Business Buzz: 10/30/20

October 30, 2020

Mission Hospital hospitals successfully participated in the second annual Crush the Crisis event this year along with approximately 95 other HCA Healthcare facilities across 16 states. Mission partnered with local law enforcement and in alignment with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s  National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the Crush the Crisis event was implemented to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and proper disposal of medications.

Award 

  • NC Attorney General Josh Stein honored Buncombe County Opioid Response Coordinator Amy Upham with a Dogwood Award in a virtual ceremony Oct. 21. The Dogwood Awards are given annually to honor North Carolinians dedicated to keeping people safe, healthy, and happy in their communities. Stein notes the award highlights the good work of people across the state quietly working in their communities to create solutions to our most pressing issues. Congrats, Amy!
  • The Asheville Habitat ReStore has announced the winners of its ninth annual ReStore ReUse Contest. With over 70 contest entries, the judging panel had a tough job whittling the selections down to a handful of winners. This year saw the addition of a new category- Art, which brought in an impressive number of submissions. Photos of the winning entries can be viewed here, and photos of all submissions can be seen in this online photo album. Congratulations to the 2020 ReStore ReUse Contest winners!

Community 

  • Ready for some holiday spirit? Join the Asheville Outlets to view the ‘People’s Tree’ on its way from Colorado to Washington, D.C. during a ‘Whistle Stop Tour’ stop Tuesday, November 17th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. During the three-hour viewing, in-person AND drive-by options will be available. Activities are open to the public and free! Face coverings are required and social distancing protocols will be in effect.

Hire 

  • IFB Solutions, the nation’s largest employer of people who are blind, just appointed Russ Stinehour as its Asheville Advisory Board Chair. Russ, who is visually impaired, is the founder of DigitalChalk here in Asheville, and is now the COO of Sciolytix based in New York City. Russ brings a unique perspective to his new role as Chair, and is passionate about helping others who are blind use technology to improve their lives.
  • HomeTrust Bank announced that C. Hunter Westbrook will assume the position of President and COO of the bank effective October 28, 2020. Mr. Westbrook is a 30-year banking veteran who served as President and CEO of two community banks before joining HTB.  Mr. Westbrook also worked for nearly 20 years in various senior level positions with TCF Bank and its parent, TCF Financial Corporation. He earned his Master’s of Business Administration degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting & Business from West Virginia University.

Opening 

  • The Asheville Art Museum presents Fantastical Forms: Ceramics as Sculpture on view at the Museum November 4, 2020 through April 5, 2021. The 25 works in this exhibition—curated by associate curator Whitney Richardson—highlight the Museum’s Collection of sculptural ceramics from the last two decades of the 20th century to the present. Each work illustrates the artist’s ability to push beyond the utilitarian and transition ceramics into the world of sculpture.  The Museum welcomes visitors Wednesday through Monday from 11am to 6pm, with late-night Thursdays from 11am to 9pm. The Museum is closed on Tuesdays.

Outreach 

  • 90% of the children at the Irene Wortham Early Learning Center live at or below poverty level, with 40% also having developmental disabilities. The holidays can be a financially stressful time for many of these families. You can support a child and their family this holiday season by donating to the Irene’s Elves holiday donation drive! Contact Sydney Reichert at sreichert@iwcnc.org or 828-274-6053 to get involved! You will receive a wish list ranging from $50-$100 with clothes sizes and toy preferences for each child you support. If you prefer to make a monetary contribution, Irene Wortham staff will do the shopping for you.
  • Mission Hospital collected 129.31 pounds of opioid medications during its “Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day Saturday to help combat the nation’s opioid crisis. Community members participated in the event by dropping off unused and expired prescription medications. Mission Health hospitals participated in this second annual event along with approximately 95 other HCA Healthcare facilities across 16 states. Partnering with local law enforcement and in alignment with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the Crush the Crisis event was implemented to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and proper disposal of medications.

Partnership

  • Mission Health has partnered with Sarah Cannon, the Cancer Institute of HCA Healthcare, to expand its comprehensive cancer services for the thousands of patients facing the disease across the western North Carolina region. Through the partnership, Mission Hospital and the SECU and Hope Cancer Centers will continue to serve as comprehensive cancer programs providing disease-specific services across the continuum of care, and will be supported by Mission Health’s other additional facilities providing diagnostic and support services.

Press 

  • Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours was recently featured in a WRAL news video segment. The video, which was filmed before the pandemic, shows Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours founder Kaye Bentley taking her guests on a tour of Asheville history as seen from the rooftop bars downtown. Watch the segment here. Congratulations, Kaye!

Wellness 

  • As the owner of your own business, you create culture through leadership. What priority do you place on wellness? As this year draws to a close, it’s a great time to reflect on whether or not you’ve created conditions where your team can tend to their on wellbeing. If you want to make your workplace even better, Pure Wellness has a business subscription program that can help you cover all your employees and give them free, 24/7 access to on-demand and livestream access to virtual classes, workshops, and tutorials led by experienced educators. The program has one easy and small-business friendly monthly charge. Invest in your team and pay dividends to your business too! Learn more and sign up today here.