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
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