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WHAT’S HAPPENED
McLeod Loris Seacoast Nurse Residents Graduate
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McLeod Loris Seacoast graduated the third cohort of nurse residents on March 17. These nurses have recently graduated from accredited nursing programs and are just beginning their careers as registered nurses. The Nurse Residency Program helps develop new nurses and fosters relationships with their team members over the course of the six-month program. Each cohort identifies an evidence-based practice project that they work on throughout the program. The findings of that project are presented to the Quality and Safety Department at the end of the program with the goal of improving patient care. Graduates of the 2022 McLeod Loris Seacoast Nursing Residency Program are: Madison Cribb, RN; Holly Fulford, RN; Chloe Hewett, RN; Samantha King, RN; Arin Owens, RN; Katie Parkins, RN; Jenna Silberman, RN; Victoria Singletary, RN; Anna Smith, RN; Alexis Suggs, RN; Jessicah Todd, RN; Amanda Vansant, RN; Christopher Ward, RN; Whitney Ward, RN; and Sidney Williams, RN.
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The Veteran’s Affairs Committee (VAC) of Calabash Elks Lodge 2679 recently made a $11,500 donation to the Veterans Welcome Home and Resource Center (VWHRC) in Little River. This donation, combined with their October 2021 donation of $3,500, completes their pledge of $15,000 to sponsor a Tiny Home as part of the VWHRC campaign to build housing for homeless veterans in our area. The project is an ambitious plan to develop a series of tiny home housing communities to support and assist homeless veterans as they work to find jobs and housing and transition back into being contributing members of the community. As a long-time friend of the Calabash Elks Lodge, the Resource Center is a private, all-volunteer, nonprofit South Carolina Corporation unaffiliated with any government agency, including the Veterans Administration. They help veterans obtain benefits to which they are entitled; provide job placement assistance; help with obtaining treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) issues; help with housing needs; provide financial counseling; and assist with general life adjustment issues.
Calabash Elks Lodge Donates to Committee to Honor American Veterans
The Calabash Elks Lodge Charity Golf Tournament recently made a $1,500 donation to the Committee to Honor American Veterans in Sunset Beach. The Committee to Honor America’s Veterans (CHAV) is a group of local residents who are working to build a Veterans’ Memorial in Brunswick County to commemorate and properly recognize our veterans, past, present and future, for their contributions to the protection of our nation and its citizens as well as the preservation of freedom throughout the world. The CHAV Veterans Assistance Program (VAP) works with local organizations to provide assistance to local veterans and service members in need.
Ribbon Cutting for Carolinas Staffing Solutions
On April 12 Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house to celebrate Carolinas Staffing Solutions’ 20th anniversary. Carolina Staffing Solutions, located at 4480 Main Street in Shallotte, is a full-service company that provides quality employees to customers in every phase of business.
Dosher Names New Nursing Director for Patient Care Unit
Jill Stenson, MSN, RN, CENP has recently accepted the position of patient care director for the Dosher Patient Care Unit. Stenson has served in this role in an interim capacity since January 2022 and brings more than 24 years of nursing leadership experience. She has a background in critical care, serving as a staff nurse in ED/ICU settings and as
nursing director of ICU/Cardiac Cath Lab and GI Lab in prior positions. For the last 12 years, she has served as chief nursing officer for a level 2 trauma center/teaching hospital in northern Pennsylvania and a level 3 trauma designated community hospital in her home state of Wisconsin. Stenson says she is honored to work with outstanding nurses at Dosher in leading evidence-based practice. Stenson is currently pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut, and will graduate in the fall of 2022. “I look forward to partnering with the community in leading health and wellness and outreach initiatives in the area,” she says.
Ryan Hill Joins FOCUS Broadband as Business Development Coordinator
Ryan Hill recently joined FOCUS Broadband as the cooperative’s business development coordinator. In this role, Hill will be responsible for establishing strategic partnerships with residential and commercial property developers, real estate entities and governmental and regulatory agencies in FOCUS Broadband’s service areas. Hill holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro and has a professional background that includes work with utilities in both the public and private sector. A Brunswick County native, Hill resides in Shallotte, where he is actively involved in the community. He will serve as a liaison between FOCUS Broadband and the residential and commercial building and sales communities in the company’s traditional service area and in expansion areas. He can be reached at (910) 755-1913.
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Ribbon Cutting for Beach Bum Storage
On March 30 Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Beach Bum Storage in celebration of their first anniversary. Located at 6518 Beach Drive SW in Ocean Isle Beach, Beach Bum offers 24/7 access, high-tech surveillance, climate controlled and non-climate controlled options for short- and long-term storage.
Book Published about the History of St. James Plantation
A new book about St. James Plantation in Southport, A Sizable Number of Miracles, incorporates the story of the planned community and its visionary developer, Homer Wright. Written by Arthur Hill, a St. James resident, and Cheryl L. Serra of Southport, the book was several years in the making. The authors met several times with Wright and others who helped realize his vision of St. James. The book is available at the St. James Community Center. For more information, contact the St. James Property Owners’ Association by email at POA@stjamespoa. net or by telephone at (910) 253-4805.
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McLeod Loris Seacoast hospital celebrated its volunteers at an annual appreciation luncheon on April 28 at the Surf Golf and Beach Club. Attendees were treated to a delicious meal and program highlighting their accomplishments and service throughout the year. Volunteers were honored for their time and commitment to McLeod Health. The following awards were given to volunteers for their cumulative hours donated, longevity and Volunteers of the Year on each campus.
Cumulative Hours Donated Award Recipients
Marj Cottrill – 7,640 hours in 2021 Ray Hemby – 6,240 hours in 2021 Alice Coco – 6,228 hours in 2021
Longevity Award Recipients
Anita Thomas – 12 years of service Pam McGarry – 10 years of service Alice Coco – 10 years of service
Volunteers of the Year
McLeod Health Loris: Constance Moody, WJ Graham McLeod Health Seacoast: Karen Weaver, Alvin Weinerman McLeod Health Carolina Forest: Elaine Plummer, Tom Geller & Zeke (pet therapy dog)
Students Encouraged to Apply for Theresa McMahon Scholarship
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Calabash VFW Post 7288 awards the Theresa McMahon Scholarship to graduating seniors at West Brunswick High School who have demonstrated a history of commitment to the community through leadership activities, community service and/or work activities. The award is directed to students pursuing a degree from a four-year university or college, community college, junior college or trade school. The endowment is sent directly to the college of the recipient’s choice at the beginning of the first semester of attendance. This scholarship is given in memory of former Calabash resident Theresa McMahon (1928-2016), one of the original charter members responsible for the establishment of the Calabash N. C. Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 7288, Auxiliary in May 1985. She was a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and a Eucharistic Minister at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Little River. Her husband, Norman Joseph McMahon (1924-1985), served in the U.S. Army during World War II. She is buried with her husband in the Wilmington National Cemetery, Wilmington, N.C. Rising seniors who wish to apply for the 2023 scholarship should contact the student affairs office at West Brunswick High School for details. The application will be due in mid-May 2023.
Dosher and Its Medical Staff Donate to New Hope Clinic
Physicians and other providers on the Dosher Medical Staff recently raised funds for New Hope Clinic, a local nonprofit organization that provides healthcare services to low-income and uninsured residents of Brunswick County. Their funds were matched by Dosher, and the result was a $7,500 donation to New Hope Clinic. Sheila Roberts, executive director of New Hope Clinic, said: “The funds donated by the Dosher Medical Staff and the hospital enable us to provide the quality healthcare services that our community relies on. We are very grateful for the generosity of Dosher and their staff members.”
Calabash Elks Lodge 2679 Veterans Affairs Committee Donates to BCC’s PAVE Program
Members of the Calabash Elks Lodge 2679 Veterans Affairs Committee (VAC) donated $1,200 to Brunswick Community College’s PAVE (Partnership for American Veteran Employment) program. This recent donation is the fourth VAC donation to PAVE, which now totals $4,000 in support of the program. PAVE is a signature program at Brunswick Community College designed to support institutional work-study positions for qualifying veterans. Student veterans receive financial assistance and valuable work experience through employment opportunities at the college. The positions are funded by donations from community groups. Any Veteran honorably discharged from the U.S. military who is a Brunswick County resident interested in pursuing a degree, certificate or diploma as a full-time student is encouraged to contact the BCC Foundation office at (910) 955-8517 to learn more.
Local Chapter of Forty & Eight Supports BCC Nursing students
The Brunswick Community College Foundation (BCCF) team had the honor of hosting members of the military veterans honor society, La Société des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux (the Society of Forty Men and Eight Horses) on May 4. The gentlemen were on campus to present scholarships to two Brunswick Community College (BCC) nursing students — Lena Devlin and Angelica Rivera. These scholarships are awarded to outstanding students who have demonstrated a commitment to bring quality nursing skills to their patients. Committed to charitable and patriotic aims, the “Forty and Eight” is a fraternal and charitable Honor Society of American Veterans whose name comes from the French railroad and its 40/8 boxcars.
