HICKORY, NC – October 24, 2016 – Catawba County residents J. Anthony “Tony” Rose and
David J. Boone were named to The Order of the Long Leaf Pine at a ceremony
held October 24th at Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC). The ceremony was attended by
the Catawba County Board of Commissioners, the CVMC Board of Trustees,
Catawba County leadership, Public Health leadership, executives of CVMC,
family members and special guests.
Considered among the highest honors the Governor can confer, the award
recognizes citizens for their exemplary service and outstanding contribution
to North Carolina and their community. Other recipients have included
Andy Griffith, Bill Friday, Reverend Billy Graham and Michael Jordan.
Representative Mitchell Setzer, N.C. House District 89, and County Commissioner
Barbara Beatty presented the awards to Rose (President & CEO of CVMC)
and Boone (Senior Vice President & CFO of CVMC), who have been with
CVMC since 1993 and 1984, respectively.
Working together at CVMC for more than twenty-three years now, Tony Rose
and David Boone, along with their Executive Leadership team, have helped
expand vital healthcare services to a significantly larger geographical
footprint, providing access to high quality care for patients in Catawba,
Caldwell, Alexander, Lincoln and Burke counties. In addition, CVMC continues
carefully navigating the challenges of healthcare transformation and strategically
addressing a complex regulatory environment.
Their legacy is rich with examples of their commitment to preserving the
cornerstone upon which the hospital, originally known as Catawba Memorial
Hospital, was founded. In the 60’s, the Catawba County Board of
Commissioners championed a bond referendum that secured capital funding
needed to construct the hospital to help meet a growing need for local
medical care – thereby creating a healthcare “safety net”
for the community. By the early 1990s, when Rose arrived at Catawba Memorial,
serving as a “safety net” meant absorbing about $1 million
per year to provide care for low-income or uninsured patients. Today that
number exceeds $12 million annually. At the same time, CVMC is one of
Catawba County’s largest employers, with more than 1,800 employees.
CVMC has, indeed, become one of the most important institutions in the
Catawba Valley.
Caring for the community was taken to a new level in 2001 when CVMC received
its first Magnet® recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center for nursing
excellence – only the 32nd hospital in the nation to do so. In 2014,
CVMC reached a significant milestone when it received a fourth consecutive
Magnet recognition. Considered the “gold standard” among members
of the nursing community, this fourth Magnet recognition puts CVMC in
the prestigious company of only 26 other hospitals in the country. The
infiltration of a Magnet culture embodied by CVMC’s staff is evident
in the growing number of advanced degree professionals to be found in
all areas of the organization.
But Rose and Boone envision yet another goal for the hospital, one as the
leader in disease prevention and wellness education, ultimately creating
the healthiest community possible. Under their leadership, the hospital
took community outreach to new levels by creating programs and partnerships such as:
- Ryan C White Clinic – confidential HIV/AIDS medical care and preventative services
- Catawba Valley Maternity Services – prenatal care offered by CVMC
midwives in partnership with the Catawba County Public Health Department
- Health First Center – a community outreach program that includes
mobile cancer screening, classes, support groups and wellness education
- Provides funding for school nurses to maintain a better student to nurse
ratio for some of the most needy and vulnerable citizens
- Provides athletic trainers to area schools for their sports events
Over the past several years, CVMC has responded to physical community needs
with expanded facilities and services, such as these:
- $34 million 5-story Patient Pavilion – home to the Center for Women
& Children and the Birthing Center, which delivered more than 83%
of area babies in 2015
- The Pavilion also houses the Comprehensive Cancer Center’s inpatient
unit and infusion treatment services, bringing together all the cancer
services in one area of the hospital
- The Pavilion is home to the region’s only Level-III Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit, minimizing the need for babies being transferred to Winston
or Charlotte; this keeps premature or sick infants and their parents closer
to home and families
- Service lines of excellence staffed with physicians from world-class teaching
hospitals such as MD Anderson, UNC Chapel Hill and Johns Hopkins
- A growing network of outpatient practices – Catawba Valley Medical
Group includes 15 primary care practices, 3 specialty care practices and
an urgent care practice
Both of these men have demonstrated their commitment to their community
outside the hospital by supporting and leading many of the community’s
service, arts and civic organizations. From the Boy Scouts and United
Way to Hickory Community Theatre and the Economic Development Council,
these two men, along with their spouses, have touched just about every
organization in the Catawba Valley.
For further information about The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, contact
The Office of the Governor, or visit the website of The Long Leaf Pine Society,
http://www.longleafpinesociety.org.