Greater Fayetteville Business Journal - November 1, 2024 issue
Epicenter Church prepares to feed the community Page 10
fter two years of renovation, new life has been brought to what was previously a Ramada Plaza & Baymont Inn & Suites located at 1707 Owen Drive in central Fayetteville.
Vehicles and moving vans now line the parking lot, and new residents can be seen coming and going in and out of the once vacant building. This is the result of GoodHomes Communities, a vertically integrated, private
PHOTO PROVIDED BY GOODHOMES Featuring rental rates that range from $895 to $1,000 a month, the GoodHomes Bordeaux is the latest project completed by GoodHomes Communities in an effort to bring attainable housing to Fayetteville.
Hurricane Helene support
NCMBC PARTNERS WITH NCDOT TO FIND QUALIFIED VENDORS TO HELP WITH REBUILDING WESTERN NC AFTER HURRICANE HELENE
As cleanup continues in western North Carolina following the devastating destruction left by Hurricane Helene, contractors and vendors from outside of the affected areas are organizing ways that they can contribute.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has spent the last few weeks doing preliminary assessments to find the best locations to begin coordinating aid efforts with the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the State Emergency Management Office.
Now, they have begun dispatching field engineers in the affected areas who will provide technical assessments to the counties. Once needs are assessed counties will procure cost estimates and define contracts that will be available to be competed for by vendors.
Experts estimate that Hurricane Helene’s economic impact on North Carolina will be upwards of $200 billion and the recovery and rebuild efforts will take years.
Millions of North Carolinians lost access to critical services like water and sewer, electricity, telecommunications and healthcare facilities – services that for some communities remain unavailable.
To do their part, the North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) is monitoring federal, state and local government contracting opportunities to support Western Carolina and inform the businesses that can assist with the recovery and rebuilding effort.
To do their part, the North Carolina Military Business Center is monitoring federal, state and local government contracting opportunities to support Western Carolina and inform the businesses that can assist with the recovery and rebuilding effort.
According to a Preliminary Damage and Needs Assessment from the office of Gov. Roy Cooper released on Oct. 23, to date, Helene is the third-deadliest US storm in the 21st century, with nearly 100 confirmed deaths in North Carolina alone and dozens more still missing. Thirty-nine counties have been designated by FEMA for federal disaster assistance. An estimated 4.6 million people – more than 40%
“
“The North Carolina Military Business Center is in the process of collecting credible information to support Western Carolina with supplies and recovery efforts,” shared NCMBC Director of Operations Courtney Smedick. “Traditionally, the NCMBC does not monitor state or local government contracting opportunities; however, the federal contractors that we work with daily are well-established and familiar with federal disaster recovery efforts – and fully capable to assist with the state and local government opportunities.”
.... federal contractors that we work with daily are wellestablished and familiar with federal disaster recovery efforts – and fully capable to assist with the state and local government opportunities.”
— Courtney Smedick NCMBC Director of Operations
of the state’s population – live in one of the designated counties. The region’s economy, which accounts for 45% of the state’s GDP, has suffered a severe blow, threatening livelihoods and the long-term viability of communities.
Preliminary estimates of damage and needs approach $53.6 billion across the state, including $41.1 billion of direct damages, $7.6 billion of indirect or induced damages and $4.8 billion of potential investments for strengthening and mitigation.
Five categories drive more than 90% of estimated direct and indirect damage: Economy, Housing, Utilities and Natural Resources, Transportation and Agriculture. The damage attributable to Helene is roughly three times the $16.7 billion impact of Hurricane Florence in 2018.
According to the NCMBC, Hurricane Helene created over 10 million cubic-yards of debris, and damaged roads across more than 30 counties.
The work to rebuild will range from emergency response (debris removal; food provisions; medical support; temporary shelters), to roofing and residential/commercial construction (renovating and rebuilding); providing transportation and logistics services to the affected areas and much more. The NCDOT
has also identified over 100 bridges that will need to be rebuilt.
The NCMBC is working to help area contractors prepare to bid for the incoming contracts by ensuring they are properly registered with the required sites and connected to resources that will advertise the opportunities as they come. The NCMBC and the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) created an Introductory Guide to Government Contracting for Hurricane Recovery as a resource for businesses to help them get started.
“Hurricane Helene’s recovery will be a concerted effort between federal, state and local governments. Contractors and service providers have a unique opportunity to contribute to the rebuilding process through state and federal contracts,” said Smedick. “Federal and state contracting operate differently, so it is important for businesses to make sure they are registered and qualified to provide support appropriately.”
The NCBMC is encouraging monetary donations to be sent to the North Carolina Community College Foundation and any donations of supplies can be made locally to Fayetteville Technical Community College, home to NCMBC’s headquarters.
“As part of the NC Community College System, the NCMBC encourages donations to the North Carolina Community College Foundation. Funds collected will support the 14 community colleges and their foundations serving 26 designated areas of Helene,” said Smedick. “Locally, Fayetteville Technical Community College is collecting donations and will utilize one of their tractor-trailers utilized for training drivers to deliver much-needed supplies to the region.”
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY NCMBC
4424 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28303
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Greetings and may I be the first to wish a happy holiday season to you, our readers. As we have finally passed Halloween, the countdown to Thanksgiving and Christmas has officially begun!
I’m sure that by this issue’s release on Nov. 1, the Christmas music has already begun to be played, Christmas trees will be in place, all of the fall decor will be on mega clearance and all of the Halloween candy will be cleared from the shelves, but before all of that we are ramping up to 2024’s Health Care Heroes!
As we begin to say goodbye to yet another year, I hope you will take the time to say hello to some of our Health Care Heroes finalists who we are excited to present to you in this issue.
This year, I got to be present for the judging and I can tell you it was hard to narrow down our finalists to only three per category. We had a wide selection of judges from different healthcare providers in our area, and together they made some
solid cases for the finalists featured in these pages.
Our outside judging panel worked diligently to choose the finalists and ultimately the winners in each of the nine categories while remaining fair and objective. They disclosed any potential conflicts of interest, and did their best to choose who they believed were the best finalists and winners for the awards.
It certainly was no cake walk, as we all had to consider over 60 well-deserving nominees submitted for 2024!
We are looking forward to bringing the event back for a second year following the outpouring of support and enthusiasm from last year’s attendees. As of this issue’s publishing, we would like to formally invite the community to join us at our Health Care Heroes Awards ceremony on Nov. 7 at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden Ralph and Linda Huff Orangery. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour. Cape Fear Botanical Garden will be serving
beer and wine to guests. Dinner will be a buffet provided by Two Brothers Catering and the ceremony will follow shortly after.
Tickets are limited but available for purchase at $75 each. Secure your seat by going to www.fayettevillehcheroes.com.
We hope you enjoy this issue featuring the latest updates on the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, the two brand new helipads now operational on top of Cape Fear Valley Health’s main campus located on Owen Drive and one of the area’s largest events is gearing up to serve the community for Thanksgiving thanks to Epicenter Church in Fayetteville.
Happy reading!
OSMAN RANA/UNSPLASH
Major milestone
METHODIST UNIVERSITY CAPE FEAR VALLEY HEALTH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
RECEIVES LCME
CANDIDACY DESIGNATION
The Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine has received official candidacy designation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), an important benchmark as the school aims to change the future of healthcare in the region.
The LCME, which is the recognized accrediting body for medical education programs leading to MD degrees, informed Methodist University of its decision in October- moving the proposed School of Medicine from an “applicant” designation to a “candidate” designation. The decision will lead to a site visit from the LCME in the spring of 2025 before it reviews and votes on preliminary accreditation for the School of Medicine as early as the fall of 2025.
A preliminary accreditation would allow the School of Medicine to
begin recruiting students as it aims to welcome its first cohort in the summer of 2026 – pending approvals by both the LCME and SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges).
“This is a significant milestone for the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine," said Dr. Stanley T. Wearden, president of Methodist University, in a press release. “By granting this candidate status, the LCME is saying that they believe we are moving towards what is necessary for accreditation. This shows Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health have the necessary resources to begin a medical school in our community.”
The decision comes on the heels of a historic groundbreaking for the School of Medicine in September as construction began on the school’s new $60-plus-million, five-story facility on the western edge of Cape Fear Valley Medical Center campus along Village Drive. Cape Fear Valley Health is building the 127,500-square-foot, 200-room facil-
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ity that will feature learning centers, state-of-the-art classrooms, community and multi-purpose rooms, student lounges, a common area, virtual anatomy laboratory, fully-equipped standardized patient lab, conference rooms, entrance plaza and a courtyard.
Once formally accredited, the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine will have a longstanding impact on the community with more than 250 new jobs and graduating physicians each year (initial class of 64 students with an anticipated growth to over 100 students per class in the coming years).
The School of Medicine has a growing list of faculty and staff, who have had a major hand in the LCME process.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY METHODIST UNIVERSITY
A rendering of the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine from Village Drive in Fayetteville.
Hello helipads
CAPE FEAR VALLEY HEALTH CELEBRATES COMPLETED HELIPADS ON THE TALLEST STRUCTURE IN FAYETTEVILLE
Cape Fear Valley Health welcomed media to the top of their campus on Monday, Oct. 28 to get a first look at their new expanded facility and finished helipads.
The helipads, one of which can accommodate a Black Hawk helicopter, were built in the Netherlands by Bayards Helidecks, and officially went into service earlier this month, replacing the use of the helipad currently located on the hospital’s front lawn.
The new helipads are set to streamline the hospital experience for flown in patients. Located on the roof of the Valley Pavillion, this new location allows patients to be taken by elevator directly into the hospital's Emergency Department, Heart and Vascular Center, ICU or Operating Room.
Started in September of 2022, the
its total square footage to over 1.7 million square feet.
expansion of the the Cape Fear Valley Health Main Campus has added two floors for patient care, bringing the Valley Pavilion up to eight floors, including a mechanical space between floors. This adds 100,000 square feet to the hospital, bringing
With outer structural expansions now complete, the highest point of the building is now 161 feet, 3 inches tall, which makes it the tallest building in Fayetteville. When the internal portion of the expansion is complete, it will add 92 beds to the hospital – 44 Adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and 48 Adult Step Down unit beds – bringing Cape Fear Valley Medical Center’s capacity to 762 licensed beds, including 85 Adult ICU beds and 106 Adult Step Down beds.
“It really goes with the transformation of this from a small community hospital to a tertiary care academic facility. When that helipad was built originally, it was built to take patients away from here,” shared Vice President of Operations and Development Brian Pearce. “Now we're bringing in a lot of patients. Last year, we brought in over 7,500 patients from other small hospitals. Now, they never have to leave a clinical area when they bring them in. Or, when we take one out, they never have to go out into a public area.”
According to leadership with Cape Fear Valley Health, pilots and air crews will continue to get familiar with the new helipads this week and the inside renovations are expected to be completed in December of 2024.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY GFBJ
L to R: Diego Chaquea FP-C, Brian McCoy FP-C and Pilot Jim Habermehl, three members of the LifeLINK Air-med Crew who work with CFVH stand in front of their medical helicopter on one of the two newly completed helipads.
From WELCOME, page 1
and converting them into essential housing for America’s workforce.
Since starting in 2021, GoodHomes Communities has brought a fresh, contemporary take on apartment living to 11 markets including Groton, Connecticut, Detroit, Michigan and now, Fayetteville, North Carolina which includes the now open GoodHomes Bordeaux and GoodHomes Cedar Creek expected to open in early 2025.
The key goal of the company, according to Leila Rosenberg, a principal at GoodHomes, is to bring attainable housing to communities seeing a lack of affordable housing options for middle class workers.
“Fayetteville was actually one of the first markets that came to our plate. We had a couple of hotels that were sent to us in the market. We visited a lot, did extensive research and met with a lot of the local stakeholders there, and it was very clear that there was this type of housing shortage there, and there was a great need for housing that was at more attainable rents than what is currently being offered in the market,” shared Rosenberg.
With its first of two completed projects now accepting leases in the area, the GoodHomes Bordeaux is an example of taking something old and making it new and giving it a new purpose. Originally a 298-room hotel, the entire space has been renovated into a mix of 205 large studio apartments and 50 one-bedroom units with rental rates that
The current GoodHomes Bordeaux apartments were originally a
Owen Drive in central Fayetteville. Now, long term residents have begun moving in.
range from $895 to $1,000 a month.
Rosenberg shared that the location of the building was perfect to meet the housing needs of Fayetteville’s working class.
“We love the market, we love the proximity to Fort Liberty. This particular property, GoodHomes
Bordeaux, is right across the street from Cape Fear Medical Center, which is super important, and sort of like the backbone of Fayetteville. We wanted to kind of solve that, that housing shortage for this particular market,” said Rosenberg. “We decided to double down here and really invest in the market, invest in these properties. And that was almost two and a half years ago, so [we’re] really excited that it's finally come to fruition.”
A key goal of GoodHomes is to make use of all of the space in the building and use it as a chance to create a sense of community within their buildings.
Because GoodHomes Communities focused on repurposing space instead of building new, residents at the GoodHomes Bordeaux are able to enjoy amenities that can be found in most hotels including balconies, a clubhouse/game room, co-working space, fitness & wellness center, tenant storage room and an onsite restaurant, Uptowns Chicken N’ Waffles.
The property also features a pool, BBQ / picnic area, as well as expansive meeting space that will be converted into additional amenities. Even the 60,000 square-foot former
BY
convention center which may not be used in day-to-day living for long term housing residents on the property has found a new life.
“We’re very excited that the Cape Fear Regional Theatre has taken the top floor of the hotel, which was previously the convention center, and they’ve built out a full theater up there. They’re starting shows in the beginning of November. So we think that that’s a great amenity, both for tenants and locals to bring people to the site,” shared Rosenberg. “Our thought is, you kind of have everything under one roof. You can live in the apartments at GoodHomes Bordeaux, come down to use the clubhouse game room, get a bite to eat at Uptowns and then go see a show at the theater. So we’re sort of trying to create this whole “LiveWork-Vibe” community there, and that’s what we’re doing across the board.”
The GoodHomes Bordeaux is now accepting new tenants. Learn more about the property, unit sizes, rates and more online at goodhomesbordeaux. com or call (910) 635-0251.
PHOTO
GFBJ
Ramada Plaza & Baymont Inn & Suites located at 1707
PHOTO PROVIDED BY GOODHOMES
Originally a 298-room hotel, the entire space has been renovated into a mix of 205 large studio apartments and 50 one-bedroom units (pictured).
ACHIEVERS
Medical Sonography students make history at RCC as first graduating class
Robeson Community College’s first Medical Sonography class started in January of 2022. On Oct. 21, they were celebrated with a special pinning ceremony honoring their rite of passage into the medical sonography field.
“Today marks a significant milestone not only for our graduating class but also for our program and the community we serve, as this is our very first graduating class for RCC’s Medical Sonography program,” stated Lindsey Norris, the program director, at the ceremony. “Let’s congratulate the first Medical Sonography Class at Robeson Community College.”
The program was started in response to demand by local healthcare providers. The need for qualified medical sonographers continues to grow in the region. The program is now teaching its third cohort and will add a fourth class in August 2025.
“Medical sonography is a great field,” Norris said in a press release. “There’s so many specializations and there is so much reward in being a part of non-invasive discovery… Sonographers play a vital role in diagnosing and treating patients, often being the first to capture those critical images that guide medical decisions.”
KENLEIGH BAIN, AUTUMN HOLDEN, JASMIN KUDAKWASHE, SARAH LOCKLEAR, LAUREN SIMMONS and DELANIE STRICKLAND were pinned by instructors as they walked across the stage and their names were called out loud.
“Being a part of the first class is very special,” stated RCC President Melissa Singler at the ceremony. “This is a very historic day for
What are you and your peers achieving? Have you reached a new goal? Have you acquired another business? Maybe your business has a new hire you would like to highlight.
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal wants to hear from you and your business to shine a spotlight on your accomplishments. To nominate someone for GFBJ’s Achievers section, email editor@bizfayetteville.com with the subject line “Achiever.”
Robeson Community College and please know that we are so very proud of you and your achievements.”
During the ceremony awards were presented to Cape Fear Valley –Bladen County Hospital for Clinical Site of the Year Award, and Jessica Byrd was named the Sonographer of the Year.
Medical Sonography student Kenleigh Bain was named the recipient of the Academic Achievement Award, having shown the best overall academic performance through the program.
The students expressed their gratitude to friends, family, faculty and staff with a note in the program.
“We would like to express our gratitude to our families and friends for their support throughout this journey,” reads the note. “Thank you also to our clinical instructors and staff technologists for their willingness to share their knowledge in support of our success.”
Campbell-Sampson Regional residency director earns national medical honor
DR. JONATHAN CRANE is one of 10 program directors in the country selected to receive the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award.
Crane, a board-certified dermatologist, is program director for the dermatology residency program at Campbell University-Sampson Regional Medical Center. Crane, appointed director of Campbell’s residency program in 2014, is also president of Atlantic Dermatology, P.A.
The Parker J. Palmer Courage to
Teach Award, the ACGME website says, honors program directors who find innovative ways to teach residents and to provide quality health care while remaining connected to the initial impulse to care for others in this environment.
“I feel like I am just one part of a process — Campbell University, Sampson Regional Medical Center, dermatologists and dermatopathologists all working together to create an outstanding education,” Crane said in a press release. “More important than all of us, the residents make the residency. Picking the right residents has truly made this a great success. I appreciate the entire village, especially the residents.”
Crane is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. He has taught medical students and residents for more than 20 years and in 2013 founded Campbell University’s first residency program in Wilmington.
Campbell’s six dermatology residents wrote a letter nominating Crane for the honor.
“(Dr. Crane) is extremely dedicated to our program; he comes in on weekends and stays late on Friday evenings to do additional hands-on training for his residents, hosts every journal club, staffs every hospital consultation and encourages his residents to seek out new opportunities,” the letter says. “His strong ethic and workplace morale has established an inspirational model that residents strive to replicate after residency. He is greatly adored by his staff, coworkers, residents and most importantly his patients. Many of his residents have chosen to stay on and work at his practice which serves as a testament to how noteworthy of an educational work
environment he has created.”
Crane will receive the prestigious honor in February during the 2025 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Annual Educational Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The ACGME Blog will feature interviews and more information about this year’s exceptional awardees in the months leading up to the Annual Educational Conference.
CCS Principal named 2024 North Carolina School Library Media Association Administrator
Cumberland County Schools is proud to announce that CORINE WARREN, the principal at Benjamin Martin Elementary School, has been named the 2024 North Carolina School Library Media Association (NCSLMA) Administrator of the Year.
Warren was recognized for her exceptional contributions to advancing the role of the school library media program in North Carolina. This prestigious award is given annually to honor an administrator who has made significant contributions to enhancing school library programs across the state.
Warren previously served as a former media coordinator and currently holds National Board Certification in Library Media. She has also contributed her expertise to the EBOB (Elementary Battle of the Books) Book Selection Committee for NC Slam Month.
“I believe that fostering a love of reading and providing access to diverse resources are key to preparing our scholars for success in an ever-evolving world. This recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of our entire school community and the importance of integrating media and library resources into our scholars’ learning experiences,” shared Warren in a press release.
Greater Sandhills Chamber announces new president
The Greater Sandhills Chamber is excited to announce the appointment of LYNNDORA THOMPSON as
Crane
PHOTO PROVIDED BY RCC
In no particular order: Kenleigh Bain, Autumn Holden, Jasmin Kudakwashe, Sarah Locklear, Lauren Simmons and Delanie Strickland
Warren
From ACHIEVERS, page 8
the new President of the Chamber. Thompson assumed her new role on Sept. 23. She brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the role, having served in various capacities within the business community.
As president, Thompson’s unwavering advocacy for business interests ensures that the Chamber can work for its members and the community. Thompson will strive for continuous and sustainable improvements in the region—in business, culture, arts and education and partnerships.
Thompson has honed her leadership skills through a number of positions over the course of her career. She is the Southeastern Regional Organizer for Democracy North Carolina, certified by the North Carolina State Board of Elections in Campaign Finance Compliance, serves as a commissioner on the Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission Board (FCHR), is a Life Member of the National Council of Negro Women and serves as the Statewide NCNW Communications Officer for North Carolina's 8-state strategy to mobilize voters which is instrumental in bringing about change.
Thompson's leadership and commitment to reengagement are further exemplified by her membership with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. As a member, she encourages non-partisan activity in the legislative, executive, judicial and regulatory affairs of the nation, provides fact-based information to voters for elections education, research and advocacy of critical issues, monitors national, state and local legislation, voter registration and civic engagement.
Moore Regional physical therapist completes neurologic residency program
FirstHealth of the Carolinas is proud to announce that MADISON YATES, P.T., DPT, a dedicated member of the physical therapy team at Moore Regional Hospital, has successfully completed an 11-month neurologic physical therapy residency program through the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
Her accomplishment not only solidifies her expertise in the field of neurologic rehabilitation but also positions Moore Regional Hospital as an accredited residency site for future therapists.
Yates’ passion for serving patients with neurological conditions led her to pursue the residency to become a neurologic clinical specialist. At Moore Regional, she works primarily with patients recovering from strokes, as well as those managing multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, Guillain-Barré syndrome, spinal cord injuries and other movement disorders.
Yates’ decision to join MUSC’s hybrid residency program allowed her to continue working full time at Moore Regional while completing her coursework online, with travel to Charleston for clinicals.
“Pursuing this residency was a way for me to deepen my knowledge and become a better clinician for my patients,” said Yates in a press release.
As a result of Yates’ dedication and hard work, Moore Regional has been accredited as a working residency site. Yates and her manager, Erin Morstad, P.T., DPT, NCS—also a
neurologic clinical specialist—serve as mentors for the program. Another physical therapist at Moore Regional is set to begin the residency program this fall, and FirstHealth is already looking to expand its offerings into other specialty areas, such as geriatric and orthopaedic physical therapy.
Yates’ journey into health care seemed destined. She grew up with a passion for helping people thanks in part to her dad who is a pathologist and her mom who is a nurse. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Alabama, followed by a Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.
“I was deeply moved by the determination of my neuro patients,” Yates said in a press release. “It gave me a new appreciation for my own abilities and made me realize how much I could do to support them in their recovery.”
With her newly completed residency, Yates continues to shape the
ACHIEVERS
future of neurologic care at Moore Regional, mentoring other therapists and ensuring that patients receive the highest quality of care available.
Fayetteville Technical Community College welcomes three new Trustees
Fayetteville Technical Community College has welcomed three new members to its Board of Trustees.
Christopher M. Bullard, Dr. Andrea K. Dickerson and Ralph Huff have joined the 12-member board.
Bullard, an assistant district attorney, was appointed to the board by the N.C. House of Representatives; Dickerson, a physician, was appointed by the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners; and Huff, a businessman, was appointed by the N.C. Senate. All have been appointed to four-year terms that expire June 30, 2028.
Dickerson was sworn in for her post on Monday, Oct. 21, by Glenn Adams, Chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Bullard and Huff were sworn in previously.
Yates
Thompson
>> By Stephanie Meador
Feeding the hungry
EPICENTER CHURCH BEGINS PREPARATIONS FOR ONE OF THEIR BIGGEST DAYS OF SERVICE OF THE YEAR
One of the most important elements of the holiday season is the spirit of giving. The Fayetteville community is home to many generous organizations and individuals who dedicate their time and energy towards helping others.
Operation Compassion is an event hosted by Epicenter Church annually to provide free Thanksgiving dinners to members of the community. The event is about 10 years old now and has grown from an initiative aimed at feeding a few hundred people to an effort that requires several hundred volunteers and feeds roughly 5,000 people.
“We cook around 400 turkeys, and this year we’re going to actually cook 400 turkeys, and we’re going to give away another several hundred uncooked turkeys in a lottery registration system. So people who register, first come first serve, can come and pick up a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner as well,” explained Mark Knight, lead pastor of Epicenter Church in Fayetteville, NC.
Before diving into ministry full time, Knight spent over 15 years in the business world, building and running a highly successful company. Mark Knight has been pastor of Epicenter Church for 19 years, helping the church to grow to a congregation of over 2,000.
Feeding a crowd of 5,000 is no small task. However, with a decade of experience under their belt, Epicenter Church knows how to get the job done.
“We cook on Monday, and then we cook on Tuesday, and we have a business here in town that has some smokers, and they cook about 80 or so to 100 and then we cook the rest on 15 grills here, like pig cooker grills, and each one holds about 15...And we keep a big refrigeration 18 wheeler here to keep everything that needs to be cold kept cold. It’s a pretty major undertaking. We’ve done it for so long now that we’ve kind of got it down to a science,” shared Knight.
The event is on the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. Last year they fed people at 19 different locations. Pastor Knight shared that the locations for this year have not all been announced yet. Some loca-
— Pastor Knight “
We've got an adage here: save people, serve people. Really it's just about giving to a community, because that's what we're supposed to do.”
tions will be the same as previous years and they are also working on adding some new locations. Once all sites have been confirmed they’ll advertise them to the community. There are no restrictions as to who can come out and receive a meal.
“We just want to be a blessing. We do go to some harder hit areas, areas that we feel like the need would be greater, but we also set up in places that anybody can come up to the tent, grab a meal or two, or a meal for each one of their family members, take it home to eat. And we do set up some locations with places where they can eat as well. So it doesn’t matter to us who comes, we just want to be a blessing to our community,” explained Knight.
In addition to the turkey, community members can expect traditional Thanksgiving sides such as rolls, green beans, stuffing and more.
“Over the years, we have received letters from people. We’ve received encouragement from people to continue to do it. We’ve received letters from people who, maybe, several years ago, were down and out on their luck, and they came and were fed, and it blessed them in such a way that after they got back on their feet, they became either volunteers
or some have even given money towards the event. We know it's a great success, because just the night of that event, we have people staged at these locations that just kind of spend time with anybody who shows up, just kind of talking about life and if there's anything we can do to pray for them or anything we can do to help them. It’s been well received from the community. The community has embraced it,” shared Knight.
While this day of service is one of the biggest that the church does throughout the year, their passion for serving is displayed through consistent acts of giving to the community.
“It’s just really an extension of things that we already do. We do two Hope Dinners a month here at the church and we have a food pantry that feeds two times a week as well. It’s just kind of an extension of who we are, and so people kind of know what to expect and that we’re here to help in any way. And so it’s been well received by everyone in the community,” added Knight.
To learn more about Epicenter Church visit their website
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY EPICENTER CHURCH
Operation Compassion is made possible with the help of several hundred volunteers. Last year they served dinner to the community from 19 different locations.
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2939 VILLAGE DRIVE, FAYETTEVILLE
BIZ LEADS
Reader’s Guide
BizLeads is a collection of information gathered from greater Fayetteville courthouses, state government offices and information websites. The listings are intended to help the business community find new customers and stay on top of happenings with current customers, vendors and competitors.
New Corporations lists firms from the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal region that were recently incorporated in the State of North Carolina.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Begin Now Financial & Counseling Services LLP 107 Aloha Drive
Fayetteville Agent: Tiffany Johnson
Together Again Home Care LLC
100 Hay Street Suite 704 #1162
Fayetteville Agent: JAWANNA O GAINES
Munn's Landscaping LLC
910 Hope Mills Rd
Fayetteville Agent: Munn James
IG UNDERGROUND LLC
1702 BERRIEDALE DR LOT 46
Fayetteville Agent: YUDI RONALD GARCIA BUESO
Frostbyte Creations Inc
100 Hay Street Ste 503
Fayetteville Agent: Abundant Living Consulting Corporation LLC
Hope Mills Police Foundation Inc 2620 Bragg Blvd Ste D
Fayetteville Agent: Beyah's Accounting & Tax Service LLC
Joalisha Investment LLC 319 Stacy Weaver Dr
Fayetteville Agent: Soana A Ngatuvai
Fayetteville Agent: Angela J Williams
Real Tattoo Club LLC
405 Michie Place
Fayetteville Agent: Juan Sebastian Pozo
Longleaf Group LLC 2919 Breezewood Ave. Suite 300
Red Royalties LLC
1103 Ivy Rd.
Fayetteville Agent: Lekisha Charvonne Patterson
Pressure Washing Pastor LLC
2626 Trenton Rd
Fayetteville Agent: Joshua Raymond Tadlock
BTJ FAYETTEVILLE LLC
102 N Reilly Rd
Fayetteville Agent: Wensheng Li
Stout Cottages Owners Association Inc
1786 Metromedical Drive
Fayetteville Agent: Benjamin Stout
The Alumni Association of Westover High School
1139 Hallber ry Drive
Fayetteville Agent: Darryl Lamont Ferguson
Sam's Recovery LLC 3424 Cumber land Rd
Fayetteville Agent: Kodjo S Kouassi
Brundage Payroll Services LLC 7234 Har vestgrain Dr
Stedman Agent: Joseph Edmund Brundage
AJ Home Seeker LLC
1233 Beebe Estate Circle APT B
PLLC 5075 Morganton Rd STE 10C
Fayetteville Agent: Tiara Parker
Alpha Athlete Alliance LLC
136 Kristin Ave
Spring Lake Agent: Marie Holmes
Fayetteville Agent: Anthony Grayson Chavonne
Dogwood Title Services LLC
2919 Breezewood Ave Suite 300
Fayetteville Agent: Anthony Grayson Chavonne
BILLY DEE WILLIAMS INCORPORATED
2351 ROLLING HILL ROAD
Fayetteville Agent: BILLY DEE WILLIAMS
Keckler's Cleaning Services LLC
6886 Fer ncreek Place
Fayetteville Agent: Joshua Tae Keckler
UNCAPPED FREIGHT
BROKER INC 2543 RAVENHILL DR STE D5
Fayetteville Agent: RICKY RICH
Kapa Wotl LLC 4117 Faison Ave
Fayetteville Agent: Kevin Alexander
Jedlicka LLC 2245 gladstone court
Fayetteville Agent: Paul Emanuel Jedlicka
Snack Me Now LLC 337 West Summerchase Drive
Fayetteville Agent: Antonio Earl Mcarthur
OasisSolace Counseling Services
Fayetteville Agent: KYLE AUSTIN
SUNLITE INC.
8108 CLIFFDALE RD. STE 110
Fayetteville Agent: LINDA ROJAS
TBF Trail Boss Family LLC
Generation Grey LLC 5722 McDougal Drive
Fayetteville Agent: KYLE C AUSTIN
Dr. City Cuts LLC 1259 Beach Way
Fayetteville Agent: Felicity Tashana Fields
EliteBlenderzLLC 1689 Man O War Drive
Hope Mills Agent: Maurice Mincey
FadeAwayMj LLC 3307 Vardaman Ave
Hope Mills Agent: Melvin Kenyatta Euring II
K.A.F Solutions LLC 5694 Matt Hair Road
Fayetteville Agent: Kiyonte Fennell
Tobacco Vape Mart LLC 2118 Cumber land Rd
Fayetteville Agent: Basheer Alsaidi
FayettevilleFocusAndFramesLLC
100 Hay St Suite 706
Fayetteville Agent: Diamond Whitted-Wooten
Profit Club LLC
920 Anthem Ln Unit 4307
Fayetteville Agent: Devonte Josef Lavalais-White
Grey Lens Media LLC 5722 McDougal Dr
Drive
Fayetteville Agent: Isaiah Bridges
Legacy Property Partners LLC
300 Broadfoot Ave
Fayetteville
Agent: Frederic Charles Clark
4300 jockey whip lane
Parkton Agent: Scotty Lee Mathis
Forever Love Companion Care LLC 429 Person St. Suite 1-A
Gud Tymez Transportation L.L.C 6632 Sher rod Dr Fayetteville Agent: Robert Lee James
ZSA Logistics LLC 725 Rockwood Dr Fayetteville Agent: Michael Anthony Owens
J Mills Distibutions LLC
3214 Doc Bennett Rd
Fayetteville Agent: Jacob D Milligan
I. Parvez DDS & Associates PA 220 Hugh Shelton Loop Apt 201
Fayetteville Agent: Ifaz B Parvez
She Became Inc 2543 Ravenhill Dr
Fayetteville Agent: Kendra Conyers
Olena Services LLC
4417 Bishamon Dr
Hope Mills Agent: Demetrius Dante' Williams
Bone Company 504 L.L.C.
3520 Lancers Dr
Fayetteville Agent: Manuel Antonio Martino
The Rasta Experience LLC
112 Lofton Drive - L Fayetteville Agent: Kahtana Elantra Lyon
Eastover Trading Properties LLC
3353 DUNN ROAD Eastover Agent: Dana M Thurmond
STAMPS CUSTOM WELDS LLC
2901 RAYBURN DR Eastover Agent: LEONARD STAMPS
Dandy 2 Transport Services LLC 2529 McAr thur Landing Circle Apt 102 Fayetteville Agent: Youlanda Y Smith
LOVE FAMILY STORE LLC
2800 GILLESPIE ST SUITE 106 Fayetteville Agent: ABDURABU AL GARADI
Precision Diagnostics LLC
3319 Gabe Smith Rd Wade Agent: Taylor Jordaens Stepp
Bridges Autoglass LLC
1913 Roxie Ave
Fayetteville Agent: Matthew P Bridges
Dare 2 Know HAIR RESTORATION CLINIC LLC
1916 Shiloh Drive Fayetteville Agent: MeKesha D Melvin
2024 AWARDS
James Cook
HEALTH CARE HEROES 2024 CONGRATULATIONS
We are back to honor the medical community! The second annual Health Care Heroes event is coming up soon and we are excited to introduce the finalists for our eight categories and the winner of our Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Franklin Clark III.
This year, we received an outpouring of nominations - along with many repeat nominations of some candidates- and while each one was a worthy candidate, I feel it’s important to let everyone nominated know that you are all very loved and appreciated within your community. Having to trim down these nominations was extremely difficult, as each writer poured their love, memories and care into each one only to be limited to 180 words for page space.
I am looking forward to seeing you all at this year’s event coming up on Nov. 7. Similar to last year, we are asking that the winners hold off from giving their words of thanks at the ceremony (a request that surprisingly received a lot of support from last year’s winners) and instead send them to me at faithh@bizfayetteville. com so we can share them with the community. I will also be glad to share the full nominations with finalists upon request after the ceremony concludes!
You are all a shining example of the healthcare community in the Fayetteville MSA and a wonderful example for future healthcare workers to come! We’ll see you at Cape Fear Botanical Garden!
FAITH HATTON, Editor Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
ABOUT THE JUDGING
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal opened up the nomination process to the community for its inaugural Health Care Heroes awards in August.
Our outside judging panel wor ked diligently to choose the finalists and ultimately the winners in each of the nine categories which included the lifetime achievement award.
Our judges were fair and objective. They disclosed any potential conflicts of interest, and did their best to choose who they believed were the best finalists and winners for the awards.
NAOMI BELGRAVE, KidzCare Pediatrics
DAVID DRIES, D.A. Davidson, Dries Wealth Management
ANNA HALEY, Representative from Cape Fear Valley Medical Center
GEORGE HENDRIX, Representative from Methodist University
CHRISTOPHER HOFFMAN, Representative from Cape Fear Botanical Garden
CHAKA JORDAN, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center
TARA LEDFORD, FirstHealth
SHANTAE LOCKHART, KidzCare Pediatrics
DREW SMITH, Copiers Plus
GREG SWANSON, Methodist University
HEALTH CARE HER ES
PRESENTING SPONSORS
“CMICHAEL NAGOWSKI CEO OF CAPE FEAR VALLEY HEALTH
ape Fear Valley Health is proud to be a sponsor of the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal’s Health Care Heroes awards. We know our Health Care Heroes deserve all these recognitions and more. We continue to be amazed by our community’s support and our healthcare providers’ dedication. We know how hard our teammates work behind the scenes to provide exceptional healthcare for all of our patients. Our community is such a unique and special place, and we’re so impressed by all the nominees for these awards, wherever they work. On behalf of Cape Fear Valley Health, thank you for everything you do!”
STANLEY T. WEARDEN, PH.D. PRESIDENT OF METHODIST UNIVERSITY
“Medthodist University is truly honored, to have the opportunity to show appreciation to some of the many heroes in our community by being a Presenting Sponsor of the Health Care Hero Awards, brought to you by our friends and partners at the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal. Congratulations not to just the winners of this year’s awards, but also to the thousands who work to improve the health and lives of the people of our community every day. As a leader in Health Science education, which is pursuing a new school of medicine for our region, MU salutes your efforts, your commitment and your compassion, and offers sincere gratitude.”
HEALTH CARE HEROES: COMMUNITY COALITION
HONORS AN INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM WHO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED A PROGRAM ADDRESSING A PROBLEM IN HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION, DELIVERY OR COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
CFVH COMMUNITY PARAMEDIC PROGRAM
TITLE: Alinda Bailey, Manager
ORGANIZATION: Cape Fear Valley Health
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
Cape Fear Valley Health’s Community Paramedic Program provides follow-up care and medication management assistance for elderly cardiac patients by expanding the role of the traditional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provider.
Launched in 2015, patients receive assistance through scheduling appointments, managing their medications, navigating multiple health systems, implementing home visits, connecting patients with community resources if needed and establishing an easy-to-understand plan for their ongoing care. The Community Paramedic program creates a positive difference in a patient’s life by providing them with the guidance and tools they need in order to understand and manage their chronic diseases at home, while stressing the importance of routine medical visits.
These measures also work to relieve burdens on the health care system by ensuring patients receive the necessary support and treatment to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and readmissions. The network that makes up this program fulfills its mission of providing exceptional healthcare to residents of the region and enhancing quality of life for high risk patients.
FIRSTHEALTH CARE SUITE
TITLE: Whole-Person Care resource
ORGANIZATION: FirstHealth of the Carolinas
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: The FirstHealth CARE Suite is an innovative program that identifies and eliminates barriers to improving the health and well-being of patients and the community through collaboration with healthcare partners and community resources that assist with transportation, housing, utilities, food support, finances and more.
F irstHealth’s whole-person care model relies on two key assets — About Me Cards and social care support teams. The main entity and the namesake for the program is the Center for Health and Social Care, referred to as the CARE Suite. Since its development in 2018, all FirstHealth primary care clinics have begun using the About Me Cards. As of December 2023, more than 54,000 About Me Cards had been completed and more than 1,500 referrals had been made to the CARE Suite.
The F irstHealth CARE Suite is improving patient outcomes, reducing provider burnout by providing a social care support team and leading to substantial health care cost savings.
FTCC NURSING PROGRAM
TITLE: Educational Department
ORGANIZATION: Fayetteville Technical Community College
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: I am pleased to nominate Dr. Murtis Worth, Senior Vice-President for Academic and Student Services, and Dr. Sharon Gallagher, Dean of Nursing, for their exceptional contributions to healthcare education through their leadership at Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC). Thanks to their efforts, FTCC now boasts 32 hospital beds in state-of-the-art simulation labs, equipped with advanced medical equipment and technology, study rooms and meeting spaces, allowing nursing students to train in highly realistic clinical environments.
In 2022, FTCC's Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program was capped at 280 students. However, due to the visionary leadership of Dr. Worth and Dr. Gallagher, the North Carolina Board of Nursing approved an increase in the ADN program cap to 400 students, the second-highest in the state. Their leadership also benefited the Practical Nursing diploma program, which now serves up to 83 students at a time.
HEALTH CARE HEROES: INNOVATION
HONORS AN INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM BEHIND A NEW SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY, PROCEDURE, TREATMENT OR DEVICE THAT CAN SAVE LIVES OR IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
JENNIFER GREEN
TITLE: Health Director
ORGANIZATION: Cumberland County Department of Public Health
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
Dr. Jennifer Green led the Cumberland County Department of Public Health during a crucial time – the COVID-19 pandemic – which required a strategic, coordinated response involving federal and state authorities to help set up drive-thru vaccination clinics to vaccinate as many people as possible.
Under Dr. Green’s leadership, CCDPH opened a WIC (Women, Infants, Children) clinic on Fort Liberty to expand the scope of the service and help promote healthy babies and mothers.
She also led efforts to establish the Healthy Conversations program, and was instrumental in implementing two other pilot projects, Connected Care and Maternal Health. She has worked in partnership with the community by establishing Cumberland Fayetteville Opioid Response Team and is also in the process of establishing and running a Recovery Resource Center.
Dr. Green leads with compassion, empathy and a "can do attitude.” She is solution and strength based, focused and never makes our community, staff and/or providers feel that she is too busy to address their concerns.
MEDICAL ASSESSMENT AND READINESS SYSTEM (MARS)
TITLE: Y. Sammy Choi, Senior Advisor, Department of Clinical Investigation
ORGANIZATION: Womack Army Medical Center
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
The Medical Assessment and Readiness System (MARS) is a project based out of Womack Army Medical Center that has the potential to change the way the military conducts healthcare research. The eight person core team has hosted the MARS since January of 2020 and the system currently hosts information on four million soldiers and over approximately 20 million person years of data.
Along with being the first predictive analytics solution to service member medical readiness forecasting, dozens of research reports, presentations and other research based projects have been published using data from the MARS at Fort Liberty and beyond.
The research team at WAMC remains dedicated to using the MARS to further enhance the skills of military medical professionals to maintain soldier readiness, improving patient care and returning soldiers to duty faster, better and stronger.
CFVH SIMULATION CENTER
TITLE: Mark Rose, Director of Workforce Development Training and Development
ORGANIZATION: Cape Fear Valley Health
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: Cape Fear Valley Health launched their Center for Medical Education and Neuroscience Institute in January of 2023. Since that time, their state of the art Simulation Lab has been working to educate the next generation of health care professionals with a level of technology not available in other places.
Students are able to work with realistic patients that are actually mannequins. These extraordinarily sophisticated and human-like models are connected to a cutting-edge technology system that allows residents, surgeons, nurses, paramedics and other medical staff members to gain invaluable, realistic training. The center features a fully simulated emergency room, operating room and labor and delivery room, allowing doctors to train in a way that simulates the real-life situations they face.
This cutting edge technology is helping to improve the medical landscape and, with the addition of the incoming school of medicine and new additions to the CFVH campus, Cumberland County is positioned to become a learning hub for the future healthcare workforce.
HEALTH CARE HEROES: HEALTH CARE EXECUTIVE
HONORS AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE JOB PERFORMANCE IS CONSIDERED EXEMPLARY BY PEOPLE WITHIN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, PEERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SUSAN BEATY
TITLE: President, Eastern region and Administrator of Moore Regional Hospital-Hoke
ORGANIZATION: FirstHealth of the Carolinas
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
On behalf of FirstHealth of the Carolinas, I proudly nominate Susan Beaty, MSN, R.N., president, Eastern region and administrator of Moore Regional Hospital-Hoke.
Susan has ser ved as the administrator of MRH-Hoke since its opening on Oct. 7, 2013, bringing more than 20 years of nursing leadership to the role. Under Susan’s leadership, MRH-Hoke has experienced tremendous growth and success.
A tireless advocate for providing the highest quality care to FirstHealth’s patients and families, Susan has overseen several expansion projects at MRH-Hoke to elevate the quality and capacity of care provided. The latest was a $12.9 million construction project to expand the emergency department, surgical services and administrative suite at MRH-Hoke and plans are underway for future expansion. Susan’s affable nature and guiding vision toward excellence has garnered the respect, admiration, support and confidence of her team at MRH-Hoke and across the FirstHealth system.
Susan has committed her career to ser ving others, and FirstHealth and the communities we serve are enriched by her unwavering dedication to care for people.
SHIRLEY BOLDEN
TITLE: Health Services Director ORGANIZATION: Cumberland County Schools
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: Mrs. Bolden has served as the Director of Health Services for over 20 years and she has been recognized on a local and state level for her dedication to School Health. She is particularly talented at setting up program guidelines, community engagement and developing innovative partnerships. She studies the data and uses her creativity to come up with effective and fun ways to meet needs. For many years, she sponsored a week-long Kindergarten camp to help newcomers transition to the school environment and meet state health guidelines at the same time. She has partnered with Cape Fear Valley to sponsor Diabetes Camps, and partnered with the CC Health Department to sponsor Real Talk, a teen pregnancy and STD prevention initiative. Most recently, she was a critical component of the district's COVID-19 response.
Mrs. Bolden is responsible for a small team of nurses who provide nursing procedures at school for medically fragile students and she is excellent at working with parents and managing difficult situations. She is not afraid to think outside the box to provide excellent care for students.
NELSON T. MORRIS
TITLE: Chief Operating Officer
ORGANIZATION: KidzCare
Pediatrics PC
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: Nelson started as a finance manager. He did not have healthcare experience but had solid banking experience of 26 years.
He’s a fast learner and has a good operational mindset. He has grown with us from finance manager to director of finance and HR and in 2024, we appointed him as a Chief Executive Officer for KidzCare with 26 offices and growing. He has helped us grow KidzCare Pediatrics from 14 offices to nearly 30 offices with acquisitions, as well as opening new offices.
He adapted well to healthcare, related extremely well to our patients, their needs and understood the needs of medically indigent patients as well as TRICARE families in Fayetteville and across North Carolina. He has the highest integrity whether it’s a matter of a few cents or a few million dollars, he’s handled it with the highest integrity. I’ve never had a single penny not accounted for. He has taken the responsibility of operating KidzCare Pediatrics as Chief Operating Officer as we continue to grow beyond NC.
HEALTH CARE HEROES: NURSE
HONORS A NURSE WHOSE PERFORMANCE IS CONSIDERED EXEMPLARY BY PATIENTS, PEERS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
ANASTASIA JENNINGS
TITLE: Nurse Executive, MRH-Hoke
ORGANIZATION: FirstHealth of the Carolinas - Hoke Campus
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: The nursing mission at FirstHealth of the Carolinas is “Empowered professional nurses leading safe, holistic care for all people with a vision to move nursing forward to be the choice for nursing practice nationally.” It is a lofty vision and one that nominee Anastasia Jennings exemplifies a commitment to each and every day.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an employee engagement and retention team was implemented with Anastasia as one of the founding members. Anastasia was participating in a FirstHealth leadership development program and several members of the program embraced the new engagement team as part of their final project.
Anastasia under took her new role as nurse executive as well as a founding member of the engagement team as a mother with a newborn and young toddler. She is dedicated to caring for people and has worked diligently to be an excellent nurse leader and mother at the same time.
As the nurse executive at MRH-Hoke, Anastasia sets an outstanding example of the highest standard of excellence for the team.
BEN BEASON
TITLE: Patient Care Manager for Cardiac Services
ORGANIZATION: Cape Fear Valley Heart Center WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: It is an honor to nominate Ben Beason for the Healthcare Hero Award in recognition of his exceptional dedication to improving the health and safety of our community. As Patient Care Manager for Cardiac Services at Cape Fear Valley Health’s Heart Center, Ben not only excels in his role overseeing cardiac outreach, but also goes above and beyond in his commitment to educating the public.
You will often find Ben at community events, health fairs and church gatherings, teaching life-saving Hands-Only CPR. His passion for equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills to save lives is truly inspiring.
Ben gives up most of his weekends, dedicating his personal time to empower others and raise awareness about heart health—a reflection of his deep-rooted commitment to the well-being of the Fayetteville community, where he was born.
W ith over 21 years of experience in cardiac health and more than a decade of service as a registered nurse, Ben’s knowledge and expertise are matched by his compassion and drive to make a lasting impact.
HEATHER SMITH
TITLE: Licensed Practical Nurse
ORGANIZATION: Cape Fear Valley Neuroscience Institute
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: The National League for nursing promotes excellence in nursing by four core values: Caring, Integrity, Diversity and Inclusion and Excellence. Heather Smith exudes these core values to the epitome of her being. Heather became a licensed practical nurse in 2012, and most recently has been working in tandem with Neurosurgeon Dr. Melissa Stamates since 2019 when Dr. Stamates joined the Cape Fear Valley Neurosurgery Practice.
Neurosurgery patients are often chronically ill patients that have been suffering from debilitating pain for an extended amount of time. Heather has the compassion and empathy to provide these patients a level of care that is unmatched. She is a constant, positive presence not only in the patient's care, but for their family and caregivers as well. Communicating the complexity of the patient's plan of care from the initial consultation, through surgery and post operative treatment, Heather provides unwavering encouragement and support through the patient's neurosurgical journey constantly striving to go well beyond standard expectations.
HEALTH CARE HEROES: NP/PA
HONORS A NURSE PRACTITIONER OR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT WHOSE PERFORMANCE IS CONSIDERED EXEMPLARY BY PATIENTS, PEERS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
CYNTHIA "LAUREN" HURLEY
TITLE: Hospitalist
ORGANIZATION: Cape Fear Valley Health
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: Ms. Hurley exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding provider. Her boundless care and compassion were evident when she took the time to thoroughly explain a procedure to my mother, who had just received a cancer diagnosis. She knelt by my mother’s bedside, held her hand and reassured her that she would be there every step of the way, ensuring the procedure would be painless. Even after my mother was moved to a different floor, Ms. Hurley continued to check on her and often stopped me in the hallway to ask about my mother or offer me words of encouragement. She leaves a lasting impression, and I will always be grateful for the comfort she provided during such a challenging time.
TRACY OVERTON PRITCHARD
TITLE: Interventional Pain Medicine Nurse Practitioner
ORGANIZATION: FirstHealth of the Carolinas
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
On behalf of FirstHealth of the Carolinas, I proudly nominate Tracy Overton Pritchard for the Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Health Care Hero Award.
Tracy has been a FirstHealth employee for more than 20 years, having started as a nursing assistant in the PACU and later transitioning to a floor registered nurse on several units. Her most recent role was as Clinical Nurse Leader for FirstHealth Interventional Pain Medicine.
Tracy’s patients comment that she is very friendly, efficient and empathetic – a rare commodity these days!
She is a great friend to many and raised two wonderful children as a single mother.
Tracy says, “I am blessed to work with such awesome providers on the patient care side of health care.”
We wholeheartedly nominate Tracy Overton Pritchard, AGPCNP for the Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Health Care Hero Award.
MYTRANG DANG
TITLE: Certified Physician’s Assistant
ORGANIZATION: KidzCare
Pediatrics
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
MyTrang goes over and beyond the standard of care for her patients. She caters to her patients’ needs. She is very professional and knowledgeable in her career path. She doesn't take vacations because she states that her patients need her in the office, and often stays at work completing physical forms, service orders, preop forms, etc. every night until 8:30 p.m. to ensure that her little ones get everything they need. MyTrang has completed sports physicals in the community for Terry Sanford High School and Pine Forest High School for the last six years at the schools, this is after working a schedule in the office. During COVID she went out in the community and ran a COVID testing drive for adults after working a schedule in the clinic. She also is a strong advocate for taking PA students. She runs a mini college in the office giving back to students who desire to become a PA and practice medicine. MyTrang Dang is a one-of-a-kind provider, and you just don't find them like MyTrang anymore.
HEALTH CARE HEROES: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
A lifetime of service
Dr. Franklin Clark, III's decades-long impact on Cumberland County residents cannot be overstated. Serving as a successful thoracic surgeon to Fayetteville and Cumberland County residents, Clark is a now retired surgeon and businessman, with deep roots in the Fayetteville community.
In 1981, he was part of the group that brought the first freestanding outpatient surgery center to Fayetteville.
“When I was practicing, a group of us put together an ambulatory outpatient surgery center, which was the first one in North Carolina,” recalled Clark. “Hospitals had had outpatient clinics, but they really had never really moved into ambulatory service. This was back in ‘82 and so there was a big push to start ambulatory surgical centers, and we were the first in the state here.”
Clark shared that he was inspired very early on to go into the medical field through every day exposure, citing an unnamed pediatrician as the spark that lit the fire.
“I had a pediatrician that I admired, I just thought he was the greatest thing in the world. And I was just a little boy, a tiny little kid running around trying to keep from letting his nurse give me a shot. I just really, really liked him and admired him and I kind of wanted to be like him,” recalled Clark. “And then, as I grew older and started going to school, I realized the health sciences was really what I liked. I really liked physiology, anatomy and microbiology and immunology, and I was just fascinated by genetics. And so I said, ‘That’s where I want to go.’ So I ended up in healthcare. I started because I admired my pediatrician so much, and I ended up there because that's where my interests are.”
In 1989, Dr. Clark left practice, so he and his colleagues could further improve the quality and accessibility of vital health care services in our community. Among his portfolio of enterprises are Fayetteville’s Village Green Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, the Carolina Inn assisted living facility and the Carolina Highlands independent living condominiums.
“Those were all private, entrepre-
neurial, medically related things. I did administrative work there, and then kind of got off of the medical circuit a little bit, and did more commercial building,” said Clark. “It was all done with life care in mind.”
Although Clark shared that he is currently enjoying living rurally out in the Linden area, his impact on the future of medical care in the community continues on.
Clark first began supporting Methodist University in 1966 when he and his siblings established the Franklin S. Clark annual scholarship in honor of their late father. Since then, he has regularly contributed to the MU Loyalty Fund for scholarships and to campus capital projects.
As the founding board chair of the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medi-
cine, Inc. he has been instrumental in helping to raise $20 million in statewide philanthropic support for the medical school. His leadership will result in the next generations of health care practitioners in Southeastern NC.
According to Clark’s nominator for the Lifetime Achievement award:
“Franklin’s dedication to this community has pushed him to go above and beyond, and he embodies the spirit of the Lifetime Achievement Award. His life’s work has been devoted to building businesses and programs that increase independent living and improve health for Cumberland County. He has served generously with Fayetteville’s ServiceSource Foundation, the Friendship House, Care Clinic, with Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation and now with the medical school.”
As for Clark himself, he shared he just wants to leave behind a positive impact.
“You remember a lot of the things that you did and people that you helped, and how rewarding that was, and it just really makes you feel good about what you’re doing when you can help somebody get better. That was probably the greatest time in my life was when I practiced medicine,” shared Clark. “I hope I’ve done some good, and I hope that a little bit of Fayetteville that I’ve been involved in is a better place because I was here.”
The Greater Fayetteville Business Journal is proud to award Dr. Franklin S. Clark III with the second ever Health Care Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY GFBJ
Clark, a retired surgeon and businessman, is a longtime supporter of Methodist University with deep roots in the Fayetteville community. Clark is also well known for his dominance on the basketball court as a center for the University of North Carolina (1966-69).
HEALTH CARE HEROES: PHYSICIAN
HONORS A PHYSICIAN WHOSE PERFORMANCE IS CONSIDERED EXEMPLARY BY PATIENTS, PEERS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
W. DICKSON SCHAEFER
TITLE: Orthopedic Surgeon, President
ORGANIZATION: Fayetteville Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine of Cape Fear Valley Health
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
As an orthopedic surgeon and president of Fayetteville Orthopaedics, Dr. W. Dickson Schaefer has a long list of professional and patriotic accomplishments. He joined Fayetteville Orthopaedics in 2001 and has historically been among the highest performing joint reconstruction surgeons in Southeastern NC. He is trusted among his patients as a skilled and attentive clinician. Dr. Schaefer is also a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, recognized for serving twice with a Combat Support Hospital in Iraq. He volunteers his time for his profession and his community, serving on professional association boards as well as local community boards and advisory councils. In the early days of the COVID pandemic, he flew specimens across the state so that patients would receive coronavirus test results sooner. Dr. Schaefer’s clinical, professional and community achievements are an example to medical professionals in our community and beyond.
PRABESH
BAJRACHARYA
TITLE: Pediatrician and Pediatric Nephrologist
ORGANIZATION: KidzCare
Pediatrics PC
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: Dr. Bajracharya joined KidzCare Pediatrics in 2015 at our Northside Fayetteville office. He’s a pediatrician and a pediatric nephrologist who we recruited from New York and brought to North Carolina. Since then, he has served our patients in Cumberland and surrounding counties and especially Medicaid patients and TRICARE families.
He was bor n and graduated medical school from Nepal and subsequently moved to the United States for his pediatric training. He has served as physician and is a dedicated clinician, very calm and his patients love him. He is a great team worker, and has gone out of the way to help our patients, staff and clinicians despite having gone through tremendous difficulties.
He’s a very dedicated clinician and a healthcare leader as a medical director guiding healthcare students, PAs, nurse practitioners and other pediatricians.
J. WAYNE RIGGINS
TITLE: Ophthalmologist, Surgeon
ORGANIZATION: Cape Fear Eye Associates
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: Dr. Riggins has always been on the forefront of technology that will help the quality of life for many individuals. He served in the military for many years and was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the North Carolina Commission for Public Health. He goes to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center weekly to perform eye exams on NICU babies to help preserve sight, is involved in many community service programs and is a board member for several [organizations]. In 2014 he also received 'The Order of the Long Leaf Pine' award. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is North Carolina’s highest civilian honor given to recognize lifetime achievements of community service. It is given by the Governor to those who have had significant impact upon our State.
goals for 89 years.
HEALTH CARE HEROES: UNSUNG HEROES
HONORS ANYONE WORKING IN HEALTH CARE WHO MAY NOT FIT INTO THE OTHER CATEGORIES HIGHLIGHTED IN HEALTH CARE HEROES, AND INCLUDES ANYONE IN THE FIELD WHOSE PERFORMANCE IS CONSIDERED EXEMPLARY BY PATIENTS,
DEANNE DIMAGGIO OWENS
TITLE: Visitor Management Staff Member
ORGANIZATION: Cape Fear Valley Health
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
Deanne’s position as a visitor management staff member calls for her to validate the reason for anyone entering the hospital, issue an appropriate pass and ensure the person is directed to the correct area. She is a smiling face for all staff, families and visitors entering the hospital. She once paid for a visitor's meal in the cafeteria when the elderly lady told her she had forgotten her wallet in her admitted-husband's hospital room. She becomes familiar with frequent visitors and has been seen praying and even offering comforting hugs to visitors when needed.
Deanne gets to know visitors of patients by name and welcomes them to the hospital as if they are coming into her home. Many visitors have come in smiling to say hello to her despite the reason for their visit being to see an ill family-member or friend. She is proud of her position at the hospital and has a desire to make everyone walking through the hospital doors feel welcomed and comfortable.
LA'TOSHIA BAGLEY
TITLE: Regional Manager
ORGANIZATION: KidzCare
Pediatrics PC
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
La’Toshia is what I would call a tireless and always on-call servant of the medical needs of the community, specifically kids in the pediatric specialty. This is driven by her caring for children, and her assurance that they are always taken care of, no matter what.
La’Toshia is not a medical provider, but as a regional manager at KidzCare Pediatrics, her responsibility is to oversee the success of seven pediatric clinics in KidzCare's South Central Region. In doing so, La’Toshia sets the example and serve in any capacity needed to serve the children. She will work the front desk, she will work the floor as a medical assistant, she will assist in medical records and referrals, whatever it takes to assure the success of her clinics.
La’Toshia, upon leaving the military, began working at Kidzcare Pediatrics almost 20 years ago. She began at the bottom in the clinic and learned to work every position.
Healthy Dose of Gratitude
SAM HUTCHISON
TITLE: Office Manager and Clinical Social Worker
ORGANIZATION: Cape Fear Valley Health Senior Health Services
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
Sam has worked for Cape Fear Valley Senior Health Services, for over 25 years. During this time, he has always been an advocate for patients with dementia, helping families and co-workers navigate the complications of caring for someone with dementia.
Sam spends hours on the phone every day speaking to families who are at the end of their rope, trying to care for a loved one with dementia. He provides them step by step information on where to go and what to do to set up care and services. He also helps with placement in care facilities.
Sam is a great listener; families have often told me that he is the light at the end of the tunnel. He is by far, the most knowledgeable Social Worker in the area of dementia care. Sam also hosts a support group for caregivers that is typically standing room only. Sam never complains about his workload and looks forward to making a difference in the lives of these caregivers. He is definitely an unsung hero.
HEALTH CARE HEROES: VOLUNTEER
HONORS A VOLUNTEER AT A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OR OTHER HEALTH-RELATED ORGANIZATION WHO IS CONSIDERED EXEMPLARY BY PEOPLE WITHIN THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
LOVE ON A LEASH® FAYETTEVILLE CHAPTER
TITLE: Volunteer organization
ORGANIZATION: Love on a Leash®
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: The Love on a Leash® program at Cape Fear Valley Health brings trained therapy dogs into the hospital to offer comfort, companionship and emotional support to patients, families and staff. These gentle dogs, accompanied by their dedicated handlers, visit various areas throughout the hospital, providing a calming presence and helping to ease stress. The simple act of spending time with a therapy dog has been shown to lift spirits, reduce anxiety and foster a warm, healing environment, which has made Love on a Leash® a cherished part of Cape Fear Valley Health’s commitment to holistic care.
Recognizing these benefits, Cape Fear Valley Health established the Love on a Leash® program to bring the therapeutic power of animals directly into the hospital setting. Since then, Love on a Leash® has become an integral part of the hospital’s patient-centered care approach, creating moments of joy and comfort for all who encounter these friendly, compassionate dogs.
J. WESLEY JONES
TITLE: Retired private practitioner
ORGANIZATION: Community volunteer
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: I am pleased to nominate Dr. Wes Jones, M.D. for the Health Care Heroes Volunteer Award.
From meeting his wife Lucy on a blind date to the move to Fayetteville, Dr. Jones’ life has been led by his faith and his heart. Since arriving in Fayetteville in 1983, his service with local nonprofit organizations includes Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation, Methodist University, Fayetteville Academy and the Bergland Retreat Center.
Wes is an active participant with Haymount United Methodist Church in mission efforts. His passions extend to outof-state and international boards including; Hope Through Health Foundation board and in service as director and chair to Impact Global Health Alliance (formerly Curamericas Global).
Wes has made over 35 international mission and leadership trips since 1970. These include trips to impoverished areas in Bolivia, Kenya and El Salvador in working with orphans and vulnerable families. His philanthropic spirit and willingness to share serve as an example to others in encouragement to match his talents and resources. Wes has created legacy impacts with a philosophy of “Everyone counts, and everyone is counted.”
MARCIA GARRETT
TITLE: Volunteer & “Cuddler Coordinator”
ORGANIZATION: Cape Fear Valley Health
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID:
Marcia Garrett has been making a lifesaving impact one cuddle at a time. Since March 2022, the NICU at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center has been using a new evaluation and treatment program called “Eat, Sleep, Console.” This program focuses on the baby’s ability to eat, sleep and be consoled, with an emphasis on non-pharmacologic management.
A large part of the “Console” aspect of the program is done by volunteer “cuddlers” who are tasked with sitting and holding NICU babies.
Volunteer Marcia Garrett organizes the NICU cuddler program and has been a volunteer in the NICU since 2018. Always humble, she describes herself as a “pastor’s wife and grandmother” but she gives her all and loves her current title as “Cuddler Coordinator.” She takes so much time to sing, cuddle and provide a warm touch to any baby in need. Marcia goes above and beyond to run the program and provides help to nurses with other activities in the NICU as needed. Her work with this program has inspired other area hospitals to adopt the program.
CONGRATULATIONS
Methodist University is proud to sponsor the Health Care Heroes Awards and honor all of those making a positive impact on the quality of health care in our community.
MU IS A TOP UNIVERSITY in North Carolina for higher education in the Health Sciences, with state-of-the-art facilities on campus that include a general simulation hospital, human anatomy lab, motion analysis lab, and several other labs and facilities housing Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, and other programs. MU also received “candidacy designation” in October for the new Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, and upon full accreditation would open for its first cohort of students in 2026.
MU HAS ON-CAMPUS AND ONLINE COURSES in the Health Sciences, offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees. To learn more, visit methodist.edu/academics/health-sciences
Hospitals
Ranked by number of licensed beds
Hospitals Ranked by number of licensed beds
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CAPE FEAR VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER 1638 Owen Drive Fayetteville, N.C.28304 910-615-4000 capefearvalley.com
CAPE FEAR VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER 1638 Owen Drive Fayetteville, N.C.28304 910-615-4000 capefearvalley.com
FIRSTHEALTH MOORE REG. HOSP. AND PINEHURST TREATMENT 155 Memorial Drive Pinehurst, N.C.28374 910-715-1000 firsthealth.org
HOSP. AND
TREATMENT 155 Memorial Drive Pinehurst, N.C.28374 910-715-1000 firsthealth.org
SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL
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300 W. 27th St. Lumberton, N.C.28358 910-671-5000 unchealthsoutheastern.org
SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
300 W. 27th St. Lumberton, N.C.28358 910-671-5000 unchealthsoutheastern.org
CAPE FEAR VALLEY BETSY JOHNSON HOSPITAL 800 Tilghman Drive Dunn, N.C.28334 910-892-1000 myharnetthealth.org/about-hhs/betsy-johnson-hospital/
SAMPSON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER 607 Beaman St. Clinton, N.C.28328 910-592-8511 sampsonrmc.org
SAMPSON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
2817 Rock Merritt Ave. Fort Liberty, N.C.28310 910-907-6000 womack.tricare.mil/
607 Beaman St. Clinton, N.C.28328 910-592-8511 sampsonrmc.org
150 Robeson St. Fayetteville, N.C.28301 910-615-1000 capefearvalley.com
WOMACK ARMY MEDICAL CENTER 2817 Rock Merritt Ave. Fort Liberty, N.C.28310 910-907-6000 womack.tricare.mil/
501 S. Poplar St. Elizabethtown, N.C.28337 910-862-5100 www.capefearvalley.com/bladen/home
HIGHSMITH-RAINEY SPECIALTY HOSPITAL 150 Robeson St. Fayetteville, N.C.28301 910-615-1000 capefearvalley.com
501 S. Poplar St. Elizabethtown, N.C.28337 910-862-5100 www.capefearvalley.com/bladen/home
CAPE FEAR VALLEY HOKE HOSPITAL
210 Medical Pavilion Drive Raeford, N.C.28376 910-904-8000 www.capefearvalley.com
Bariatric weight loss, cancer, ear, nose and throat, emergency, heart and vascular, imaging, neuroscience, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pharmacy, physical rehabilitation, sleep, surgery, urology, women and children
Bariatric weight loss, cancer, ear, nose and throat, emergency, heart and vascular, imaging, neuroscience, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pharmacy, physical rehabilitation, sleep, surgery, urology, women and children
