Contact: Doug Allred, APR,  External Communications Manager

For Immediate Release

Greensboro- Cone Health and its employees invested nearly $199 million in free care, classes, services and donations to the communities it serves in fiscal year 2012. Almost $185 million of that was patient care for which Cone Health did not receive compensation. “Governments everywhere are cutting payments to hospitals as a way of controlling healthcare costs. It is vital that policymakers and the public understand that hospitals provide millions of dollars to improve the health and well-being of the communities they serve,” says Cone Health Chief Executive Officer Tim Rice. “Continued cuts endanger those efforts and create unsustainable growth in uncompensated care.”

Uncompensated care grew $13 million in FY 2012. Uncompensated care is charity care, bad debt and the shortfall between what government pays for healthcare through Medicare and Medicaid and what it actually costs to deliver that care. Cone Health has provided $1 billion in uncompensated care since 2001.

In addition, Cone Health contributed $14.1 million in monetary donations, volunteer hours, training for healthcare professionals, and community education and outreach.

The “2013 Annual Report to our Communities” also includes some of the many milestones and accomplishments achieved by Cone Health. It is an easy way for the public to gauge the wide-ranging contribution Cone Health has on the communities it serves. The report is available at http://www.conehealth.com/news/annual-reports/.

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Cone Health is committed to being a national leader in quality, service and cost. The Network for Exceptional Care consists of The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, Alamance Regional Medical Center, Wesley Long Hospital, Women’s Hospital, Annie Penn Hospital, Cone Health Behavioral Health Hospital, LeBauer HealthCare, MedCenter High Point, MedCenter Kernersville and various outpatient clinics and programs. More than 10,650 exceptional people provide exceptional care to the people of Guilford, Alamance, Rockingham, Forsyth, Caswell and Randolph counties.

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FEATURED & SPONSORED EVENT FLYERS
click HERE to view ADDITIONAL UPCOMING EVENT FLYERS

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While the Rockingham County Spring Vaccination Clinics show a decrease in numbers of pets vaccinated, there were at least 25 other rabies clinics held in the last year at sites across the county which have resulted in a large number of pets being vaccinated against rabies.

Citizens should remain aware of the need to vaccinate their dogs and cats.  Rockingham County had thirteen positive rabies cases involving a cow, 5 skunks, 5 raccoons, 1 fox and 1 dog in 2012.  So far this year, there have been 4 positive cases: 3 skunks and 1 raccoon.  Included is a copy of the official May 4, 2013 Rabies Vaccination Clinics report.

Thank you to everyone who helped in this year’s clinics including veterinarians, police chiefs, animal control officers, news media, clinic contact persons, the Animal Protection Society of Rockingham County, the Rockingham County Animal Welfare Society, the Rockingham County Humane Society and the Rockingham County Animal Shelter.  Our Department appreciates the help of all who were involved.

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY RABIES VACCINATION CLINICS FOR 2013

SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013

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Number of Animals Vaccinated at each Clinic Location

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Comparison with May 2012 Clinics

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Comparison of Animals Vaccinated at each Clinic Location with May 2012 Clinics

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FEATURED & SPONSORED EVENT FLYERS
click HERE to view ADDITIONAL UPCOMING EVENT FLYERS

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(That Southern term for osteoarthritis)

5^Th Edition

• Are you tired of the cooler and damp weather which seems to be lingering this year?
• Do your knees, shoulders, hips, wrists, elbows, or ankles ache, throb, or feel like a toothache?
• Do you find that applying pressure to these affected joints eases the annoying symptoms?
• If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you’ve been visited by Old Uncle Arthur.
• Old Uncle Arthur afflicts many more persons than rheumatoid arthritis.
• It’s the “Wear and tear arthritis”
• Spongy cushioning cartilage over the bone grows thinner as the fluid leaves it and is worn away from use and aging. We end up with bones touching and rubbing against each other with respective movements.
• Genetics can play a role in early onset osteoarthritis symptoms
• Obesity wreaks havoc on knees and hips.
• Even absolutely healthy activities such as marathon running over years can affect the joints. (Not advocating discontinuing running!) Cross training with i.e. swimming will offset much of the load on the joints from enjoyable long distance running.
• Useful topical medications include: Flector patches (Diclofenac 1.3% solution) twice daily; Voltaren gel (Diclofenac 1% solution) 2-4 grams up to four times daily, and PENNSAID (Diclofenac 1% solution) 40 drops 4 times daily to each affected joint (latter medication was studied in the severe knee osteoarthritis population.)
• Custom topical solutions are available which involves mixtures of topical agents which target bone, muscle, and nerve pain.
• Oral NSAIDS (anti-inflammatories) such as Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Meloxicam, Relafen, Celebrex, Voltaren, Ketoprofen, Naprosen, or Sulindac may be useful if no contraindications exist (cardiac, lung, GI, liver, and kidney).
• Some afflicted patients still find Tylenol max 3grams daily or aspirin 325mg daily to be effective pain control.
• Steroid (Celestone, Depo Medrol Dexamethasone, and Kenalog) injections into the arthritic joint(s) are useful treatments.
• Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in the synovial (joint) fluid. It acts as a lubricant to enable bones to move smoothly over each other and as a shock absorber for joint loads. People with osteoarthritis have a lower-than-normal concentration of hyaluronic acid in their joints.
• Ingesting daily Glucosamine (Glucosatrin), which contains hyaluronic acid, is beneficial. See more information under the nutraMetrix page of our website for more details of this supplement.
• An injectable synthetic example of hyaluronic acid (some Reidsville patients refer to it fondly as the “chicken oil or the rooster grease”.) is Orthovisc . Just one series of injections (total of 3) may yield 6 months or more of knee pain relief and restoration of function.
• Don’t dread the damp and cooler temperatures. You can beat Old Uncle Arthur conservatively!
• Contact our office today so that we can TACKLE Old Uncle Arthur together!

We will be opening a second office in Greensboro, NC before the end of May 2013.

We will be sharing office space with

Guilford Neurologic Associates

located at

912 3^rd Street Suite 101 Greensboro, NC 27405

Telephone # 336-501-3796.

More information about our opening to follow in the upcoming weeks.

Please contact us at 336-349-5050 or email us at

info@pssspa.com if you have immediate questions.

Thanks!

The face of Our Pain Management Specialist is Dr. Shawn Michelle Dalton-Bethea, private owner of Performance Spine & Sports Specialists, PA in Reidsville. She is a native of Thomasville, NC. Dr. Bethea was introduced to the medical field at a young age. While growing up, she was responsible for monitoring and caring for the health of three sick siblings.Dr. Bethea is an advocate of conservative treatment of neck, back, head, and joint pain while restoring and maintaining a proper quality of life. Quality of life can be achieved and pain managed successfully through treatments such as physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, spine & joint injections, topical and oral medications, etc. Dr. Bethea believes that no patient should suffer because of uncontrolled pain!Email: info@pssspa.comWebsite: www.pssspa.comDr. Shawn Dalton-Bethea is a Guest Columnist for Rockingham County Events & News Online; We at RCENO.com, Thank Mrs. Sutton for her contributions to our content.Disclaimer: The Views and Opinions Expressed by the author are his or her opinions only and do not necessarily reflect those of RCENO.com, It’s Staff, or Contractors.

 

GLUCOSAMINE:

ARE YOUR JOINTS TRULY GETTING WHAT THEY NEED?

4TH Edition

Glucosamine sulfate is a natural chemical found in the human body. It is used by the body to produce a variety of other chemicals that are involved in building tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and the thick fluid that surrounds joints. Researchers think that taking glucosamine supplements may either increase the cartilage and fluid surrounding joints or help prevent breakdown of these substances, or both.

Glucosamine is also found in other places in nature. For example, the glucosamine sulfate that is put into dietary supplements is often harvested from the shells of shellfish. Glucosamine sulfate used in dietary supplements does not always come from natural sources. It can also be made in a laboratory.

Glucosamine sulfate is commonly used for arthritis. Scientists have studied it extensively for this use. Over the years, people have tried glucosamine sulfate for a variety of other uses. For example, it has been tried for glaucoma and for weight loss. But glucosamine sulfate has not been adequately studied for these uses. There is no proof that glucosamine sulfate is beneficial for these conditions.

Dietary supplements that contain glucosamine often contain additional ingredients. These additional ingredients are frequently chondroitin sulfate, MSM, or shark cartilage. Some people think these combinations work better than taking just glucosamine sulfate alone. So far, researchers have found no proof that combining the additional ingredients with glucosamine adds any benefit. In fact studies show that chondroitin may in fact interfere with the intestinal absorption of glucosamine because of its large molecular size.

Glucosamine is also in some skin creams used to control arthritis pain. There is however no evidence that glucosamine can be absorbed through the skin. It must be absorbed orally.

Some glucosamine sulfate products are not labeled accurately. In some cases, the amount of glucosamine actually in the product varied from none to over 100% of the amount stated on the product’s label. Scientists recommend 500mg three times daily or total daily dose of 1500mg.

Visit www.pssspa.com. Take a look at the nutraMetrix page for more information about high quality accurately labeled Glucosatrin (Glucosamine + Vitamin D3). nutraMetrix can be trusted to give your active joints what they need!

The face of Our Pain Management Specialist is Dr. Shawn Michelle Dalton-Bethea, private owner of Performance Spine & Sports Specialists, PA in Reidsville. She is a native of Thomasville, NC. Dr. Bethea was introduced to the medical field at a young age. While growing up, she was responsible for monitoring and caring for the health of three sick siblings. Dr. Bethea is an advocate of conservative treatment of neck, back, head, and joint pain while restoring and maintaining a proper quality of life. Quality of life can be achieved and pain managed successfully through treatments such as physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, spine & joint injections, topical and oral medications, etc. Dr. Bethea believes that no patient should suffer because of uncontrolled pain! Email: info@pssspa.com Website: www.pssspa.com Dr. Shawn Dalton-Bethea is a Guest Columnist for Rockingham County Events & News Online; We at RCENO.com, Thank Mrs. Sutton for her contributions to our content. Disclaimer: The Views and Opinions Expressed by the author are his or her opinions only and do not necessarily reflect those of RCENO.com, It’s Staff, or Contractors.

 

• Neuropathy (nerve pain) in your arms and legs from diabetes, chemo, radiation

• Undergone all forms of conservative radiculopathy treatment for neck related arm OR back related leg pain with short term or no relief

• Have undergone surgeries with short term or no relief of symptoms

• When extensive surgery is not an option secondary to brittle medical conditions

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (nerve damage seen sometimes after traumatic crush injuries and after surgeries)

Goal of neurostimulation is to help a patient’s body perceive pain signals from the brain to their arms, legs, neck, back, and head DIFFERENTLY.

• Example: annoying sharp knife sensations (pain )can be perceived as a subtle twinge sensation. This latter sensation (or paresthesia) is a more tolerable daily sensation in the respective painful body part(s).

Spinal Cord stimulator trial is performed after a patient has undergone a behavioral evaluation. This is an insurance requirement to assess patient understanding of the treatment.

Image above is example of the 8 electrode contact “lead” which is placed in the spinal epidural space while you are asleep (sedated with IV Diprivan).

The 8 electrodes communicate with the pain centers in the brain. Through this communication with the brain, the obnoxious stimulations are substituted with stimulation that is more tolerable.

Trial is for 7 days.

During this trial time, one must do ALL ACTIVITIES which would normally cause PAIN.

IF this treatment is right for you, then you should be able to do your activities of daily living with minimal to no pain.

If you are taking medications to treat your chronic pain, you will find that the amount of medications you take, will decrease by >75% .

Leads are removed on day 7. If the trial was successful, then you will be referred for the permanent implants.

We have patients who are willing to speak to you about their neurostimulation experience. The bulk of these patients had gone through >1 surgery and were still in pain. Neurostimulation helped them regain their quality of life. Perhaps the same can occur for you.

Call us today 336-349-5050

Email: info@pssspa.com

You are just a few clicks away from regaining your quality of life!

The face of Our Pain Management Specialist is Dr. Shawn Michelle Dalton-Bethea, private owner of Performance Spine & Sports Specialists, PA in Reidsville. She is a native of Thomasville, NC. Dr. Bethea was introduced to the medical field at a young age. While growing up, she was responsible for monitoring and caring for the health of three sick siblings. Dr. Bethea is an advocate of conservative treatment of neck, back, head, and joint pain while restoring and maintaining a proper quality of life. Quality of life can be achieved and pain managed successfully through treatments such as physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, spine & joint injections, topical and oral medications, etc. Dr. Bethea believes that no patient should suffer because of uncontrolled pain! Email: info@pssspa.com Website: www.pssspa.com Dr. Shawn Dalton-Bethea is a Guest Columnist for Rockingham County Events & News Online; We at RCENO.com, Thank Mrs. Sutton for her contributions to our content. Disclaimer: The Views and Opinions Expressed by the author are his or her opinions only and do not necessarily reflect those of RCENO.com, It’s Staff, or Contractors.

 

• Persistent irritation of the nervous system leads to abnormal processing of sensation that is felt in the nerves of the head, neck, back, arms, legs, etc.

• Resulting pain is accompanied by neurologic symptoms and signs. It primarily involves sensation but we see muscle involvement when the processing is severely impaired.

• Neuropathic pain is typically characterized as burning, stabbing, sharp, tingling, pins and needles, numbing (feels asleep), itching, electric, or crawling.

• Vitamin deficiencies of B12 and folate can cause neuropathy like symptoms. Vitamin supplementation has the opportunity to reverse the symptoms.

• Diabetes, hypothyroidism, and alcohol abuse many times precipitates neuropathic pain.

• Tighter blood sugars and stable thyroid metabolism may reverse some symptoms. Unfortunately, with alcohol abuse, the damage is typically permanent.

• Radiculopathy, or pain in the arms or legs, can be seen with disc herniations, disc bulges, spinal stenosis, scar tissue around the nerves, chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment, or when nerves are hooked by bone spurs or bone fragments.

• Most effective medications continues to be: Lidoderm patches, gabapentin, Lyrica, Topamax, Elavil, Pamelor, Tofranil, Doxepin, Cymbalta, Effexor, Depakote, Tegretol, and Baclofen

• Other treatments include: acupuncture, physical therapy, chiropractic, interventional x-ray guided injections (examples: spinal cord stimulation [substitutes daily pain for a sensation that is more tolerable], medial branch blocks, epidural selective nerve root blocks,) and lastly surgery.

• If the pain is figuratively and literally getting on your nerves, trying one or a combination of the mentioned treatments may very well be what you need!

The face of Our Pain Management Specialist is Dr. Shawn Michelle Dalton-Bethea, private owner of Performance Spine & Sports Specialists, PA in Reidsville. She is a native of Thomasville, NC. Dr. Bethea was introduced to the medical field at a young age. While growing up, she was responsible for monitoring and caring for the health of three sick siblings. Dr. Bethea is an advocate of conservative treatment of neck, back, head, and joint pain while restoring and maintaining a proper quality of life. Quality of life can be achieved and pain managed successfully through treatments such as physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, spine & joint injections, topical and oral medications, etc. Dr. Bethea believes that no patient should suffer because of uncontrolled pain! Email: info@pssspa.com Website: www.pssspa.com Dr. Shawn Dalton-Bethea is a Guest Columnist for Rockingham County Events & News Online; We at RCENO.com, Thank Mrs. Sutton for her contributions to our content. Disclaimer: The Views and Opinions Expressed by the author are his or her opinions only and do not necessarily reflect those of RCENO.com, It’s Staff, or Contractors.

 

(Eden, NC) – Morehead Memorial Hospital

“Cone Health has provided medical oncologists to the center for more than a decade. This new agreement provides our patients with greater access to Cone Health Cancer Center resources, skills, experience and support,” says Morehead Hospital President and CEO Carl Martin. “This step is an expansion of the oncology services Cone Health Cancer Center has provided our community for several years.” Cone Health will have responsibility for medical oncology, oncology pharmacy, and oncology supplies and materials.

Mario Singleton, who leads oncology services at Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville, will take on an expanded role and will also be responsible for oncology operations at Smith McMichael Cancer Center. Stephanie Vannoy will handle day-to-day operations as senior site manager. The management services agreement will not impact the Cone Health Cancer Center at Annie Penn Hospital.

“These are challenging times in healthcare,” notes Cone Health Vice President of Oncology Services Skip Hislop. “We firmly believe that this agreement will not only ensure that cancer services remain here, but will strengthen the program and enhance the quality of care for many years to come.”

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Cone Health is committed to being a national leader in quality, service and cost. The Network for Exceptional Care consists of The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, Alamance Regional Medical Center, Wesley Long Hospital, Women’s Hospital, Annie Penn Hospital, Cone Health Behavioral Health Hospital, LeBauer HealthCare, MedCenter High Point, MedCenter Kernersville and various outpatient clinics and programs. More than 10,650 exceptional people provide exceptional care to the people of Guilford, Alamance, Rockingham, Forsyth, Caswell and Randolph counties.

Morehead Memorial Hospital, established in 1960, is a full-service, 108-bed, community healthcare facility that provides a comprehensive array of medical and surgical services. Located in Eden NC, Morehead Memorial Hospital is the city’s largest employer, and the second largest in Rockingham County. Governed by a Board of Trustees made up of community leaders, the hospital has a freestanding cancer center; a 121-bed, long-term care nursing & rehabilitation center; an outpatient diagnostic center; a wound healing center; and 10 physician practices.