Business Buzz: 8/17/22

August 17, 2022

Announcement: 

  • Mercy Urgent Care has announced its new program, Mercy Mindful, bringing mental healthcare services to its West Asheville location at 1201 Patton Ave. To lead this program, Mercy hired two new providers specializing in mental health, physician assistants Megan Peterson and Rachael McLean. Mercy Mindful services will be available upon patient request or provider referral to patients 16 and older by appointment. Services offered include: psychiatric evaluations and medication management for depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD, eating disorders, substance use, and other mental health concerns; trauma-informed care; and referrals for neuropsychological, ADHD or autism testing, if appropriate. Learn more.
  • The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts has announced a full lineup of world-class companies and performers for its 2022/2023 season, which runs from September 2022 through May 2023. Beginning with a season-opening concert on Saturday, Sept. 10, the Wortham Center’s 2022/2023 season brings a wide range of top touring artists in music, theater, dance, comedy and other performing arts, as well as ancillary classes, workshops and events. Throughout the nine-month season, the Wortham Center will present a total of 44 performances from 23 phenomenal artists. An additional 12 performances from nine artists make up this season’s Student Series, which provides school groups and families with the opportunity to see world-class works of art.  Tickets for all performances go on sale at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25 and will be available at worthamarts.org, as well as in person at the box office or by calling 828-257-4530. The theatre offers flexible, multi-show discount packages starting with as few as three performances. Savings range from 10-20% off regular prices, depending on the number of performances; multi-show packages are available only through the box office, either in person or by calling 828-257-4530. New this year are Season Subscriptions, with the biggest discount of 28% off ticket prices, plus no processing or building operations fees. Details available here or by calling the box office.

Accomplishment:

  • AdventHealth Hendersonville has announced they have received another national recognition for an overall five-star rating in quality from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the latest hospital performance report released by the federal agency. This recognition makes AdventHealth Hendersonville the only hospital in Western North Carolina to hold both the CMS Five-Star Rating and the “A” Grade for safety from The Leapfrog Group. Of the more than 4,500 hospitals eligible to receive the CMS star ratings, only 431 received five-star ratings. AdventHealth Hendersonville is one of only two hospitals in Western North Carolina to earn five-stars and one of 12 in the entire state. This recognition is the highest rating of overall quality and places AdventHealth Hendersonville in the top 13 percent nationally for quality and patient safety. Read more.
  • Mission Hospital A3 West (medical surgical unit) registered nurse Ariana Weaver was selected as a DAISY Award winner for her compassion and excellence in patient care. The wife of a recent patient nominated Weaver for this special award. Weaver said she loves getting to come to work as a nurse every day and care for people during their most vulnerable time, and encourage them on their path to healing and wellness. Weaver started out at Mission Hospital as a CNA, left for a brief time, then returned as a registered nurse at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I realized how much I enjoyed caring for people. This is the perfect job for someone who wants to care and show compassion – and all the tools and skills you get through nursing – it’s so unique and one of a kind,” Weaver said. 

Findings:

  • Data shows North Carolina YMCAs’ investment in professional development around character development is paying off in student progress and counter-acting pandemic-related learning loss. According to the NC Alliance of YMCAs, which tested 3,100 youth between February and May to assess the impact of its afterschool programs, 87% improved in at least one character development competency and 66% in two or more of the five competencies. Even during this short period of time, the data indicates that children further developed important skills; this is worth celebrating during a school year with ongoing COVID-19 challenges and as the new school year approaches. Read more.

Happenings:

  • Need help strategizing how to market your local business? Get access to a host of marketing experts at the DIY Tourism and Local Marketing Workshop November 14-15. And as an AVL Chamber member, you can get a special Local’s Day discount below. Effectively enticing visitors to make a reservation, attend your events, and shop at your local businesses is tough enough on its own. This type of marketing requires a combination of skill, strategy, and creativity. That’s why we created the DIY Tourism Marketing Workshop. In its 6th year, this annual event held right here in Asheville provides the latest digital strategies, resources, and tools to help you reach potential visitors and motivate them to visit. Grab your ticket here. For the first time, we are offering a Locals-Only One-Day Pass. Use promo code AVLChamberDayPass to unlock our Day Pass for 50% off the full price.

Hire: 

  • United Federal Credit Union (United) has announced the appointment of Robert Price to Mortgage Advisor in North Carolina. Price will provide mortgage services to the Asheville and Hendersonville regions. Price will use his expertise to provide a quality real estate lending experience through financial counseling and product awareness to credit union members regarding their real estate financing needs and generate investment quality mortgage loans. He brings over 22 years of real estate and lending experience to his new role and pairs his industry knowledge with a passion to help people find the right mortgage option for their new home. Price was most recently a Real Estate Broker at Coldwell Banker. Price holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of North Carolina and an Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration from Buncombe Technical Community College.