unit each year and dressing the babies in festive hats and warm Christmas jammies. Nurses and parents alike say the occasion brings joy and a ...

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  • Woman to Woman Advice: Don't Ignore Signs of a Heart Attack

    When Monica Hopkins was 69, she began feeling breathless and experiencing pain that radiated through her back and neck, she thought it was due to the stress in her life. At the time, she had been caring for her husband who had been involved in a motorcycle accident. Caring for him was her focus and she was determined to offer her support despite her pain and fatigue. But even as he recovered from ...

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  • Ladies, Do You Know the More Subtle (BUT CRITICAL) Symptoms of Heart Attack?

    When “heart attack” is mentioned, what’s the first visual that pops into your head? Is it a man grasping his chest in pain then falling to the ground? While that’s what’s portrayed in most movies, it’s important to realize the heart attack victim you’re picturing could just as easily be a woman and the scene may look a little less dramatic. “Women ...

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  • Sick Child? Our Provider Moriah Specht Offers Parents 4 Nuggets of Advice

    The following tips are for children 6 months or older –for infants under 6 months, parents are advised to contact their primary care provider (PCP) immediately. What can you do at home? You may treat your child at home if their symptoms are mild, such as, mild cough, fever less than 101˚, nasal drainage, mild sore throat, few episodes of vomiting or diarrhea (without abdominal pain or signs ...

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  • 5 Reasons Why Cardiac Rehab is Smart

    Regular exercise, proper nutrition, and stress management are the foundation of good health for everyone. But, as Pat Benfield RN, MA, FAACVPR of Catawba Valley Medical Center’s Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center explains, “For people who have experienced cardiac events or procedures, these lifestyle factors are key to recovery and preventing another, perhaps more serious, heart ...

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  • FaithHealth Volunteer Vickie Scott Receives United Way Giving From The Heart Volunteer Award

    FaithHealth Catawba volunteer Vickie Scott, now in her sixties, has always had a passion for giving back. Recently she received the United Way’s Giving from the Heart Volunteer Award recognizing her many contributions to those most in need throughout our community. In addition to making home visits, providing emotional and spiritual support to adults as a FaithHealth Catawba volunteer, she ...

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  • CVMC Earns Seventh Consecutive 'A' Grade for Patient Safety in Fall 2019

    HICKORY, NC – Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) was awarded an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group ’s Fall 2019 Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes CVMC’s efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States. This was CVMC's seventh consecutive 'A' grade since Fall 2016. The Leapfrog Group, a ...

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  • A Special Halloween Treat

    Nobody plans to spend time in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with a new baby – especially during a holiday. But for premature babies born at Catawba Valley Medical Center, Halloween brings a special treat for parents. A holiday seems like a natural time for parents to show off their new arrival, but when their baby demands around-the-clock care, nurses try to make the occasion as special as ...

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  • 25th Annual Trivette Pediatric Symposium

    Catawba Valley Medical Center and Organizational Learning was excited to host the 25 th Annual Trivette Pediatric Symposium to over 90 participants on Wednesday, October 2, 2019. This half-day symposium invited local experts in pediatric mental health to discuss trending topics on how to address gaps in practice and incorporate key information to effectively manage mental and behavioral health ...

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  • Susan Geck - A Story of Stroke Survival, Recovery and the Care She Received at CVMC

    For Susan Geck, a trip to the Catawba Valley Medical Center Emergency Department was certainly unplanned. Susan, 52, was experiencing stroke symptoms and time was precious. After a quick diagnosis and the CVMC physicians conferring with another facility about treatment options, Susan was now on a journey to deal with not only the stroke’s effects, but the rehabilitation that followed. She ...

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  • Providing cancer patients with reassurance and HOPE

    Delivering the news of a positive biopsy for breast cancer or any other form of cancer is a difficult job, and even more difficult for the patient receiving the news. Delivering that message, together with a radiologist, is part of the Cancer Nurse Navigator’s role at Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC). Once a radiologist confirms a cancer diagnosis, nurse navigator Crystal Deese, BSN, RN, ...

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  • Outsmart Diabetes With Self-Management Education

    “Having a disease without a cure means having to learn how to live with it every day. This can feel pretty overwhelming when you are first diagnosed with diabetes,” says Annette Crombie, Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) Diabetes Education Coordinator. “That’s where we come in! Think of us as your diabetes resource and education center.” Education is the key to ...

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  • BE SAFE - DON'T VAPE.

    “Stop vaping” – that’s the recent message from North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services, along with numerous federal health agencies. Our pulmonary health expert at Catawba Valley Healthcare System (CVHS), Dr. Kathy Wilson, weighs in on the growing health concern about lung illness and the use of e-cigarette products or “vaping” devices, ...

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  • Meet Kathy Rector & Cheryl Kiser: Co-founders of Chemo Country Club

    When nurses noticed the uncanny similarities between breast cancer patients Kathy Rector and Cheryl Kiser, they decided to seat the women together during a chemotherapy (chemo) treatment at Carolina Oncology Specialists in Hickory. Kathy and Cheryl became fast friends, forming a bond over battling the potentially fatal disease and coining a name “Chemo Country Club” with tagline - now ...

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  • An Unexpected Diagnoses Leads to a Successful Outcome, a Happy Family Experience and a Glowing Google Review

    Samantha Berry is very close to her grandparents, Regina and David. But the bond between her and David is a bit special, she says, “Of all the family members, my grandfather seems to feel something different with me, he listens to my advice and he trusts me to have a good perspective.” Because of this relationship, Samantha stays very close him when he is having health challenges, like ...

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  • Ladies, Let's Talk Pelvic Rehab

    You may find it comforting to know that one in four women, 20 years or older, suffer from a variety of symptoms and conditions that affect the pelvis, bladder and uterus region. Most commonly referred to as pelvic floor dysfunction, these conditions negatively impact the lives of women in many uncomfortable and, sometimes embarrassing ways. “The group of muscles in the pelvic floor help to ...

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  • Reclaim Your Mobility Using Platelet Rich Plasma Injections for Joint Pain Relief

    Do you suffer from chronic joint pain? Does an old orthopedic injury still cause nagging discomfort? You’ve probably tried traditional treatments like rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medications in the past, only to be met with short-lived relief. However, there are treatments available like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections that can help enhance the body’s ability to heal and ...

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  • CVMC Among Nation's Top Performing Hospitals For Treatment Of Heart Attacks

    Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Award recognizes high standards of patient care HICKORY – Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2019. CVMC is one of only 225 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor. The award recognizes CVMC’s commitment and success in ...

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  • CVHS Faith Community Partnership Seeks To Improve Health

    Catawba Valley Health System (CVHS) this month is launching FaithHealth Catawba, a dynamic partnership between the faith community, health system and other community partners focused on improving health of underserved local citizens. FaithHealth mobilizes congregations and volunteers from the community, offering ministry and advocacy to those in need. Support is provided before, during and/or ...

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  • CVMC One Of 22 Nationally To Receive Excellence In Patient Safety Award

    HICKORY – Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in June received the Premier Excellence in Patient Safety Award, joining an elite group of just 22 hospitals nationally who earned the distinction. CVMC was one of only two in North Carolina to achieve the recognition. CVMC received the news at Premier’s annual Breakthroughs Conference and Exhibition in Nashville, TN. Each summer, ...

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  • Seth Hawkins - ER Doc Gone Wild

    While Dr. Seth Hawkins saves lives in CVMC’s Emergency Department, his passion for emergency medicine far exceeds any hospital’s walls. At 48, he is a nationally-acclaimed expert in the field of wilderness emergency medical services (EMS) and was named a Top 10 EMS Innovator by the Journal of EMS in 2018. “His versatility is amazing,” says Chuck Scronce, CVMC’s ...

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  • An Advanced Care Team Model Means Better Care for You

    For Catawba Valley Medical Group (CVMG), the top priority of our providers and staff is helping you and your loved ones prevent illness and maintain physical and emotional well-being by providing medical care and recommending healthy lifestyle choices. We truly believe that your family medicine provider should be your first line of defense in guarding your most valuable possession of all: your ...

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  • New Nurse Manager for Catawba Valley Center for Wound Healing & Hyperbarics

    HICKORY, NC – Christina Bolin BSN, RN-CWCA, has been named Nurse Manager of the Catawba Valley Center for Wound Healing & Hyperbarics. Bolin will be responsible for achieving clinical, operational and financial results at the Center, which is a member of the Healogics™ network and offersadvanced therapy to heal chronic wounds. Bolin has been involved in the healthcare industry for ...

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  • Scott Brittain's 5-Star Review Following Gallbladder Surgery

    Scott Brittain, 40, began having occasional abdomen pain that he said would “come and go” in the months leading up to late April when his pain became excruciating and started radiating across his back. This made it impossible for him to sleep or go to work delivering packages as a courier for DHL Express. “I tried to walk it off, but my abdomen was swollen and hurt to ...

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  • What's All the Talk About Gut Health?

    You’ve probably noticed “gut health” is getting a lot of attention lately as it’s become a trending topic in social and mainstream media. This is because recent research has discovered links between gut health and our immune system, chronic illnesses (diabetes, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and some cancers) as well as mental health and neurological conditions such as ...

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