Catawba Valley Medical Center

03/13/2026

Join us in congratulating Tanya Absher as our 2025 C.A.R.E Employee of the Year! Tanya was named C.A.R.E Employee of the Month in March 2025, and was selected as the C.A.R.E Employee of the Year by our C.A.R.E committee. Tanya serves our organization as a Pyxis Coordinator for our inpatient pharmacy department.

Tanya's original nomination read, “Tanya consistently goes above and beyond in her role, ensuring that medications are stored properly and promptly for our patients. As Pyxis Coordinator, she is often the first team member to arrive and one of the last to leave. She plays a key role in training and supporting her colleagues and is one of the most knowledgeable members of our department. Her contributions extend far beyond Pyxis management—she regularly covers for team members during vacations, assists with purchasing medications, and plays a critical role in shortage management. Recently, Tanya went out of her way to help us avoid a significant shortage issue by coming in early to proactively move medications, without being asked. This level of initiative and dedication exemplifies her commitment to patient care and teamwork.”

2025 CARE Monthly Recipients
January: Amanda Walker, Organizational Learning
February: Stacey Chapman, Nutrition Care
March: Tanya Absher, Pharmacy
April: Michellle Ebeling, Laboratory
May: Phillip Campbell, Plant Operations
June: Jessica McFalls, Critical Care
July: Emily Annas, AOD
August: Lauren Jolly, Day Surgery
September: Casey Efird, Psychiatry
October: Paige Sigmon, Transitions of Care
November: Stephanie Morton, Surgical
December: Amanda Smith, Radiological Imaging

Care Employee of the Year Recipients
2006: Ann Moore
2007: Nancy Anderson
2008: Frida Sigmon
2009: Elliot Boston
2010: Allison Burris
2011: Nora Buxton
2012: Tommy Willis
2014: Erin Kushner
2015: Jeff Eudy
2016: Todd Starnes
2017: Jan Brasel
2018: Veronica Ballabeni
2019: Brianna Howell
2022: Joan Lane
2023: Amanda Helms
2024: Christy Greene
2025: Tanya Absher

The C.A.R.E Award is given monthly to a Catawba Valley Health System employee who has exhibited Courtesy, Attitude, Respect, and Enthusiasm throughout their work. Yearly, one of those employees is named C.A.R.E employee of the Year.

To learn more about becoming one of the exceptional team members who work at CVHS, visit our careers page at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Careers.

03/05/2026

03/03/2026

After years of serving in our Birthing Center — walking alongside women and families as they welcomed new life into the world — Lauren Shoemaker and Christina Jenkins are stepping into new roles at Catawba Valley Health System, bringing the same compassion and dedication with them.

Lauren has been with CVHS for 15 years, beginning as a new graduate on the Medical Unit before transferring to the Birthing Center. There, she served as a bedside nurse, Patient Care Coordinator, Clinical Care Manager and Nurse Manager before transitioning to Heart & Vascular. Her experience in high-stress, fast-paced situations — from bedside care to leadership — helped prepare her for this next step. She’s grateful for the opportunity to grow within the organization while returning to direct patient care and making a difference in patients’ lives.

Christina has been part of CVHS for 11 years, spending her entire career in the Birthing Center as a bedside nurse, preceptor, charge nurse and Clinical Care Manager. During that time, she returned to school to further her education and challenge herself professionally — all while remaining within the CVHS family. Today, she is serving as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Catawba Valley Neurology, continuing her passion for patient care in a new specialty.

Their journeys reflect something we deeply value at CVHS: when team members feel called to grow, shift specialties or take on new challenges, we support them. Through tuition reimbursement, leadership encouragement, flexibility and internal opportunities, our goal is not just to hire great people — it’s to invest in them long term and help them build meaningful, lasting careers here.

“I have always loved taking care of patients and being that person to help bring comfort and reassurance during a stressful time… The gratification of knowing that I made a small difference fills my cup,” said Lauren.

“I get the privilege of helping improve patients’ quality of life. I get to spend more time loving on people, holding their hand and helping them find answers … take a leap of faith and enjoy the ride. There will never be a perfect time,” said Christina.

If you’re looking for a place where you can grow, evolve and build a long-term career, explore opportunities with CVHS today. To learn more, visit CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Careers.

02/25/2026

Rain or shine, it was a great morning at the Farmers Market! While the rain may have started the day, it quickly turned into a beautiful opportunity to connect with our community.

In recognition of World Heart Month, our HealthFirst and Heart & Vascular teams organized and staffed a Heart Care information booth to share tips, resources, and education focused on keeping hearts healthy. Throughout February, we’re proud to highlight the importance of prevention, early detection, and heart-healthy habits that can make a lasting difference.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to learn more about caring for your heart — your health matters to us, this month and every month. To learn more about heart care services offered at Catawba Valley Health System visit CatawbaValleyHealth.org/HeartVascular

02/23/2026

Catawba Valley Health System is proud to announce its latest quarterly DAISY Award winner – Tessa Bradshaw, RN, Emergency Room Charge Nurse. Her nomination read:

“Tessa advocates for all her patients. As charge nurse most of her shifts, she advocates for every patient in the department. A recent patient really stands out. The adolescent patient had an extended length of stay in the ED due to multiple circumstances. Tessa and the patient really bonded. Tessa spent time reassuring the patient that he should believe in himself and that although he had made some bad decisions, those bad decisions did not define who he was going to be.

“Tessa spent time helping him do homework, specifically writing rap songs and stories. Tessa recognized boredom and brought the patient a very large lego set in for the patient to work on. Staff was amazed at how much the patient enjoyed working on the Lego set and how he would spend hours on the tedious project. The patient was excited to send Tessa pictures of the progress. I also witnessed Tessa using her lunch break to help him work on the project.

“On the day of discharge, the patient made it a point to have me tell Tessa goodbye and thank her for being so nice to him. Tessa made a difference in this patient, and I am confident he will never forget her kindness.”

The DAISY Foundation was established by the family of J. Patrick Barnes after he died of complications of the auto-immune disease ITP in 1999. During his hospitalization, they deeply appreciated the care and compassion shown to Patrick and his entire family. When he died, they felt compelled to say “thank you” to nurses in a very public way.

The award is given in numerous countries around the world. To learn more, visit DAISYFoundation.org. If you would like to nominate someone to receive the DAISY Award, visit CatawbaValleyHealth.org/DAISY.

02/20/2026

Catawba Valley Health System has announced the appointment of Dr. Phil Greene as its Chief Medical Officer (CMO) effective March 30, 2026. Dr. Greene previously worked at CVHS in a variety of leadership positions from 2011-2021. He had been serving first as CMO and then later as CEO of Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, NC.

While previously at CVHS, Dr. Greene served in several leadership capacities including Hospitalist, Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, and Chief of Staff. He was also physician advisor for clinical documentation and health informatics.

Dennis Johnson, president and CEO of CVHS, said, “Dr. Greene is an exceptional leader with strong communication and leadership skills and has a deep understanding of our organization. We are fortunate to have him return to CVHS during this important time in our organization’s commitment to growth, expansion and the successful delivery of our promise to the community – ‘Where Compassion Meets Innovation’.”

In addition to serving as one of the senior executives of Catawba Valley Health System, Dr. Greene will also play a vital role in the recruitment and retention of physicians and Advance Practice Providers (APPs). Dr. Greene will also be key in strengthening quality and safety outcomes and enhancing physician engagement across the system.

Dr. Tom Hustead had been serving as the organization’s interim Chief Medical Officer and will remain with the organization for a short time to ensure a seamless transition to Dr. Greene in that role.

Johnson added, “I want to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Hustead for his outstanding work, leadership and the significant progress he has helped drive during his time with us. His contributions have been invaluable to our organization. We know that Dr. Greene will continue to push forward this important work.

To learn more about Catawba Valley Health System, visit CatawbaValleyHealth.org.

02/18/2026

Join us in congratulating our February C.A.R.E Award Recipient – Mai Chi Khang! Mai Chi serves as a Certified Medical Assistant at CVFM – Maiden.

“I would like to nominate Mai Chi for the C.A.R.E. Award for consistently exemplifying Courtesy, Attitude, Respect, and Enthusiasm while going above and beyond to create positive experiences for patients, families, and coworkers. Mai Chi is positive 100% of the time — all day, every day. She always has a smile, a calm demeanor, and a willingness to help wherever needed. She works closely with Dr. Olejarz, one of Maiden’s busiest providers, supporting long clinic days (7:30 AM–6:30 PM) and half-day Thursdays without complaint. Despite the demanding schedule, Mai Chi shows up every day, never calls out, and thoughtfully schedules her time off around the provider’s needs to ensure continuity of care,” according to the person who nominated Mai Chi. “Mai Chi is deeply committed to patient care. If a patient calls with a question and she is not actively rooming, she takes the time to answer or speak directly with them rather than delaying care. The amount of follow-up required for Dr. Olejarz’s patients is significantly higher than average due to the exceptional quality of care they provide — and Mai Chi meets that demand with consistency, accuracy, and dedication. Together, they follow up on everything they touch, ensuring no detail is missed. What makes Mai Chi truly exceptional is that she never complains and never asks for help, even when help is readily available. She simply does the work — thoroughly, compassionately, and with pride. Her professionalism, reliability, and unwavering positive attitude reflect our commitment to exceptional care at the highest level. Quite simply, we need more Mai Chis.”

The C.A.R.E Award is given monthly to a Catawba Valley Health System employee who has exhibited Courtesy, Attitude, Respect, and Enthusiasm throughout their work.

To learn more about becoming one of the exceptional team members who work at CVHS, visit our careers page at CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Careers.

02/13/2026

We loved celebrating our Catawba Valley Health System team with a little Valentine’s Day sweetness!

This week, medical center staff were invited to drop in and create their own candy bags at our Candy Crush event, while our primary and specialty care clinics received candy bag deliveries to share the love across all locations.

A small treat to say a big THANK YOU for the care, compassion, and heart you bring to our patients every single day. Happy Valentine’s Day, CVHS!

02/11/2026

Catawba Valley Medical Center has upgraded one of our Varian TrueBeam™ Linear Accelerators in the Radiation Oncology program — bringing even more advanced technology and precision to patient care.

When you’re undergoing cancer treatment, every appointment matters. This upgraded TrueBeam allows treatments to be delivered faster, more accurately, and with greater safety — right here at home.

It supports highly targeted radiation therapy for many types of cancer, including specialized treatments for brain, lung, liver and breast cancers.

What does this mean for patients?
- Faster treatments with RapidArc® Dynamic technology, reducing time on the treatment table while better protecting healthy tissue
- Clearer imaging in half the time with HyperSight™, allowing for more precise targeting
- Real-time movement monitoring with Surface Guidance technology — the only system of its kind in the area — which automatically pauses treatment if you move, ensuring precision and peace of mind

"The newest version of the Varian TrueBeam Linear Accelerator we just installed continues to improve on the best system available for cancer treatments. These improvements significantly reduce the amount of time each patient spends on the treatment table, while at the same time increasing treatment precision and image quality," said CVMC's Director of Radiaiton Oncology, Len Hurst. "Better image quality and greater precision mean we can see and target the tumor volume more accurately while avoiding all the normal tissues and organs next to the tumor. This means better outcomes and fewer side effects for patients. There are other TrueBeam systems in the area, but none with these updated capabilities."

Cancer treatment can feel overwhelming, but access to advanced, accurate technology close to home can make a meaningful difference. Upgrading to this latest TrueBeam reflects our commitment to delivering innovative, compassionate care to our community.

To learn more about Radiation Oncology services at Catawba Valley Medical Center, visit CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Cancer.

The comprehensive cancer center at Catawba Valley Medical Center was the first in the area to achieve accreditation from the American College of Surgeons

02/08/2026

Small jerseys, big hearts — cheering on Super Bowl LX one cuddle at a time. 🏆🏈

02/06/2026

On Friday, Feb. 6, employees and volunteers throughout Catawba Valley Health System rocked their red!

Go Red for Women is a national event, which takes place on National Wear Red Day, to acknowledge that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women.

We asked employees throughout our health system to wear red to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke in women, and help save lives. Why? Because losing even one woman to cardiovascular disease is too many.

To learn more about the cardiac care offered at CVHS, visit us online at CatawbaHeart.com

02/04/2026

February is World Heart Month! This month, we’re celebrating heart health and raising awareness about the importance of cardiovascular care for you and your loved ones. At Catawba Valley Health System, we’re proud to offer comprehensive heart and vascular services designed to support our community at every stage of their heart health journey — from preventive care to advanced treatments and ongoing management.

Our Heart & Vascular Care Includes:
• Expert cardiology services at Catawba Valley Cardiology, where our team of cardiologists brings more than 110+ years of combined experience to help protect your heart and vascular health.
• General cardiology and preventive care, including EKGs, pulse oximetry, stress testing, and heart failure follow-up.
• Advanced diagnostics and imaging, such as echocardiograms, MUGA scans, Holter & event monitoring, and trans-esophageal echocardiography — helping providers detect issues early and tailor personalized care plans.
• Interventional procedures offered both in the clinic and at CVMC — from pacemaker implantation (including minimally invasive devices like the Medtronic Micra) to cardiac catheterizations, stent placements, and cardioversion procedures.
• Heart failure management, including dedicated follow-up care designed to improve quality of life and reduce emergency visits.
• Cardiac device & monitoring support, with specialized follow-up care for pacemakers, defibrillators, and other heart rhythm devices.
• Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs that pair education with monitored exercise to support recovery after cardiac events or surgery.

With around-the-clock care available through the Heart Center and collaboration between Catawba Valley Cardiology and Catawba Valley Medical Center, you and your family have access to a full continuum of heart care right here in our community.

Learn more about how we support heart health:
https://www.catawbavalleyhealth.org/location/catawba-valley-cardiology/
https://www.catawbavalleyhealth.org/services/heart/