Page 78 - Robeson Living

Nellis named SeHealth director

By Roxana Ross
J
Deborah Nellis has been named director of maternal/child health services for
Southeastern Health. She is responsible for Southeastern Regional Medical Center’s
obstetrics and gynecology, labor and delivery, and postpartum mother/baby units as well
as the Level II neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Nellis comes to Lumberton from McKinney, Texas, but she spent most of her nursing
career in Pittsburgh, Pa., where she was a nurse for more than three decades. She received
her bachelor’s in nursing from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, her master’s degree
in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh, and her doctorate in nursing from Robert
Morris University in Moon Township, Pa.

“I came here because I was so impressed with everybody I met and interviewed with,” she
said. “I knew this was going to be a good fit. I like the community, and I like that it’s a
smaller, more personable community where people can get to know one another.”
Deborah Nellis
Nellis lives in Lumberton with her husband, James.

SRMC NICU offers rare neonatal therapy

By Roxana Ross

The field of neonatal therapy is relatively new, and
Southeastern Health’s Southeastern Regional Medical
Center is very proud to have two therapists who can work
in the highly specialized environment of the Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Since 2016, Occupational
Therapist and Inpatient Rehab Services Coordinator
Jyutika Zope and Physical Therapist William Hunt have
been working with full-term and premature babies at
SRMC. Their work is aided by upgrades made in 2017 to
the unit, which can care for babies born up to 10 weeks
early.

“Not a lot of therapists go into the NICU,” Hunt said. “It
requires additional training and mentorship, and because
it’s so specialized, it can be hard to find people to mentor
Dr. Lauren Bullard, 27, of Pembroke, observes as therapists, William you in this area. We conduct evaluations, develop
Hunt, left, and Jyutika Zope, prepare to provide physical therapy in the treatment plans, and as they progress to go home, we
SRMC NICU to Bullard’s 1-week-old daughter, Alexis Bullard, who was integrate the family into that plan.”
born at SRMC preterm at 36 weeks.

Kayla White, of Lumberton, is a nurse at SRMC who is also a parent of a child who went through the NICU. Her son, Harrison, who
turns 1 this weekend, was born six weeks early but is now thriving.

(Cont. on next page)

work
in the
highly
special
ized
enviro
nment
of the
Neona
tal
Intensi
ve
Care
Unit
(NICU SeHe
). Since
2016, alth
Occup
ational anno
Thera
pist unce
and
Inpatie s new
nt
Rehab walk-
Service
s in
Coordi
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.