Health news: Longtime Pardee surgeon retiring; Four Seasons has two honored

HENDERSONVILLE — Longtime local orthopedic surgeon Amal Das, M.D., is retiring on Dec. 31 after serving the community for more than 30 years. He was honored at Pardee UNC Health Care Board of Directors' meeting in December.

He's worked with Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics (SESM), a department of Pardee Hospital, doing hip and joint replacement surgeries.

According to a news release, Das joined the medical staff at Pardee in 1989 and has been a leading voice on arthritis and joint replacement and reconstruction for more than three decades. He served as the Chair of the Pardee Department of Surgery from 2004-05 and was instrumental in establishing the Pardee Center for Joint Replacement in 1999.

In addition to newspapers across the US citing his research, Dr. Das wrote the foreword to the No. 1-New York Times bestseller, “The Arthritis Cure.” He also authored several groundbreaking academic papers on complex hip revision, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate treatment for knee arthritis, the release said.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Das has performed more than 8,000 hip and knee replacements.

Four Seasons Chief Clinical Officer named 2023 Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing

FLAT ROCK — Four Seasons’ Chief Clinical Officer Richelle (Rikki) Hooper, MBA, MSN, FNP, ACHPN, NE-BC, has been named a 2023 Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing, according to a news release from Four Seasons.

Awarded by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), the designation of HPNA Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing is given to HPNA members who have "made significant contributions to HPNA, the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC), and/or the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF), while also impacting the field of hospice and palliative nursing," the release said.

“We are very proud of Rikki being acknowledged by this significant honor. It not only demonstrates her commitment to personal learning and growth but also to that of advancing learning and growth in others," said Four Seasons President & CEO, Dr. Millicent Burke-Sinclair, Ed.D, MBA, MLAS, SPHR®, SHRM SCP in the release. "Over the 19 years Rikki has worked with us, she has positively impacted the lives of patients, families and staff with our organization as well as regionally and nationally. Daily she engages from a place of openness and excellence, always striving to co-create the very best care for our employees and for those whom we serve. Rikki, we are grateful for you and so very honored to be able to celebrate your continued accomplishments and dedication to excellence and compassion in palliative and hospice care.”

According to the release, HPNA describes Ms. Hooper as "an educator and speaker, and she served on the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Task Force for Quality and the Center to Advance Palliative Care Home-Based Workgroup. Ms. Hooper has served on HPNA’s Clinical Practice Forum Planning Committee.”

“It has been my honor to serve members of our communities in so many ways over the years and to share my passion for bringing quality care to those who are dealing with serious illness with others," Hooper said in the release. "Being recognized by HPNA as a nurse leader in this field is a true reflection of the incredible work our team does on a daily basis and I am so proud to be able to represent them and Four Seasons in this way.”

Four Seasons’ CNA Nikki Granere wins Georgia Crump Certified Nursing Assistant Award

FLAT ROCK — Four Seasons’ recently retired Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Jocelyn Nicole (Nikki) Granere was presented with the 2022 Georgia Crump Award, which honors nursing assistants for the heroic work they do every day.

According to a news release, the award was presented in a ceremony that also recognized Granere for her 20 years of service to Four Seasons. She was honored with the award by Georgia Crump, herself, who presented her with a plaque.

“Nikki has been a key presence at Four Seasons Hospice for 20 years and has worked incredibly hard and given tremendous dedication to providing the best end-of-life care and comfort to our patients and families,” said Four Seasons Team Leader Crystal Gera in the release. “We have been blessed by her devotion and her willingness to help whenever the need arises. She is recognized for the unending love she has given to all of her patients. Even the most challenging situations are met with a gentle touch and can-do attitude.”

During her 20 years serving at Four Seasons, Granere precepted many CNAs, preparing them to provide the same level of excellence in care, the release said. She obtained her Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing Assistant Certification (CHPNA) and then provided training classes and workshops for other Four Seasons' CNAs with the same goal.

In addition to the award, Four Seasons recognized Granere's 20 years of service by installing a paver inscribed with “Nikki Granere, Thank you for 20 Years of Service” in front of the Greatrex Administrative Offices in Flat Rock. The ceremony was attended by friends, family and colleagues.

“I loved my ‘job’ from day one to day 7,300 and feel honored to have been a part of so many lives," Granere, who retired this year, said. "I witnessed millions of beautiful moments that showed me real love and the full meaning of family. I have also witnessed and experienced more grief than I could ever imagine. But for everything, I am grateful. I grew as a person and became aware of what is most important in this life, love, giving and receiving.”

Pardee Hospital Foundation awarded grant from The Duke Endowment

HENDERSONVILLE — Pardee UNC Health Care will be increasing its focus on healthcare worker burnout and stress as a result of a $430,000 grant to Pardee Hospital Foundation from The Duke Endowment, according to a news release.

The funds will be used over the course of three years to develop programs and resources to address healthcare worker burnout and stress. The goal of the comprehensive program, “In the Gap: Reaching for Resilience,” is to improve the resilience of Pardee’s more than 1,500 team members, the release said.

“Healthcare workers are known for their ‘hustle culture’,” said Bridget Fluech, RN, Nursing Director of Psychiatric and Addictions Therapeutic Healing Services (PATHS) at Pardee UNC Health Care in the release. “They work long hours, with demanding workloads that are often physically and mentally straining. This creates a culture that can result in team member burnout, to which there are multiple risks involved.”

“We are grateful for funding from The Duke Endowment to be able to invest in the mental well-being of our team members to help improve morale, turnover, retention and recruitment, ultimately contributing to better quality care for our patients,” said John M. Bryant, Ed. D., Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Affairs at Pardee UNC Health Care in the release.

Bryant said that job seekers are increasingly interested in a workplace culture that values emotional and mental well-being and that he's pleased to be able to include the program offerings in Pardee’s efforts to recruit top talent across all departments.

The program will offer four options for addressing stress and burnout for Pardee’s employees, including a Stress First Aid program, Proactive Wellness Rounds, a Resilience Room and Behavioral Health Services offered within Team Member Health.

“With these groundbreaking new programs and the recognition of the mental health needs of our team members, we’re further able to achieve our goal of creating a workplace that prioritizes employee wellness and a culture of support. We are proud to expand the definition of well-being to create a whole-person healthy workplace," Bryant said.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Health news: Longtime Pardee surgeon retiring; Four Seasons has two honored