Today’s Email Announcements

Healthcare System First in NC to Launch New Life-Saving Resuscitation Program

Have you ever participated in a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification class? If so, you may recall a long afternoon spent learning how to provide life-saving chest compressions to a lifeless manikin. But, could you remember how many compressions to apply between rescue breaths in a real-life emergency situation?

A recent study conducted by the American Heart Association concluded that poor quality CPR leads to poor and preventable patient outcomes. Additionally, numerous research findings have confirmed that psychomotor skills, such as CPR, decay rapidly after initial training.  
 
For this reason, in January 2017 Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) will become the first healthcare system in North Carolina to implement the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Quality Improvement® Program (AHA RQI®Program).
 
The AHA RQI® Program was developed to provide users with perpetually valid CPR certification through 10-minute, quarterly cognitive and skill training. Unlike the traditional training program which focused on bi-annual completion, the AHA RQI®Program focuses on continuous competency in CPR skills. According to the American Heart Association, this radical process change will result in increased skill retention and improved resuscitation outcomes.
 
Beginning in January, all ARHS clinical staff will transition from the existing CPR training program to the AHA RQI® Program. RQI will include annual online education with simulation as well as quarterly hands-on skills demonstration. These skills demonstrations will provide an opportunity for staff to practice life-saving compressions and ventilations with personalized feedback on an interactive manikin known as Annie.
 
For more information about the AHA RQI® Program, visit http://cpr.heart.org/AHAECC/CPRAndECC/Training/RQI/UCM_476470_RQI.jsp
 
To learn more about Appalachian Regional Healthcare System visit www.apprhs.org.

Jan. 11 Meeting Notice for the Blue Ridge Chapter of the North Carolina Native Plant Society


Hi Folks,
It’s that time for our monthly meeting soon. It will be held onWednesday January 11th(Second Wednesday) at the Holiday Inn Express, 1943 Blowing Rock Road in Boone. The meeting room will open at 6:30 and we’ll start the meeting at 7:00
 
Our speaker this month will be our own Wendy Patoprsty.  Wendy was with the NC Extension service for years but this past year she became the Director for the Middle Fork Greenway.  She be talking about the Benefits of Greenways for humans, birds, aquatic life, and plants.  Specifically the riparian corridor of greenways can provide links for native riparian species to thrive. She will be giving an overview of greenways in the high country, but will highlight the Middle Fork Greenway and the work being done to connect a pedestrian path from Blowing Rock to Boone. For those who have heard Wendy speak before you know she is a very entertaining speaker.
I Look forward to seeing each of you next week.
A reminder about winter weather: If the Watauga County schools are closed for any part of the day on our meeting date the meeting will be cancelled for that month!

 

Free Small Business Center Workshops

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Centers in Caldwell and Watauga counties offer free and low-cost workshops, one-on-one assistance and many more services to help local small businesses. To reserve your seat at one of the workshops, call 828-726-2242 (Caldwell), 828-297-3811 (Watauga) or visit www.cccti.edu/smallbusiness.

Upcoming free workshops:

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Caldwell Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “Small Business Bootcamp” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18 and Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce in Lenoir and on Wednesday, Jan. 25 and Wednesday, Feb. 22 on CCC&TI’s Watauga Campus in Boone. This course is geared toward those wanting to start their own business and is led by local entrepreneur and former Small Business Center Director David Waechter. The workshop covers the basics of getting your business off the ground and includes information on several topics including: How to name your business and why your business name is so important, registering your business with Secretary of State, how to obtain your LLC, Sole Proprietorship, or Incorporation, how to find the proper tax forms, how to obtain your tax ID or your EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the IRS, how to set up a business checking account and credit card, how to find what licenses and permits you need to get started, renting a space, easy and cost-effective marketing, sales and service and bookkeeping. To reserve your seat, call 828-726-2242 (Caldwell) or 828-297-3811 (Watauga) or visit www.cccti.edu/smallbusiness to register.

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Caldwell Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “Small Business Startup Series: Marketing and Market Research” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30 at the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce in Lenoir. Participants will learn the importance of market research and target marketing when developing a marketing plan and how Marketing Mix decisions can be made using the 5 P’s of Marketing. Attendees will also identify target market segments and develop a marketing strategy for a sample business using SWOT Analysis. Speaker for this workshop is Arlene Childers. To reserve your seat at this workshop, call 828-726-2242 or visit www.cccti.edu/smallbusiness to register.

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Caldwell Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “How to Price Your Product or Service” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27 in Room H-115 on CCC&TI’s Caldwell Campus in Hudson. This course is designed to help attendees identify internal and external factors that should be considered when setting prices for products and services and how to estimate potential market share. The workshop will include business examples that demonstrate how to evaluate pricing methods, develop sales forecasts and measure market potential for products and services. The seminar also introduces breakeven analysis as a tool to assist the entrepreneur in measuring financial feasibility and activities to help identify the kinds of data needed to project revenue, start-up and operating costs of a business. Speaker for this workshop is Arlene Childers. To reserve your seat, call 828-726-2242 or visit www.cccti.edu/smallbusiness to register.

 

Rising Hope Farms Receive Farm Credit Grant

STATESVILLE, NC – Rising Hope Farms (Catawba County) was recently awarded a grant through Carolina Farm Credit’s Corporate Mission Fund.  The grant will be used to build a handicap restroom for riders and an office to house paperwork and medical supplies.  Additional funds will be used to install a viewing area along with a break area and restroom for volunteers.

Kristen Spenser, Sarah Rachels- Carolina Farm Credit, Austin Poore, Joyce Boston, Jeremy Lee- Carolina Farm Credit, Gail Wartner, Jill Sigmon- Carolina Farm Credit Sandy Sherrill, David Poore, Lilly Griggs (on horse)

“Our Corporate Mission Fund is another way that Carolina Farm Credit strives to enhance agriculture and the rural communities in North Carolina.” said Vance Dalton, CEO, Carolina Farm Credit “These grants help provide funding for many great organizations across our territory.”

For the second year, Carolina Farm Credit distributed grants from its Corporate Mission Fund.  $144,000 was awarded to 27 local organizations and 8 college students in 2016, an increase from the $100,000 awarded in 2015. 

For a complete list of 2016 Corporate Mission Fund recipients, please visit carolinafarmcredit.com

Carolina Farm Credit is a stockholder-owned cooperative providing financing to full and part-time farmers and agricultural-related businesses and also provides financing for the construction and purchase of homes in 54 counties through 32 branch offices.  Other financial services available are credit life insurance, appraisal services, leasing programs and financial planning.

For 100 years Farm Credit has been supporting rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. 

Carolina Farm Credit serves over 9,200 members with loans outstanding totaling more than $1.4 billion.  The association’s territory covers the western half of North Carolina, with branch offices located in Albemarle, Asheboro, Asheville, Boone, Browns Summit, Burnsville, Carthage, Concord, Conover, Ellerbe, Graham, Hendersonville, Jefferson, Lenoir, Lexington, Lincolnton, Monroe, Murphy, Pilot Mountain, Roxboro, Rural Hall, Salisbury, Shelby, Siler City, Sparta, Spindale, Statesville, Taylorsville, Waynesville, Wilkesboro, Yadkinville, and Yanceyville.

Carolina Farm Credit was recognized as a 2015 Best Employer in North Carolina.  The list of the Best Employers in North Carolina was created by Business North Carolina, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – NC State Council and Best Companies Group.

Directors for Carolina Farm Credit are L. Kim Starnes, Chairman, Salisbury; W. Rex Bell, Vice-Chairman, Statesville; John M. Barnard, Statesville; E. Bernard Beck, Seagrove; Mark A. Bray, Lawsonville; David M. Coltrane, Pleasant Garden; Susie J. Gambill, Sparta; Joseph A. Lail, Shelby; Clark M. Newlin, Haw River; Thomas E. Porter, Jr., Concord;  Tony L. Ragan, Sanford; D. Kaleb Rathbone, Waynesville; Lewis E. Smith, Lincolnton; Vickie N. Smitherman, East Bend; Dr. Alton Thompson, Summerfield.