Time is critical in ER By Luanne Williams
I
f you’re a patient seeking medical care in an emergency room, the wait time can be critical. If you’re director of a medical facility and have children, time also is important. Alicia Campbell knows how much time matters in both arenas. As a 34-year-old mother of two and the director of CMC-Waxhaw, she has learned to juggle the demands of her work with those of a busy family.
Life insurance is more than a policy, it’s a promise. An education. A wedding. Retirement. Every promise for tomorrow can be protected today. Call now for a Confidential Insurance Review from your local Farm Bureau Insurance Agent.
Helping you is what we do best.
Dixon S. Hall CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, AAI, AIS, API, AU, AIM
(704) 254-6437 dhall@dixonshall.com
(704) 624-5825 www.ncfbins.com
Union County Farm Bureau 303 West Main Street Marshville, NC 28103
An Authorized Agency for
“Faith, love and support from my family proved crucial during the quest to open the facility,” said Alicia. CMC-Waxhaw offers a range of outpatient services including a 24-hour emergency department, imaging center, observation beds for extended exams, lab services and physician offices, plus a helicopter pad to facilitate the transfer of high-level trauma patients. The days before the facility opened in December 2011 left Alicia with little free time, but inspired creative time management skills. “My husband was a single dad many nights, but I would Skype with my kids (Sydney, 7; Sawyer, 4) at night if I couldn’t be home for bedtime stories,” she said. “If I’m working late, some mornings I will work from home and take my son to preschool or I will eat lunch with my daughter at school.” Relying on her supportive husband, John, and her parents, Alicia has learned to “make the most of every minute with family.” “That has definitely been the greatest challenge to me, to balance my work and home life,” Alicia said. “The best part about my job has been seeing the people who have come to work here really come together and create something totally different. They really own their positions and want this to be the best place it can be,” she said. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. For the first quarter of 2012, CMC-Waxhaw’s emergency department led the system with a 100 percent satisfaction rating for “overall quality of care and likelihood of recommending” based on patient surveys. “This is really a testament to the team,” Alicia said. Although she loved her prior role as a manager in imaging at CMC-Union, she wanted to join the Waxhaw project because it would have “a terrific impact” on her own community. “I live just four miles from CMC-Waxhaw and, in fact, we have treated some of my friends and neighbors,” she said. Alicia earned a bachelor’s degree in nuclear medicine in 1999 and
20 Union Lifestyle l July 2012