Newsroom
November 21, 2017
MAHEC hosts RWJF-funded workshop on December 7 to support shared decision making for patients
On December 7, the National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) and the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) will host the first of two national skilled communications workshops to support shared decision making in healthcare.
"Person-centered care requires that patients and providers have the communications skills to talk about what matters at critical points in the treatment process,” shares Gwen Darien, NPAF executive vice president for patient advocacy. “This workshop brings patients, providers and community advocates together to identify and develop those skills.”
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November 15, 2017
It has long been known that physicians are at high risk of depression and suicide, and the problem is not getting better. A study published this July in Academic Medicinefound that suicide was the second leading cause of death among resident physicians from 2000-2014 (the first in males). And it's clear that burnout can contribute to the problem, experts say. When Michael Myers, MD, was researching his book Why Physicians Die by Suicide: Lessons Learned by Families and Others Who Cared, he interviewed surviving family members of physicians who had killed themselves. "What they described was straightforward burnout," says Myers, professor of clinical psychiatry at SUNY-Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, and specialist in physician health.
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November 14, 2017
Buncombe County Commissioners will hold a press conference at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, November 14 to announce the filing of a lawsuit in the fight against the distribution of opioids.
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November 13, 2017
The Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) is offering Basic Life Support in Obstetrics (BLSOSM) trainings on November 30 and December 11 at its Biltmore campus to help healthcare providers, first responders and emergency personnel effectively manage normal deliveries and obstetrical emergencies.
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November 6, 2017
By: Tammy Dills, RN, Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital, Director Care Management
It’s no secret that being sick is the pits, whether it’s a nasty virus that clears up after a few days or a long-term condition like cancer or diabetes. And while illness obviously takes a big toll on the patient, it can have just as big of an impact on the primary caregivers, particularly when the illness extends over a long period of time.
That’s why this November, in honor of National Family Caregivers Month, Harris Regional Hospital wants to help take care of the caregivers in our community. And according to the Caregiver Action Network (CAN), there are quite a few. Currently, more than 90 million Americans act as primary caregiver for a family member who is living with a chronic medical condition or battling the fragile effects that come with old age.
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November 6, 2017
On Monday, November 13, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) will welcome
Dr. Hendrée Jones from UNC Chapel Hill to discuss strategies for improving health outcomes for women with opioid use disorder during pregnancy.
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November 6, 2017
The Western Carolina Medical Society Foundation’s (WCMS) Healthy Healer Program has been awarded a two-year grant from The Physicians Foundation to develop a replicable program for medical societies to address the growing trend of physician burnout.
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November 3, 2017
WCMS is now offering confidential, voluntary peer to peer assistance for physicians flagged by the NCMB for opioid prescribing practices.
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November 3, 2017
November 1, 2017
Dear Colleagues,
The Minority Medical Mentoring Program (MMMP) will select six interns for the 2018-19 academic school year. This opportunity is designed for under-represented minority high school seniors enrolled in Asheville City and Buncombe County schools that participate in school-sanctioned internships. Candidates should have interest in the pursuit of a high-level health career. The Minority Medical Mentoring Program, which began in the fall of 2005, pairs students with a wide range of health professions.
To be eligible for this internship, students must have a minimum weighted grade point average of 3.0, qualify as an under-represented minority, have a strong desire to pursue a career as a health professional, have an active record of leadership work and/or community service and have access to reliable transportation.
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October 30, 2017
Chronic disease is now responsible for 70 to 80% of all health care expenditure, yet most health professionals treat chronic disease the same way they treat communicable disease: with pills and injections. While this might temporarily relieve acute symptoms, it does not address the underlying cause of the chronic disease. Most physicians and health professionals receive little to no education on nutrition, exercise, rest or social connectivity, which are the four pillars of Lifestyle Medicine.
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October 27, 2017
Colorectal cancer is largely preventable. It is estimated that 40 out of 100 deaths from late stage colorectal cancer are preventable if all adults aged 50 and older were routinely screened. Colon cancer was the 2nd leading cause of death in North Carolina in 2012. There were 1,533 colorectal cancer deaths in 2012 and over 7,550 deaths from 2008-2012 in North Carolina.
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October 25, 2017
This month, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) providers are helping patients identify goals that support their overall health by asking questions about family planning, physical activity, nutrition and risk factors including intimate partner violence (IPV).
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October 25, 2017
CDC issued the attached Health Advisory on 10/24/17 to remind clinicians assessing patients currently in or recently returned from hurricane-affected areas to be vigilant in looking for certain infectious diseases, including leptospirosis, dengue, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, vibriosis, and influenza.
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October 25, 2017
In 2005 this patient went in for surgery to correct a deviated septum. The surgery was successful and he was discharged home with a prescription for 30 Percocet tablets. His recovery was uneventful and when he went back for a re-check and reported that he had not needed to take any of the pain pills he was given the surgeon informed him that this was pretty much a “painless surgery.” When he asked why he been given the 30 pills he was told it was “expected.”
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October 24, 2017
Most physicians and physician assistants (PAs) are aware of the increasing trend of burnout that faces our profession. The challenge remains how to best address this crisis that threatens not only our enjoyment of medicine but its effects on the patient experience and the overall vitality of our health care system.
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