Dr. Roxie Wells, President of Cape Fear Valley-Bladen Healthcare, says rural health care is something she has always wanted to do.
“I became interested in medicine as a child,” said Dr. Wells.
Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Wells taught science at James Kenan High School in Warsaw. She said after teaching for a while, she applied to medical school at East Carolina University and was accepted into the program. She performed her residency in New Hanover County.
Dr. Wells said when she completed her residency, she returned to Duplin County where she began her practice. In 2010, she and her husband returned to Cumberland County and practiced medicine at a clinic in Stedman before moving into administration at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
In 2014, Dr. Wells was asked to take over the position of President at Hoke County Hospital and recently was asked to also serve as President of Bladen Healthcare.
Dr. Wells said one thing she wants to do is build partnerships with the entities within the community. Dr. Wells said she also wants to strengthen the current relationships with the health department, Bladen Community College and the school system.
“We also want to ensure we are financially stable at this facility,” said Dr. Wells.
She said she also wants to make sure the hospital is providing outstanding health care for the community. Dr. Wells said that having served as a health care provider in rural communities, she has an understanding of how important health care providers are to the communities in which they serve.
Dr. Wells said that no matter where one practices, in the hospital, in a clinic in rural North Carolina or a clinic in an urban setting, health care has to evolve. Dr. Wells said that federal regulations are requiring physicians to move towards outcome based medicine meaning that chosen treatment options for patients lead to a healthier patient. Hospitals are tasked by federal regulations to decrease patient readmissions for the same illness by ensuring that evidence-based guidelines are followed in caring for certain illnesses. Dr. Wells said that while Bladen Healthcare is a small hospital, it does have a lower percentage of readmissions.
“I think this hospital has a lot of potential for growth clinically and economically. I want to look at every avenue we have for growth which may assist us with upgrading the existing facility or building a new one,” said Dr. Wells.
She added that when Cape Fear Valley opened the new facility in Hoke County, it culminated years of planning and preparation.
Dr. Wells also said she would like to see some additional services added in Bladen County so patients would not have to travel as far to receive certain services. She said the Women’s Health Clinic has grown in the number of patients.
She added that when she meets members of the community, they tell her they were born in Bladen County Hospital and they have a sense of pride regarding the hospital.
Dr. Wells said the annual County Health Assessment gives the community a good look at issues that are prevalent in the community. Dr. Wells said that the hospital can assist and partner with community agencies to raise awareness fo issues such as Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke. She said an increase in teen pregnancy is also a concern.
She said great healthcare is not just about treating people when they become sick, it is about treating people before they get sick.
Dr. Wells said the staff at Bladen Healthcare do many things well and have done so for years. She says that the plan is to continue to build upon the work that was started years ago and that has continued over the years.
“We provide great health care here. Our nurses keep up with the latest trends in nursing. People attend different conferences. Our biggest role is bringing all of that together and seeing it forward,” said Dr. Wells.
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