Mission Health named a Top 15 Health System for second consecutive year

Press release From Mission Health Asheville, N.C. (April 15, 2013) – For the second consecutive year, Mission Health was named today as one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems by Truven Health Analytics, formerly the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters. The Truven Health study identifies the nation’s 15 best health systems and is the […]

On 50th anniversary, Ingles pledges to donate $25,000 to MANNA FoodBank

Press release From MANNA FoodBank Asheville – Turning 50 is considered an important milestone. Though most birthdays involve gifts for the celebrant, Ingles Markets has decided that their 50th birthday will be marked with giving. MANNA FoodBank has been chosen as the fortunate recepient of the month long celebration. Ingles’ shoppers in all of the […]

Enka High School students earn fourth place in statewide model bridge-building competition

Press release From the N.C. Department of Transportation RALEIGH — Middle and high school students from across the state traveled to Raleigh today to compete for first place in the final round of the annual Statewide Model Bridge Building Competition. Students from each school were given the opportunity to demonstrate math and science skills as […]

Times-News: Park Ridge Health breaks ground at new Biltmore Park location

From the Hendersonville Times-News: Story by Leigh Kelly ASHEVILLE — Park Ridge Health at Biltmore Park represents innovation in the way health care will be delivered to the Asheville area, Park Ridge Health officials said Tuesday during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility. Park Ridge Health executives, physicians and staffers grasped shovels bearing the […]

Asheville GreenWorks honors Appalachian Designs for environmental excellence

Press release From Appalachian Designs (Asheville, NC)—Local rustic woodworking company Appalachian Designs and its owner Lang Hornthal were honored with an Environmental Excellence Award by Asheville GreenWorks at its March 27 board meeting. The award recognizes Appalachian Designs and Hornthal “for reclaiming urban wood and turning it into beautifully designed pieces.” From its earliest days, […]

Rotarians Against Hunger fourth annual food packaging event set for April 20

Press release From the Asheville Rotary Club Asheville, NC – In two weeks, the Rotarians Against Hunger (RAH) fourth annual food packaging event will take place. With the support of the community and local businesses and organizations, this year’s event promises to be a success. The food packaging will take place at the Reuter Family […]

Upcoming UNCA lecture will explore race, religion and boxing in New South

Press release From UNC Asheville News Services Arthur Remillard, a scholar of religion in the American South and its connections with sports, will deliver UNC Asheville’s annual Sam Hill Lecture in Southern Religion. Remillard’s talk, “Jack Johnson, We Have Waited So Long for You – Religion, Race and Boxing in the New South,” takes place […]

CarePartne­rs announces plans to merge with Mission Health

Two health-care providers went public on April 4: If all goes well, local nonprofit CarePartner’s affiliation with Mission Health — the state's sixth-largest system — will be official by October. The plan makes practical sense, according to Tracy Buchanan, the nonprofit’s CEO and president. "We’re not in dire straits financially,” she said. “This is not […]

On second thought

As members of the community stood before Buncombe County commissioners with Bibles in hand, legal statutes in folders and opinions in mind, public comment took a personal turn when it came to adding protections for LGBT employees. “This is not a civil-rights situation. The Bible is the bottom line,” said the Rev. Wendell Runion. “This […]

Smart money

UNCA attracts more than degree-seeking students to the Asheville area: It sparks a $268 million economic impact, according to a recent study. The findings come from local research economist Tom Tveidt of SYNEVA Economics. He once led the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce's economic-development research, and calls UNCA a “key driver of economic growth in […]

Blue Ridge Regional Hospital CEO and President recognized for exceptional leadership

Press release From Mission Health SPRUCE PINE, N.C. (April 5, 2013) – Oscar K. Weinmeister III, FACHE, President and CEO of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, has received the 2013 Grassroots Champion Award from the American Hospital Association (AHA), in partnership with the North Carolina Hospital Association. Weinmeister, the single award recipient from North Carolina, is […]

Been there, done that

The concept of peers helping peers is nothing new in health care, but in Buncombe County the interest in peer support specialists is growing. Known informally as PSS, these people help others navigate the mental health and substance abuse system. However, peer support specialists have a unique perspective: They’re in recovery from mental illness and/or substance abuse themselves. As of March 21, there were 838 peer support specialists in North Carolina, 65 of them in Buncombe County.  (Map courtesy of the Peer Support Specialist Program at UNC-Chapel Hill)