COVID-19 Update 3/30/20

Today’s update comes from Dr. Downey with LifeBrite Pediatric Clinic.

Recent information released from the North Carolina Immunization Registry, with backing from the CDC, stressed the importance of newborn and well-child care including vaccination of infants and young children through 24 months of age, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Newborn care and routine childhood vaccinations are considered essential.

COVID-19 UPDATE 3/23/20
Restrictions in place until further notice:

NO visitors are permitted on acute care (hospital) or in the nursing home. We may only allow visitors for compassionate care reasons, such as end of life situations. This will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Anyone with an appointment in any of the family medical clinics, outpatient departments (PT/OT, Radiology, Laboratory, etc.), and the ER are limited to one accompanying support person.

The hospital cafeteria is closed to all outside visitors.

LifeBrite Family Medical of Danbury and Pine Hall as well as LifeBrite Pediatrics are offering a “virtual visit” option to established patients only for follow up visits. You must not be experiencing any new onset symptoms. Please call the clinic directly for scheduling.
LifeBrite Family Medical Danbury: 336-593-8281
LifeBrite Family Medical Pine Hall: 336-427-3076
LifeBrite Pediatrics: 336-593-5354

We appreciate your cooperation with all of the above guidelines. We remain in close contact with the Stokes County Health Department, Stokes County Board of Health, and Stokes County EMS and will continue to implement any guidance from CMS and CDC.
Stay safe and healthy!

COVID-19 3/17/20

We understand that you may be concerned about COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Hospital Administration and the Management Team at LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes and Stokes County Nursing Home would like to reassure you that we are actively monitoring the situation very closely. It is our goal to protect the health and safety of our patients and residents, their families, visitors, and staff during this time.

We are in close contact with the Stokes County Health Department as well as Stokes County EMS. As of today, Monday, March 16th, we have implemented the following restrictions following the guidance of the CDC and our federal and state government:

Stokes County Nursing Home – no visitors or volunteers will be permitted. Visitors may be allowed on a case-by-case basis for compassionate care reasons, such as end of life situations.

LifeBrite Community Hospital – visitation is restricted to immediate family only for acute care and swing patients.

Family Medical Clinics (Danbury and Pine Hall)/Pediatric Clinic/ER – only one person may accompany the patient into the clinic or ER for support purposes.

Cafeteria – closed to outside visitors.

These restrictions will remain in place until further notice with any updates posted on our Facebook page as well as on our website at www.lifebritestokes.com.

We strive to keep all of our facilities as clean as possible. During this time, we have increased our cleaning efforts especially with all common areas, doors, handrails, wheelchairs, etc.

Reminders: If you are sick or not feeling well, keep your distance from others! Contact your family doctor if you develop a cough, fever, or sore throat for instructions on obtaining a proper screening. As always, wash your hands and wash your hands often!

If you require additional information regarding COVID-19 we encourage you to visit www.cdc.gov and follow the CDC’s guidance on combating this virus.

As 2019 comes to a close, the LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes team feels grateful and blessed to serve our community. We want to thank our community partners and recognize the events LifeBrite has participated in this year.

 Through our outreach efforts, we want to ensure residents of Danbury, King, Pine Hall and surrounding areas know about the services provided through our facilities. For instance, LifeBrite in May held an open house at its main hospital campus and invited community members to tour the hospital, learn about the hospital’s history, and meet the staff.

“We had a wonderful turn out of community supporters and other business leaders,” said Brooke Johnson-Smith, Director of Rehab.

Then in September, LifeBrite held a ribbon-cutting at its Pine Hall Community Campus and gave community members a chance to tour the facility and meet the providers.

Here are some other activities we LifeBrite participated in over the past 12 months.

King Chamber of Commerce

In July, LifeBrite hosted Business Before Hours, the chamber’s monthly networking meeting for Chamber of Commerce members and businesses, at its King location.

“We provided breakfast for all attendees and Patsy Hall, one of our surgical nurses, gave a tour of the facility,” said Johnson-Smith.

Eight LifeBrite employees also attended the King Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leaders Banquet to celebrate other business leaders’ achievements within the community.

Ruritan Club

Johnson-Smith attended local Ruritan Club meetings in Pine Hall, Germanton, Rock House, Chestnut Grove, Francisco, Sandy Ridge, and Pinnacle to discuss the services offered at LifeBrite.

LifeBrite provided a meeting space at the hospital for the Ruritan Clubs of Rock House and Francisco. The clubs also received a tour of the hospital facility.

Health fairs and community festivals

LifeBrite participated in employee health fairs at Wieland Copper, UNIFY, and Bridgestone Aircraft Tire. LifeBrite offered free health screenings that include basic vital signs, spirometry, blood glucose, total cholesterol, and grip strength. The hospital staff also provided education on body mechanics and smoking cessation.

LifeBrite also participated in the Senior Health & Wellness Fair in Pilot Mountain, the UHC Member Health Fair in Mount Airy, the Health & Wellness Fair in Germanton, and the Stoneville Senior Health Fair in Stoneville. Also, LifeBrite set up a booth and even sponsored several community festivals.

“Our staff loves to get out and meet the citizens in the community and tell them about our wonderful hospital and clinics!” Johnson-Smith said. “This past year, we have had a presence at the Little Folks Festival, which is a festival for young children and early intervention services. We attended the 8th Grade Career Fair in which 8th-grade youth were able to visit with some of our providers and talk about possible future career choices!”

“We also participated in Meet Me On Main, Riding the Wave to Wellness, the Stokes Stomp, FarmFest, King Fest, BBQ for Books, and Ridge Fest this year,” she said.

Exercise classes and home health presentations

Employees from LifeBrite’s physical and occupational therapy department led a chair-based exercise class at Stokes County Wellness Center on the third Wednesday of each month.

Johnson-Smith also visited local home health agencies in the county, Kindred at Home and Yadkin Valley Home Health, to talk with clinical staff about LifeBrite’s services as well as the benefits of local healthcare.

High school activities

LifeBrite hosted 15 high school students over the summer from Camp Med. The student got a chance to see first-hand what physical and occupational therapists do every day. LifeBrite also supported high school athletics, providing team meals for the North Stokes JV football team as well as the cross country team.

“We were also able to hold a pep rally out front of the hospital to send the North Stokes High School girls softball team off to the State Championship!  It was great fun! We had staff, nursing home residents, swing bed patients, families, and community members outside cheering and holding posters in support of the team,” said Johnson-Smith. 

Holidays and relays

LifeBrite opened the hospital and Stokes County Nursing Home on Halloween to trick-or-treaters. Several LifeBrite employees also took part in the Walnut Cove Christmas Parade on Dec. 14.

In addition, the hospital kicked off its fund-raising efforts for the 2020 American Cancer Society Relay for Life. The resurrected relay team raised more than $700 at a recent bake sale.

We love being able to take care of our friends and neighbors and fill a critical need in our community. 

Atlanta-based LifeBrite, led by CEO Christian Fletcher, operates LifeBrite Community Hospital of Early and LifeBrite Laboratories. To learn more about LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes, visit our homepage. 

The value of having a hospital nearby that can perform outpatient surgery services can’t be overstated. That’s especially true in rural communities where some people have to drive as much as an hour for outpatient services. Fortunately, residents of Stokes County don’t have to travel out of town for outpatient procedures, thanks to LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes.

The hospital’s Surgical Services Department operates out of a facility in King, N.C., and a wide range of specialists provide surgical services there.

Rebuilding services and trust

It opened in 1989 as a satellite office, and over the years, it has been very busy,” said Pamela Tillman, administrator for LifeBrite Community Hospital.

“It’s important for us to offer that service so members of the community can have elective surgical procedures close to home,” she said. Also, patients can be dropped off and picked up at the door, she said.

In 2016, the satellite location drastically reduced its services when the hospital, under different ownership, filed for bankruptcy.

In 2017, LifeBrite Hospital Group, under the leadership of CEO Christian Fletcher, acquired the hospital. LifeBrite took over $1.3 million in Medicare and Medicaid payment obligations and signing new leases for medical equipment, software, and supplies.

The hospital continues to work to regain the confidence of providers and patients, who were understandably concerned after the 2016 problems, said Tillman. 

Outpatient surgery services expanding

LifeBrite understands the importance of having surgical services in a community and the inconvenience of not being able to get the services you need locally.

When a person travels out of town for a procedure, loved ones may not be able to accompany them. That can increase stress for the patient and family. In addition, having to travel an hour away for a procedure like a breast biopsy alone can be daunting.

That’s why LifeBrite rebuilt its list of surgical providers and even added a few new ones, Tillman said.

For instance, the Surgical Services Department added ENT procedures to its menu of elective outpatient surgery services. Other services include general surgery, podiatry, ophthamology, orthopedics, and gastroenterology. 

The King location includes two fully equipped operating room suites and room for specialty clinics. Recently, the King Chamber of Commerce held its Business Before Hours networking event at the facility, and a surgical nurse gave the attendees a tour.

LifeBrite staff is friendly

A first-time patient at the King facility last month gave the facility the highest rating “very good” across the board.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The staff is excellent,” said Carrie Church. “They were kind, funny, and put me at ease as I was waiting for my surgery. I can’t say enough good things about this staff!”

Brenda Senter, who was a patient in August, said, “This is the friendliest and most efficient staff I have ever seen. I would recommend this facility to anyone.”

To find out more about the services offered through LifeBrite’s Surgical Services Department, call (336) 983-9617 or check out this information

Atlanta-based LifeBrite Hospital Group, led by CEO Christian Fletcher, operates LifeBrite Community Hospital of Early, LifeBrite Laboratories, and LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes. To learn more about LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes, visit our homepage.

At age 85, Melvin Clarke kept a schedule that would challenge someone 30 years younger. He push-mowed yards for his neighbors, visited with those who were less mobile, attended church several times a week, and cared for his wife.

In spring 2017, he fell while stepping on a fireplace hearth to reset a clock for Daylight Savings Time. He hit his head, but he was still lucid and walked to the ambulance, his daughter Amy Dezarn recalled.

Clarke was admitted to Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.  He soon fell into a coma due to a brain bleed. Doctors didn’t expect him to survive. But he woke up 15 days later, paralyzed on his left side, in need of rehabilitation.

Today, the 88-year-old is back to mowing lawns, going to church, and caring for his wife. Dezarn credits the swing-bed services at LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes for her dad’s recovery.

“People need to know that hospital saved my father’s life,” she said.

What are Swing-bed Services?

As a designated critical access hospital (CAH), LifeBrite must have a maximum of 25 inpatient beds for acute care or swing-bed services. Medicare covers acute care costs for a limited number of days. After that, most patients are encouraged to transfer to swing-bed care.

Swing bed is a Medicare program that allows acute care patients to continue their recovery at a CAH where they can receive nursing and rehabilitative care.

Brooke Johnson-Smith is director of rehab for LifeBrite in Danbury, N.C. She says swing bed provides a critical bridge for patients recovering from surgery or illness.

“A lot of patients just aren’t ready to go home yet,” said Johnson-Smith. “We see a lot of geriatric patients at our hospital. When they are treated for pneumonia or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), three to five days in acute care isn’t long enough for them to regain normal function.”

Not nursing-home services

Many people confuse swing-bed services with nursing-home services. However, they aren’t the same, Johnson-Smith stressed.

“The swing bed program offers short-term rehab where our goal is for patients to be able to return home,” Johnson-Smith said. “Our basic goal is to assist with recovery and regaining skills you need to resume your everyday life.”

Rehab typically includes physical therapy to improve mobility. In addition, it includes occupational therapy to ensure patients regain the skills needed for bathing, dressing, and other daily functional tasks.

Patients receiving treatment at larger area hospitals such as Forsyth, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, and Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro can get swing-bed services at affiliates. However, there are benefits to transferring to a smaller facility closer to home like LifeBrite, Johnson-Smith says.

“The patient-to-provider ratio is much smaller here — they get one-on-one service. Some larger facilities may provide therapy in groups. We never provide therapy in a group setting,” Johnson-Smith said. 

Perhaps the most meaningful benefit of receiving swing-bed therapy near your home is proximity to your friends and loved ones, she said. Their visits encourage patients to keep pushing to regain the mobility and skills needed to resume their daily activities.

Johnson-Smith noted that Clarke’s daughter and grandson visited him every day during his therapy. Members of his church visited as well.

“Our staff is motivating and uplifting,” she said. “Having family, a close-knit community (nearby) makes a difference.”

Seeing progress daily 

When Clarke left Forsyth, he initially went to a facility near the larger hospital for rehabilitation. At that time, he couldn’t walk, stand, or feed himself.

“He couldn’t do anything,” Dezarn said. 

Clarke started losing weight, and his medications needed regulating. His daughter called LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes, where she had once worked as an emergency room technician. Administrator Pam Tillman told her he could receive therapy through the hospital’s swing bed services.

“I was so grateful,” she said.

Dezarn documented her father’s care, taking photos of him every day when she visited.

“We could see the progress in him,” she said. Eventually, he could feed and dress himself. Dr. Kirk Sanders worked to regulate his medications, and Clarke continued making progress. Dezarn says she felt so relieved and reassured by the care he received there.

“It’s the comfort of knowing they are taking care of your loved ones the way you would want,” she said. Eventually, he was able to go home and resume his life. “He is an excellent testament to what rehab can do,” said Johnson-Smith.

Atlanta-based LifeBrite, led by CEO Christian Fletcher, operates LifeBrite Community Hospital of Early and LifeBrite Laboratories. To learn more about LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes, visit our homepage.

In North Carolina, where generations of families farmed and used tobacco, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is a common health problem.

“COPD is very prevalent here, especially in Stokes,” said Samantha Freeman-Brown, Director of Respiratory Care at LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes.  “Even in my family, it’s been an issue.”

Freeman-Brown comes from a family of tobacco farmers, and she has seen first-hand the effects it can have. Her grandfather died from complications caused by COPD. Her father, who has a master’s in physics, started smoking when he was 18. He didn’t stop until this year despite years of her telling him, “You need to quit smoking.”

Today she helps current and former smokers every day in the respiratory therapy department at LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes.

High expectations and low turnovers

Freeman-Brown says she has high expectations for the respiratory care practitioners in her department at LifeBrite. All are BLS (basic life support), ACLS ( advanced cardiovascular life support) and PALS (pediatric advanced life support) certified because, in a critical access hospital, you have to be ready to handle just about any situation.

Critical access hospitals (CAH) play a vital role in maintaining access to high-quality health care services in rural communities. A critical access hospital must:

• Be 35 miles from another hospital
• Have a 24-hour emergency room that operates seven days a week
• Have a maximum of 25 inpatient beds for acute care or swing-bed services
• Maintain an annual average length of stay of 96 hours or less for acute care patients

“We are an hour’s drive from other hospitals. So our respiratory therapists have to know their stuff,” said Freeman-Brown. All of her employees have been there for more than five years. They stay, she says, because they enjoy the community aspect of the care they provide.

“We almost always know our patients by name,” she said. Respiratory care is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at LifeBrite, she added.

Respiratory care for all ages at LifeBrite

The respiratory care services provided by LifeBrite are near-identical to those offered in other hospitals. LifeBrite RT services include oxygen therapy, nebulizer treatment, medication education, breathing assessments and emergency treatments to help with pneumonia, asthma and COPD.

“We also do cardiac stress testing, 48-hour cardiac monitors and pulmonary function testing for the diagnosis of COPD,” said Freeman-Brown.

In many cases, getting services from a smaller healthcare provider has benefits. For instance, a larger provider may not be able to schedule a respiratory therapy appointment for several weeks. “But if someone comes into a clinic today, nine times out of ten, we can do testing on the same day,” she said. “Once the testing is complete, we can send the results over immediately, and the patient can go ahead and get treatment.”

Treating COPD

COPD is a long-term, progressive lung disease that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Fifteen to twenty percent of all smokers develop clinically significant COPD, according to Community Care of North Carolina, a nonprofit group dedicated to supporting community-based health systems in the state.

Chronic lower respiratory disease, including COPD, is the third leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Freeman-Brown says her department encourages COPD patients to take small steps toward improving their health and comfort. They also teach them the importance of taking shorter, more frequent breaks. 

“We also encourage smoking cessation. Some people who quit a week ago will say they are a nonsmoker. But you aren’t really a nonsmoker until you have gone six months without tobacco,” she said.

Their dedication to providing long-term quality care for their patients has paid off. The department has been awarded the Quality Respiratory Care Award for five consecutive years by the American Association of Respiratory Care. Only 700 out of 5,000 hospitals nationwide meet the criteria.

“For us being this small, it’s a huge accomplishment and a testament to the fact that we can and do provide excellent respiratory care to our patients,” Freeman-Brown said.

Atlanta-based LifeBrite, led by CEO Christian Fletcher, operates LifeBrite Community Hospital of Early and LifeBrite Laboratories. To learn more about LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes, visit our homepage.

Pam Tillman knew she would work in healthcare as a young girl. Her grandfather, who suffered from emphysema, made a big impression on her while she helped care for him.

Pam, who is the hospital administrator for LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes, said her grandfather told her she would make a good nurse one day. He had good reason to think that; Pam’s mom, Sandra Priddy, also served as a nurse and then as hospital administrator at the rural hospital, so caregiving was just a way of life for them.

“We always joked that I started nursing as a toddler,” Pam recalled. “I remember one day when I was getting ready to go to nursing school, my mom cut her finger, and I helped dress it. I felt like throwing up, and I wondered if I could do it, but here I am.”

Pam took her first job as a staff nurse at what is now LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes in the early 1980s. She has served as the critical care unit manager, ER unit manager, chief of nursing and now administrator.

Over all the years, she says her favorite part of the job is being able to take care of “our friends, neighbors, and families. We offer full-service healthcare and fill a critical need in the community,” she said.

LifeBrite offers a full range of healthcare services, from pediatric services to acute care to rehab and a nursing home facility. LifeBrite’s primary location in Danbury is designated as a critical access hospital (CAH). Critical access hospitals play a vital role in maintaining access to high-quality health care services in rural communities.

More than an administrator

Pam’s devotion to the hospital and to the community is apparent. She’s a huge cheerleader for the hospital, attending many community and government meetings to talk about what LifeBrite can offer and dispel misunderstandings.

“There has been a rumor going around since I started that the hospital is going to close. We have never closed and have no intention of closing,” she said.

Even though she is an administrator, Pam still occasionally helps out with patient care, working overnight shifts if the hospital is short-staffed or jumping in if there is an emergency.

Thankful for staff

“We are a rural hospital, so we can’t be everything to everyone, but the things we can do, we do very well,” Pam said. “We are thankful to have a great core group of staff who have remained with the hospital through all the ups and downs and strive to give the best care to our community.”

Swing bed services offered by the hospital, for instance,  make a huge impact in the community and are a point of pride for Pam. A swing bed patient is typically someone who has either had surgery out of town or at LifeBrite and needs to transition to another level of care as they heal and undergo rehabilitation.

“When the patients come in, you see them and their families, and you are able to provide a path for them to follow to get ready to go home,” said Pam. “It’s satisfying to see the patient after two weeks or so, and you know you will be able to send them home ready and able to return to everyday life.”

Providing care from birth until death

When asked if one experience or day stands out in her mind, she recalled a day when she was asked to help out at Stokes County Nursing Home, which is housed in LifeBrite.

“I was asked to start an IV in a 100-year-old.  As I was finishing up with that, there was a wreck a mile away that involved an infant, and I went back to the ER to help,” she said. The baby was a newborn, and the parents were concerned the baby had been injured.

“I was able to do a head-to-toe assessment of the baby, who was fine,” Pam said. “The experience captured what we do every day:  we have the ability to take care of you from the beginning of life to end of life. It’s full circle, and that’s important.”

Atlanta-based LifeBrite, led by CEO Christian Fletcher, operates LifeBrite Community Hospital of Early  and LifeBrite Laboratories. To learn more about LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes, visit our homepage.

LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes’ history of providing excellent healthcare in the Danbury, N.C., area stretches back to 1954. But over the years, the breadth of services and care offered by LifeBrite’s clinics and hospital has grown dramatically.

LifeBrite wants to deliver this message to the community: You don’t have to travel 45 minutes away from your home for quality healthcare.

With six locations in Stokes County, LifeBrite offers a full range of healthcare services, from pediatric services to acute care to rehab and nursing home facilities. LifeBrite recently held an open house at its primary location in Danbury, complete with health screenings and tours, to show residents what it can offer in terms of healthcare.

A Critical Access Hospital

LifeBrite’s primary location in Danbury is designated as a critical access hospital (CAH). Critical access hospitals play a vital role in maintaining access to high-quality health care services in rural communities. According to the American Hospital Association, critical access hospitals like LifeBrite provide care to millions of Americans living in vulnerable rural and urban communities. In fact, Congress created the critical access hospital designation in 1997 to help protect and preserve smaller hospitals providing quality healthcare in vulnerable rural and urban areas.

In order to gain CAH designation a hospital must:

• Be 35 miles from another hospital.
• Have a 24-hour emergency room that operates seven days a week.
• Have a maximum of 25 inpatient beds for acute care or swing-bed services.
• Maintain an annual average length of stay of 96 hours or less for acute care patients.

LifeBrite houses multiple clinics and services including:

• Acute care for illnesses or injuries requiring a short hospital stay and basic nursing, respiratory, laboratory, rehabilitation, and diagnostic services.
• 24/7 emergency room services to treat those unexpected injuries and ailments.
• Swing-bed services for patients who no longer require acute care, but still need nursing and rehabilitative care to help them recover.
• Physical and occupational therapy  as well as respiratory therapy for inpatients and outpatients. Therapy programs are designed to maximize independence and safety following illness, injury, and/or surgery.
• Stokes County Nursing Home, offering residents quality therapy and care, including free laundry and beauty shop services. The home also offers crafts, movies, bingo, monthly outings, and more.

Surgical Services

In nearby King, LifeBrite operates an outpatient surgery center with surgical specialties in cataract removal, orthopedics, podiatry, gastroenterology, and infertility treatment.

The LifeBrite Medical Center of King also houses radiology and laboratory services, diagnostic imaging, echocardiograms, and vascular imaging.

The laboratory, meanwhile, performs diagnostic blood, serum, and urine testing; collects chain-of-custody drug screens for pre-employment, post-accident, and workers compensation; and offers industrial accounts for area businesses.

Primary Care

LifeBrite offers primary care services, a critical piece in preventive care for all ages, at three locations: LifeBrite Family Medical of Danbury, LifeBrite Pediatric Clinic of Danbury, and LifeBrite Family Medical of Pine Hall.

Atlanta-based LifeBrite, led by CEO Christian Fletcher, operates LifeBrite Community Hospital of Early and LifeBrite Laboratories. To learn more about LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes, visit our homepage.