Page 50 - Robeson Living Summer 2020

SeHealth welcomes cardiologist

J
Alan Zhu, M.D., has joined Southeastern Health’s Southeastern Cardiology and Cardiovascular Clinic and
Southeastern Health Heart and Vascular, providing general cardiology and electrophysiology.

Dr. Zhu earned his medical degree from Tongji Medical University, in China, in 1982. He earned a master of
science degree in biometry from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis, Min-
nesota, in 1991. He completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Minnesota Medical School
in 2003.

He competed a fellowship in cardiology at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, Califor-
nia, in 2006, and an electrophysiology fellowship at University of Minnesota in 2007. He is a fellow of the
America College of Cardiology.

He is board certified in both cardiovascular disease and clinical cardiac electrophysiology. Since 2011, he has worked as a cardiologist
D at Mercy Cardiology, Mercy Medical Center, Sioux City, Iowa.
r
. Southeastern Cardiology and Cardiovascular Clinic is located at 2934 North Elm Street, Suite 103 in the Southeastern Health Mall on
L the campus of Biggs Park Mall. For more information, call (910) 671-6619.
a
u McNeill awarded SeHealth’s highest nursing honor
r
a Southeastern Regional Medical Center Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse Tess McNeill was honored as SR
M Southeastern Health’s 2020 Baker Nurse of Excellence Tuesday night, May 12. McNeill was named as this M By Roxana Ross
u year’s honoree during a virtual ceremony hosted by the organization’s Professional Growth Council as part
s of National Nurses Week. C The field of neonatal
s “Tess is the perfect example of what a leader should be,” wrote the anonymous coworker who nominated therapy is relatively
e McNeill for the award. “She not only provides excellent care, but she also plays a vital role in making the NI new, and Southeastern
l ICU an excellent work environment.” Health’s Southeastern
w McNeill lives in Lumberton with her husband, Justin. She has worked for SeHealth since 2016 in the ICU at CU Regional Medical
h SRMC as well as in various other nursing departments as needed. Center is very proud to
i off have two therapists
t “Being a nurse allows me to help those in need and possibly be the difference in life or death for some patients,” said McNeill. “It re- who can work in the
highly
specialized
e quires more than advanced knowledge and skillset. It also takes patience, dedication, respectfulness, and reliability. I am honored to be
a nurse and to have the ability to make such a positive impact in my patients’ lives.” ers environment of the
Intensive
Neonatal
In addition to McNeill, the other 2020 finalist nominees were: Merita Bullock, Marsha Davis and Mary Ivey. The winner was selected rar Care Unit (NICU).
by a panel based on nomination applications submitted by peers as well as interviews. Since 2016,
Past Baker winners are Don “Jake” Jacobs, 2019; Deborah Peterson, 2018; Sharon Smith, 2017; Cynthia Kinlaw, 2016; Tammy McDuff- e Occupational Therapist
and Inpatient Rehab
ie, 2015; Elizabeth Moore, 2014; and Melissa Britt, 2013. Services Coordinator

The Baker Nurse of Excellence award, formerly known as the Nurse of the Year, was renamed in 2014 in honor of Dr. Horace Baker, ne Jyutika Zope and
Sr., founder of the Baker Sanatorium which later merged with Thompson Hospital to form what was known as the Baker-Thompson Physical Therapist
Memorial Hospital in Lumberton in 1946. These two older facilities were replaced by a new 140-bed hospital known as Robeson County on William Hunt have
breat Memorial Hospital in 1953 which later became Southeastern Regional Medical Center. The overall organization was renamed South- been working with
he eastern Health in 2013 but the medical center retained the Southeastern Regional Medical Center name. ata full-term and
bette premature babies at
r in l SRMC. Their work is
his Page 50 Robeson Living ~ Summer 2020 aided by upgrades
slee the made in 2017 to the
p. unit, which can care
for babies born up to
rap 10 weeks early.

work y “Not a lot of therapists
in the go into the NICU,”
highly
special Hunt said. “It requires
additional training and
ized mentorship, and
enviro
nment because it’s so
specialized, it can be
of the hard to find people to
Neona
tal mentor you in this
We
conduct
area.
Intensi evaluations, develop
ve
Care treatment plans, and
Unit as they gress to go
home, we integrate the
(NICU SeHe
). Since family into that plan.”
2016, alth
Occup
ational anno
Thera
pist unce
and
Inpatie s new
nt
Rehab walk-
Service
s
Coordi in
nator
Jyutika clin
Zope
and
Physic
al
Thera
pist
Willia
m
Hunt
have
been
workin
g with
full-
term
and
premat
ure
babies
at
SRMC.
Their
work is
aided
by
upgrad
es
made
in
2017
to the
unit,
which
can
care
for
babies
born
up to
10
weeks
early.

“Not a
lot of
therapi
sts go
into
the
NICU,
” Hunt
said.
“It
require
s
additio
nal
trainin
g and
mentor
ship,
and
becaus
e it’s so
special
ized, it
can be
hard
to find
people
to
mentor
you in
this
area.
We
conduc
t
evalua
tions,
develo
p
treatm
ent
plans,
and as
they
progre
ss to go
home,
we
integra
te the
family
into
that
plan.”

Kayla
White,
of
Lumbe
rton, is
a nurse
at
SRMC
who is
also a
parent
of a
child
who
went
throug
h the
NICU.
Her
son,
Harris
on,
who
turns 1
this
weeken
d, was
born
six
weeks
early
but is
now
thrivin
g.