High hopes for FMC's
new Angelou Center
BY LAYLA GARMS
THE CHRONICLE
Forsyth Medical Center
hopes its new Maya Angelou
Center for Women's Health
and Wellness will be a trail
blazing step forward in the
battle for wellness.
Hospital officials
announced Tuesday - in the
midst of National Women's
Health Week - plans to open
the Center in June.
FMC President Jeff
Lindsay called it a "landmark
day" for the medical center,
and plec^ed an ongoing com
mitment to revolutionizing
women's healthcare. He also
praised the Center's name
sake, famed poet and author
Dr. Maya Angelou, who
made a rare appearance at the
announcement.
"Our inspiration flows
from a woman who tran
scends generations and whose
words and ideas continue to
resonate with women young
and old all across the world,"
Lindsay said.
Hospital officials say the
Center will be the region's
first to coordinate compre
hensive healthcare and well
ness services specmcaiiy
designed to meet the unique
needs of women through
every siage 01 me. it will
employ patient navigators to
connect women with infor
mation and preventative
health services.
"We'll
cmuiaic uui p
opportunity to
reach, teach and
inspire women
not only in North ?
Carolina and the
US, but through
out the world,"
Lindsay said.
FMC Board of |
Trustees Chair
Karen McNeil
Miller, president
of the Kate B.
Reynolds
Charitable Trust,
said the Center
will be "a catalyst
to continue the
conversation
about research for
women's health,
disparities in
women's health
and closing the
gap"
Angelou says
the Center will
offer women
something differ
ent.
"This is a revo
1 u t i o n a r y
approach. This
center means to
offer developing
ideas on women s
health ... and to encourage
women to become advocates
in their own health," she
stated. 'The very idea of
women volunteering to be
their own advocates is excit
ing. I think we can find more
help the more we seek it our
selves."
When asked to speak
about her own healthcare
experiences, Angelou related
a painful story from her
childiood. Angelou's grand
mother was a store owner and
had lent money to several
white businessowners in an
Arkansas town near the place
where Angelou grew up.
When she was eight years
old, Angelou developed an
abscess and her grandmother
took her to a white dentist
whom the gran Another had
once loaned money to.
"He said, 'I can't help
her,"' Angelou related. "She
said, 'But doctor, 1 helped
you when you needed help.'
He said, "But Annie, I'll tell
you the truth. I'd rather put
my hand in a dog's mouth
than a nigger's mouth.'"
Angelou said the experi
ence colored her opinion of
dentists well into her adult
years.
"I thought my abscess
would kill me until he said
that," she remarked. "That
hurt more."
She hopes the new facili
ty that will bear her name
will help to right some of
the medical wrongs that local
resiuenis may nave surrerea
in the past.
"Every time a person is
insulted, it leaves a scar on
the person's soul, and each
time a person is
aucucu aiiu UIUJUI
aged and helped, it
helps to smooth
that scar," she
remarked. "That's
what this center
means to do,
because all of us
have scars."
This is not the
first time Angelou
has lent her name
and support to wor
thy causes and pro
grams. Winston
Salem State
University's Maya
Angelou Institute
for the
Improvement of
Child and Family
Education strives to
improve child and
family education,
while Wake Forest
University Baptist
Medical Center's
Maya Angelou
Center for Health
Equity is working
to end the many
health disparities
that exist between
whites and minori
ties.
Also during the
program, Lindsay
dedicated the Maya Angelou
Center for Women's Health
and Wellness' forthcoming
program, "Our Mothers,
Ourselves," to Angelou's late
mother, Vivian Baxter.
Alison Asne-cara, an
award winning attorney with
Womble Carlyle Sandridge &
Rice and member of the
Women's Council of Forsyth
Medical Center Foundation,
said she isn't surprised that
Forsyth Medical is launching
such a bold effort.
"Novant's always been on
the forefront, taking the lead
in medicine and health for a
long time. I think this is just
another example of that,"
said Ashe-Card, whose hus
band is physician Dr. John
Card.
City native Karen
Russell, a registered nurse,
was the first women's health
patient navigator the hospital
hired. Navigators serve as
advocates for patients, help
ing them better understand
diagnoses and treatments.
FMC now utilizes roughly
20 patient navigators.
"It's been a wonderful
experience," declared
Russell, a Winston-Salem
State University alumna.
"Short of being away from
home eight hours a day, it
doesn't feel like work at all.
It feels like what I was bom
to do."
Russell said she believes
the patients truly appreciate
the navigators' presence.
"When we go into a
patient's room and introduce
ourselves to them, a lot of
times you see relief washing
over them," she related.
"We're like that rainbow in
the clouds. We're offering
them an opportunity to take
care of themselves."
Phoco* by Layla Garms
Jeff Lindsay makes a presentation to Dr. Angelou.
t_ rr .1 a i ? a i i
McNeil-Miller
RusttU
A the-Card
Honorees pose with their certificates after Thursday's ceremony.
Photos by Todd Luck
Alumni
front page A7
Walmart, Subway, BB&T
Ballpark and the studio of
world-renowned glass artist
Jon Kuhn.
Wotk kept several of the
alumni away from last week's
ceremony, but several (bzen
showed up to accept their cer
tificates. They marched in grad
uation-style, taking their seats
at the front of the aucStonum.
Monarch Employment
Specialist Kevin Hiatt said
each alumni had a long journey
to success.
"Each person you just saw
file in here was at some point
rlpalt with a rruioh
hand," he said.
"Maybe they went
through the com
plaining and self-pity
and maybe they felt
like giving up, but
they dicki't. They are
all winners and today
we honor them ... for
their attitudes, their
perseverance and 7
their determination
-to succeed."
The honorees heard from
Brad Zabel, director of devel
opment at Habitat for
Humanity of Forsyth, who
sang the praises of Monarch
alumni Shereda Yeary, who
schedules pick-ups of donated
goocfc at Habitat's ReStore.
Monarch alumni Toni
Gordon also spoke inspira
tional words. As a recovering
addict with mental health
issues, Gordon said she was
reluctant to seek employment
help. When she finally did, she
said it changed h$rlife. For the
past two years" she has been a
Monarch development special
ist, helping those with disabil
ities in Stokes County.
"1 can tell you Monarch
gave me that ckeam I needed,
and I have succeeded in that
dream," said Gordon. "It's gave
me focus on my
life. I have a pur
pose now."
Lisa Kullify
was also in a low
place in her life
when she came to
Monarch. A mood
disorder and back
problems had left
her unemployed for
two years.
Monarch helped
her try various
_l_ i _l ? i
Killer* ui jous, anu sne enucu up
finding an industry perfectly
suited for her.
"I never did food service
before, but I loved it," said
Kullify. "I had passion; I had
desire for it."
After graduating from
Second Harvest Food Bank's
Triad Community Kitchen,
Kullify took a position with
Aramark Food Services at
Wake Forest University and
has her statewide food prepara
tion certificate. She ctoeams of
someday combining her love
of cooking and travel to start
her own mobile kitchen com
pany.
Sporting a three piece suit
at the ceremony. Monarch
alum Antonio Hampton has
had to overcome mental illness
and an old criminal record in
order to find employment.
He's now working for him
self as co-owner of a brand new
buisness, Melo Antonio Retail
Shop, which sells clothing,
incense, oils, t-shirts and more
out of a tent near the comer of
Martin Luther King Drive and
New Walkertown Road.
"It feels great because you
feel like you're independent,
you can depend on yourself and
that's how I prefer it," said
Hampton.
Nakisha Beasley got the
best seat in the house for the
ceremony. Beasley, who uses a
wheelchair, was up on stage for
the entire ceremony to make it
easier for her to receive her
award. She was honored for the
five years she has been
employed at The Grand movie
theater as a ticket taker.
"It was like gradiating
high school all over again,"
Beasley said of the ceremony
and her honor.
To I earn more about
Monavh. cdl 1-800-230-7525
or visit www.MontrchNC.org.
Honorees Lisa Kullify and Antonio Hampton.
Gordon
i_: i_ _r :
move, groove, enjoy.
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