A REPORT OF UNC HEALTH JOHNSTON CONNECT
ISSUE 1 / 2025
In This Issue:
Meet a combat veteran who is helping others Cancer patient finds support onboard the outreach bus
Annual Tree of Light honors hospice donors
A Letter to Our Community
Johnston Medical Mall Outpatient News & Notables Best of the ‘blues’ for cancer care
If you’re a fan of turning the old into something new and extraordinary, you may have heard of Vollis Simpson, the machinist and rigger from Lucama who became world famous for the kinetic sculptures he built from scrap metal and mechanical parts. He called them whirligigs, and we’re proud to have one of our own. It’s on display, and recently restored, at the south end of Johnston Medical Mall.
UNC Health Johnston taps the expertise of Duke and UNC Health to provide convenient access to quality cancer care at Johnston Medical Mall. To get from chemotherapy to radiation appointments, patients need only cross the hall. What’s new? UNC Health Johnston Medical Oncology & Hematology has added a third provider, Brittany Jackson, a nurse practitioner. What sets the clinic apart? Patients who qualify may enroll in Duke’s clinical trials. Also, an onsite pharmacist mixes chemotherapy and other intravenous medications so patients don’t have to wait. Old technology, new techniques blend at Therapeutic Wound Center Physicians have used hyperbaric oxygen to treat chronic wounds since the 1960s, and the therapy is still the gold standard of care at the UNC Health Johnston Therapeutic Wound Center. As patients relax inside the transparent, cylindrical hyperbaric chamber, they breathe in pure oxygen at an air pressure two to three times higher than normal. This increased flow of oxygen reduces swelling and helps form new blood vessels. The team also uses new techniques for healing wounds, such as skin grafts that are as easy to apply as bandages, and a type of cast that can be quickly applied on top of wound dressings so patients can walk without aggravating an open sore. Advancing patient comfort A mammogram screening can be painful, especially for women with dense breasts. But a new 3D mammography machine at Ambulatory Imaging is changing the experience. The compression paddles on the machine are designed to better conform to the shape of a woman’s breast. They reduce discomfort by distributing pressure more evenly across breast tissue. With the new machine and a second mammography room, Ambulatory Imaging has doubled its capacity for appointments. Wait times for appointments are now as short as two days. Also notable, an onsite radiologist reads diagnostic breast screening images and reviews the results and any next steps with patients before they leave. On the cover: The restoration team at the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park & Museum in Wilson recently freshened up the wind sculpture at Johnston Medical Mall. They replaced worn bearings before sanding and applying several coats of paint—all in keeping with Vollis Simpson’s original design. A story board just inside the foyer shares the history of how it came to be.
Like the whirligig, our medical mall is a great example of how old things can shine when given new purpose. For more than 80 years, the building was a bustling textile mill where workers turned bales of raw cotton into thread. When the plant closed in the late 1990s, former hospital administrator Leland Farnell and the board of trustees shared a grand vision for renovating it for outpatient services. Like today, the hospital needed more space to keep up with demands of rapidly growing Johnston County. I first visited the medical mall in 2010 for the grand opening of the radiation oncology clinic. At the time, I worked at UNC Health Rex as the associate vice president of suburban services. The clinic was conceived as a partnership between us and Johnston Health. I marveled at the history, the redesign around the mill’s original post-and-beam construction, and the beauty of those New England maple floors. Even 21 years later, the success story of how a hospital saved and reused an abandoned textile mill is worth re-telling. As you’ll read in this issue of the Connect, the medical mall continues to be an important thread in the fabric of our community. You don’t need an appointment to visit. All are welcome to walk, shop and eat, and join HealthQuest to improve health and well-being. And in December, during the Festival of Trees, you can even catch some holiday spirit.
Tom Williams President & CEO
Connect is a publication of UNC Health Johnston. Based in Smithfield, with a second location in Clayton, the hospital is an integral part of the county’s growth and development. As a partner with UNC Health, UNC Health Johnston holds itself to the highest standards of quality and is committed to bringing expert care close to home. If you have questions or would like to o er feedback or a story idea, email JohnstonHealthCommunications@unchealth.unc.edu.
www.unchealthjohnston.org
Tree of Light Celebrates Community, Compassion, Support
It’s quite the feat. Since 2011, a year after the SECU Hospice House opened, a handful of hospice volunteers have spearheaded the Tree of Light, a holiday fundraising campaign benefiting patients. To recognize every donation, the volunteers hang an ornament on the tree. And in memory of every hospice patient served during the past year, they light a luminaria that families may keep. The campaign culminates the first week in December with the Tree of Light ceremony at Johnston Medical Mall. During a heartfelt program, speakers acknowledge patient families and o er words of encouragement and support. A few years ago, the Johnston Health Foundation joined e orts to assist with planning and coordination. This year, two of the faithful volunteers, Carolyn Jones and Wanda Johnson, a retired hospice volunteer coordinator, were among those grieving the recent loss of loved ones. Jones lost her husband, Jim, in September, and Johnson, her sister, Vera, in October. This is not the first time these two women have grieved together. Back in May 2016, both experienced the loss of their fathers just two weeks apart. “Volunteering is how I give back,” says Jones, whose sister, mother, and close friends have all benefited from hospice services. “Participating in the campaign is a reminder of the special care they received. I love Christmas, and it’s even more meaningful when I help decorate the Tree of Light and place the luminarias.” Johnson shares a similar sentiment. “I do it because I love the CNAs and nurses who give their hearts and souls to care for patients,” she says. “As we were hanging the ornaments, I felt the love from those who donated in memory of my sister.” This year, hospice served more than 500 patients in their homes and at the SECU Hospice House, and 340 tribute donations were made during the Tree of Light campaign.
Prior to the Tree of Light ceremony on Dec. 5, hospice volunteers Carolyn Jones and Wanda Johnson, left and right, reflect on the ornaments listing memorial gifts honoring their lost loved ones.
Standing at 15 feet tall, the Tree of Light is the centerpiece of UNC Health Johnston’s Festival of Trees. This year’s entries highlighted the creativity of local businesses, agencies, a town, and two schools. The festival’s presenting sponsor delivered a particularly clever message: “If your heart grows three sizes like the Grinch’s, we suggest consulting NC Heart and Vascular.” In addition to the stunning trees, carolers and actors from the Neuse Little Theatre, and musicians from the Smithfield ukulele group brightened the mall. “The Festival of Trees is more than just a beautiful holiday display—it is a celebration of community, compassion and support,” said Allison Strickland, director of the foundation. “Every ornament, luminaria, and decorated tree tells a story of love, remembrance and generosity.” Looking ahead, the foundation plans to extend its reach by o ering trees to other local non-profits during next year’s festival and to prolong the presence of the memorial luminarias.
Above: Carolers from the Neuse Little Theatre were among the performers at the Festival of Trees during December. Standing, from left, they are: Larry Grey, Stephanie Veren, Sammy Smith, Nancy Gibbs and Kay Hewitt. Seated is Theresa Rose. Top: A luminaria represents every hospice patient that UNC Health Johnston has served during the past year.
An Outpouring of Community Support
Local Patient Found Access to Care Onboard the Bus Sandy Hancock of Smithfield was feeling down on his luck after getting a spate of bad news. In September, while visiting family in Scotland, he learned his employer had gone out of business. Hancock lost his job, health insurance and the vacation pay he thought was in the bank. Even worse, the results of a CT scan from months earlier showed a spot on his lung. He hadn’t been feeling well and thought the scan, a promotional fee-for-service o er, might yield a quick answer. While the company alerted him about the results, it never sent them to his physician for follow-up care. “I felt so overwhelmed. I was depressed,” he says. “I didn’t know what to do or where to start.” Through his daughter, Hancock heard about UNC Health Johnston’s community outreach program and the bus that traveled to di erent sites to o er acute and preventive care. It would be at Johnston Community College the next day, so he showed up and stepped on board. Leah Johnson, the community outreach coordinator, did an initial screening that day for lung cancer. And by week’s end, he had a lung cancer diagnosis, an appointment to see the medical oncologist, and the full attention of a medical assistance counselor who helped him apply for disability and other financial assistance. “I felt like I won the lottery,” he said during an interview in October. “Suddenly, I had all these wonderful people working to help me.” Access to health care is one of the greatest needs in Johnston County. And the community outreach program aims to remove barriers and meet people where they are, Johnson says. On board the bus, Johnson o ers preventive care, from glucose and heart screenings to flu shots. And on certain days, she opens a virtual urgent care clinic for those who lack insurance coverage. On other days, Morgan Lassiter, community outreach specialist, facilitates youth mental health counseling sessions onboard the bus and at other sites. The services, o ered through the UNC Health School of Medicine, aim to meet yet another top need for mental health care in the county. Hancock says he’s grateful to Johnson and UNC Health Johnston for the great care he’s continuing to receive in and outside the hospital. “Everyone from the doctors to the nurses to the food services team are just amazing,” he adds. And it all started with getting onboard the bus.
Barb Grimes and Kat McKinnon work side by side in palliative care at UNC Health Johnston. But at the annual Gobble Waddle race, they split up. Grimes speedwalks the 5K course while McKinnon runs the 10K. They enjoy competing, but it’s the two causes that bring them out. HealthQuest Fitness and Wellness Center puts on the race the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This year’s proceeds went toward
Kat McKinnon and Barb Grimes
scholarships to Healthy Families, an exercise and nutrition education program o ered at HealthQuest. And donations from the food drive, a mainstay of the event, went to local food pantries and the SECU Hospice House. “I enjoy supporting HealthQuest and the community where I work,” says McKinnon, a social worker. “We see patients and families who struggle with getting the basics, especially food.” Grimes, a nurse, feels passionately about staying active and eating a wholesome diet. “I like that the Healthy Families program strives to instill a healthier lifestyle,” she says. “We know proper nutrition is key to preventing chronic disease and illness.” How great is the need? In its 2024 report based on 2022 data, Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks and pantries, estimates 12.7% of Johnston County’s population is food insecure. That’s roughly 28,000 people. Food insecurity is such a concern that the hospital’s community engagement council joined forces with HealthQuest this year to collect food. Together, their e orts brought in 1,615 pounds, a 42% increase over the prior year. No one may be happier with the results than Barbara Narron, a HealthQuest fitness instructor who came up with the idea for the race and its catchy name 16 years ago. “I enjoy seeing how the event has grown from 30 participants that first year to 369 this year,” she says. “And I love that it’s become a Thanksgiving tradition. One of our runners even said it felt like coming home.”
At left and right, Maria Diaz, eligibility
specialist, and Leah Johnson,
community outreach coordinator, visit with their patient, Sandy Hancock.
The Vets Are In
From a café table, they o er comfort, support to one another Sammy Smith of Smithfield walks almost daily at Johnston Medical Mall. But it wasn’t until this past Veteran’s Day that he decided to stop and speak with the Vietnam veteran he had often seen sitting at Dylan’s Café. “I went up to his table to thank him for his service,” says Smith, also a veteran. “We started talking, found out we both served in the Army, and now we’re friends.” Ho man, a Selma resident, works out at HealthQuest most days. But every Friday, he and a friend, Phil Ritter of Clayton, meet at the café to eat and drink co ee. Both wear their military caps to draw veterans over to their table and to start a conversation. After introductions, most ask Ho man if he’s getting help from the Veteran’s Administration. And that’s his cue to o er info and assistance with applying for benefits. If needed, he drives vets to appointments in Durham where the V.A. has its o ces. At 19, Ho man was an Army combat soldier tasked with keeping his unit safe. For years after his tour, he su ered with post-traumatic stress disorder. He got help and disability benefits. But even after years of one-on-one and group counseling, he still has his moments. Building relationships and helping other vets is a form of therapy, he says. In a way, he’s still watching out for fellow soldiers. And he’s troubled that so many vets, an average of 20 per day, take their own lives.
From left, military veterans Sammy Smith of Smithfield, Paul Ho man of Selma and Phil Ritter of Clayton meet Fridays at Dylan’s Café to meet and support others.
“Whether or not we want to admit it, we’ve all had thoughts of suicide,” Ho man adds. “We must help one another. So we’re here for emotional support. We don’t judge. We know what to do.” Smith says he and Ho man keep an eye on other walkers at the medical mall, too. They’re the first to help if they see someone who needs assistance. And both like that they feel safe with security o cers rounding, health professionals close by and an AED (automatic defibrillator) on the wall. “The medical mall is a good place for people to gather,” Smith adds. “People need stimulation, especially those who are home alone. It’s just good for people in general.”
MEDICAL MALL NOTABLES
Original tenant remembers CEO’s pitch Mary Barnette, manager of Johnston Medical and Surgical Supply, may be the medical mall’s on-site historian. She remembers the day when hospital administrator Leland Farnell invited her to his o ce, laid out his vision for the shuttered spinning mill, and asked if she might be interested in renting space. “It was easy for us to commit because
A suite for feet What better fit than a podiatrist for the medical mall, where many people get in their daily steps? Six rounds make a mile. And along the way, you can stop for suggested exercises, designated by signs. Dr. Bessaliea Gri n of Footprint Podiatry opened her practice 13 years ago in suite 1610. In addition to treating minor things such as ulcers and ingrown toenails, she also does surgery for conditions such as bunions and hammertoes.
Mr. Farnell was so earnest and the endeavor was so great,” says Barnette, also a former hospital employee. “His vision for this building was amazing.” She tells the story of how a salvage business o ered thousands of dollars for the building’s maple floors. But Farnell insisted on keeping them and with the embedded metal shavings intact. Through the years, the shavings had fallen from the machinery during the spinning process and, over time, workers ground them into the wood with their shoes. “Mr. Farnell wanted people to know the mill’s history, to envision how the employees worked and to appreciate their value,” she says.
New chef on the mall Chef Erin Belcher whips up soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts at Dylan’s Unique Gifts & Catering. While in the café, customers can also shop for jewelry, shirts, and other items.
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Her Proudest Achievement, Seeing Children Become Their Best Selves
If you asked Helen Patterson, all you really need to know about life you can learn in pre-school. Twenty years ago, she opened the Early Learning Center, called ELC for short, at Johnston Medical Mall and put together a stellar team that has maintained a five-star rating and earned near perfect scores on accreditation. Yet the long-time director’s proudest accomplishment is seeing children grow and become their best selves. Among her favorite stories: the boy who loved nature and became a forester in Colorado; the girl who felt so loved at the ELC that she was inspired to work as a vice president at a national childcare company; and the girl who is now a mother of three with plans to get a college degree because of Patterson’s encouragement to believe in herself. Patterson says she looks forward to coming to work every morning because she loves what the ELC can do. “Working with children is both challenging and exciting,” she says. “You have the opportunity to see them grow and become independent, learn the alphabet, numbers and colors, and begin reading.” For sure, pre-school prepares children for kindergarten, she says. “But it also prepares them for life and life experiences.”
Helen Patterson, director of the Early Learning Center, visits with one of her students, Cole Johnson, 3.
The best part of every day is seeing the smiling faces of students, and, of course, giving and receiving hugs, she adds. “And I enjoy greeting my parents, answering concerns, and assuring them their children are well cared for by a nurturing and devoted sta .”
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