FirstHealth of the Carolinas

It's time for another round of congratulations! On Friday, 6 of our employees graduated from the Nursing Leadership Academy and 11 graduated from our Physician Leadership Academy. This program offers valuable educational opportunities to nurses and physicians, enabling them to enhance their current job performance and acquire new skills for career advancement within FirstHealth. The 6 NLA graduates are: Ryan Cole, BSN, RN, Ashley Fields, BSN, RN, CMSRN, Marta Gonzales, BSN, RN-BC, Jason Grooms, BSN, RN, MSNBC, ASMSB, Sarah Marcol, ADN, RN, and Amber Nyce, MSN, RN. The 11 PLA graduates are: Dan Bryson, CRNA, Brian Burlingame, MD, Julie Coggins, NP, Agnes Delaney, PA-C, Laura Hanson, MD, Scott Hollrah, MD, Joshua Jeanty, MD, Ashraf Kobeissi, PA-C, Katie Newell, MD, Meredith Stanton, MD, and Farhad Yazdi, MD.

Whether you're interested in starting a health care training program or looking to grow in an existing career, FirstHealth of the Carolinas is here to support you. Today we hosted a College & Career Fair for our community and our very own FirstHealth employees. Thank you to everyone who participated! FirstHealth offers various training academies to employees to help facilitate career growth and to help employees explore opportunities in healthcare. If you're interested in a career in health care, view our open positions: https://lnkd.in/ep_YxVhw

During National Hospice Week, we are highlighting the work of the health care heroes who provide an environment of support for patients and their families at the end of life. In the latest FirstHealth & Wellness Podcast, Hospice provider Dr. Timothy Beittel and Hospice director Tina Gibbs break down common misconceptions about hospice care and information and strategies for those interested in end-of-life care options. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3O7c5BP

HONORING VETERANS | With Veterans Day on Monday, what better way to finish the week than by honoring those who have served our country. We have dozens of veterans in our FirstHealth family, and their unwavering commitment to our country and the communities we serve is a constant inspiration. A special thank you to Col. Eric Vanek, U.S. Army, for delivering the keynote address at today's celebration. FirstHealth's veterans also received coins in recognition of their dedicated service.

NEWS | FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, including its Hoke and Richmond campuses, has been recognized as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopaedic Surgery by Healthgrades. Moore Regional also earned the 2025 Orthopaedic Surgery Excellence award, placing the hospital among the nation’s top 10% for overall orthopaedic services. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e_ixxsMf

Congratulations to our graduates! On Monday, we proudly celebrated 13 employees who completed the Foundations of Leadership course through FirstU. This program offers valuable educational opportunities, enabling our team members to enhance their current job performance and acquire new skills for career advancement within FirstHealth. The 13 graduates are: Kristi Beil, Michael Braxton, Lisa Crawford, Katie Frazier, Aimee Haley, Maloree Hobson, Teresa Hunt, Lisa McNish, Carissa Mercer, Kristi Myrick, Diow Singthong, Stacy Stratton, and Leslie Stone.

We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with Methodist University. Working with the Nursing School, we have created the Dedicated Education Unit, an innovative clinical education model that provides nursing students with enhanced, hands-on learning experiences.

We were honored to contribute to the North Carolina Nurses Association Nurse Recovery Fund. We know that the recovery from Helene will take months and years. The FirstHealth family is committed to helping people get back on their feet and delivering on our core purpose - To Care for People.

PROVIDER SPOTLIGHT | Meet Misty Pedacchio, a certified physician assistant who has served as a key part of FirstHealth's hospitalist team since 2007. Driven by her passion for health care from an early age, Misty knew in high school that she wanted to work in the medical field. She graduated from Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania with both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in a condensed five-year program. "What I enjoy most about my job is that no day is the same,” she shared. “I love meeting a patient, diagnosing a problem and formulating a plan to help them. It’s incredibly rewarding for them to leave the hospital in a better condition.” She also values the strong sense of community within the hospitalist group and considers her colleagues as her work family. Outside of work, Misty enjoys spending time outdoors, especially by the water, and loves cooking and being with friends and family.

As we seek to streamline care for patients, we are happy to make FirstHealth On the Go available through MyChart. This integration will offer our patients an improved, all-in-one experience for accessing virtual care, appointment requests, test results, prescription refills, bill payments and more. Details about the change: https://lnkd.in/dzzwNe6n