Local cardiologist elected to act as state cardiac care liaison

Press release

From Mission Health

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 14, 2013) – Mary Winchester, certified physician assistant at Asheville Cardiology Associates, was elected as the Cardiac Care Associate Liaison to the North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). She is the only Cardiac Care Associate (CCA) to serve on the board of the North Carolina Chapter and will represent 185 CCA members.

“I am honored to be elected to this position,” said Winchester. “Our job is to provide care through a comprehensive, team based approach so that we may ensure the best outcomes for our patients. This has become increasingly more important in the context of the changing landscape of healthcare and the growing demands on physicians. My priority is to promote to the medical community and to patients the value of a team based approach to care.”

As Cardiac Care Associate Liaison, Winchester will promote membership and educational opportunities at the state and national levels. She will advocate on behalf of the state’s cardiovascular physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and pharmacists to bring attention to legislation affecting the specialty. She will also campaign to promote the best interests of all cardiovascular patients.

“Our patients and cardiovascular specialists will be in good hands with Ms. Winchester as their advocate,” said Dr. Robert L. Wade, Jr. MD, FACC, president of ACA. “I am confident she will be able to accomplish her goals and raise awareness of pertinent issues related to preventing cardiovascular disease.”

Asheville Cardiology Associates, a Mission Health practice, has employed physician assistants and nurse practitioners for more than 40 years – longer than any private cardiology practice in the country. Currently, 12 physician assistants in the practice’s adult clinic and one nurse practitioner in the pediatric clinic are members of the ACC.

About Mission Health
Mission Health, based in Asheville, N.C., is the state’s sixth-largest health system and the region’s only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in western North Carolina. In 2012 Mission Health was named one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems by Thomson Reuters – the only health system in North Carolina to receive this recognition.

Mission Health, which traces its roots in the region back to 1885, operates five hospitals, numerous outpatient and surgery centers, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 1,000 physicians and is certified in over 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties. Mission Health has seven Centers of Excellence: Cancer, Heart, Mission Children’s Hospital, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Trauma and Women’s Health. Mission Hospital, located in Asheville, is the system’s flagship hospital and is licensed for 730 beds. It is the regional referral center for tertiary and quaternary care and is the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina. It also includes Mission Children’s Hospital– the region’s only children’s hospital. Other Mission Health member hospitals include Angel Medical Center in Franklin, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, McDowell Hospital in Marion and Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard. With approximately 8,800 employees and 700 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the people of western North Carolina. For more information, please visit mission-health.org.