But afterward?

“That day, I was talking on the phone to a colleague about future technologies,” Bart, now 52, said in a telephone interview. (His name has been changed.) “During the call, I had what felt similar to a panic attack and felt this rush of heat all over my body. By the time I’d hung up, I was shaking. I was completely freaked out.”

Story continues here ➤

Several days later, in a piece in the New York Times Magazine, titled “Depression’s Upside ,” Jonah Lehrer broached a similar possibility: that depression, not psychosis per se, may be an adaptation favored by evolution. He cited several experts who have argued that depression can improve one’s focus and enhance one’s analytical skills.

Story continues here ➤

Story continues here ➤

Catherine Murphy, 54, of Wilson and her 64-year-old husband, Bobby, were among four people allegedly attacked by a man whose mother had brought him in to seek treatment for a mental illness.

Story continues here ➤

Investigators recommended the hospital be placed in “immediate jeopardy” to lose its Medicare certification, according to information released by the hospital Friday.

Immediate jeopardy status is when regulators believe a situation places patients at risk for injury, said Connie Rhem, hospital spokeswoman.

Story continues here ➤

So when a friend, who was also a Craven County Department of Social Services employee, asked her 10 years ago about becoming a foster mom, she said she’d give it a try.

Story continues here ➤

Days don’t budge, and nights have stopped altogether.

Five months is what separates Christian from her husband, Matt, a Fort Bragg medic who is scheduled to return in August from a 12-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Story continues here ➤

He had been dead at least several days – maybe even weeks – before his body was found Christmas Eve.

No one ever reported him missing.

Story continues here ➤

They wanted to get help for a third man they brought with them, Abdullah El-Amin Shareef. Shareef’s family believed he had started a fire that led to his mother’s death and destroyed the family home, according to testimony in Cumberland County Superior Court last week.

Story continues here ➤

Story continues here ➤

The problem, budget director Hyong Yi told the board, is that demand for services –  especially in the field of mental health –  is increasing. The county has a contract with Carolina’s Healthcare Syetem to provide for their employees.

Story continues here ➤

Story continues here ➤

Story continues here ➤

Alleged attacker diagosed with bipolar disorder.

Wilson Medical Hospital could lose its Medicare certification by March 27 if it doesn’t implement a plan of action in response to a violent episode in the emergency room on Feb. 18.

State investigators have been at the hospital since Tuesday looking over the hospital’s operations and other facilities they run, said Jim Jones, state spokesperson for the Division of Health Services Regulations.

Rick Hudson, WilMed Healthcare’s president and chief executive officer, said Thursday investigators are recommending the hospital be placed in “immediate jeopardy to lose their Medicare certification” because of an assault in the emergency room two weeks ago.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in Atlanta asked the state to look into that incident following a published report in The Wilson Times last week, according to Hudson.

On Feb. 18, Bobby and Catherine Murphy, along with two hospital employees, were assaulted, allegedly by 32-year-old Cedric Newton of Wilson, according to police. The couple was in the emergency room waiting for Catherine Murphy to be treated for bronchitis. Newton was also waiting to be seen by a doctor when he reportedly hit Catherine in the head. Later, Bobby Murphy said he was struck trying to protect his wife. He suffered a broken ankle in three places, requiring surgery, and needed stitches in his lip.

Newton’s mother, Japhaine Newton, told The Times last week her son suffers from bipolar disorder with psychotic episodes. Wilson police were called to the hospital. Approximately six days later, Newton was taken to Cherry Hospital from Wilson Medical Center.

Being placed in immediate jeopardy means the hospital has 23 days to implement a corrective action plan, and have state investigators approve those plans.

“Regulators said we did not act in a timely manner resulting in the immediate jeopardy of our (Medicare) designation,” said Lisa Briley, director of marketing and development for the hospital.

The corrective plan the hospital proposes, along with recommendations from the state, will be sent to CMS in Atlanta, said Jones. The hospital has already submitted a plan to state investigators.

“Today what we are providing them with is a plan of immediate action,” said Hudson Thursday. “If there is anything else they can recommend, we (will) add to the plan and I’ll sign it today.”

Hudson is hopeful the state team reviews the plan and finds it acceptable before they leave the hospital. Hudson said he hopes the regional office in Atlanta will see the steps the hospital has taken and will lift the jeopardy status before March 27.

While the hospital is under investigation, patients can continue to come to the hospital and Medicare will continue to pay the hospital. Should the hospital lose its certification, it would not be reimbursed by Medicare for services given.

It cost Wilson Medical more than $7.9 million to treat Medicare patients during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2009. Medicare is the federal health care insurance plan for people over age 65 and for the disabled.

Part of the submitted plan includes educating staff on crisis prevention incident training. He said the first people trained will most likely be those who work in the emergency room.

Hudson would not share the rest of the plan, but said he would possibly share that information before March 27.

Hudson said they regret the incident happened in the hospital, but added they were unaware of the patient’s agitation.

“At the time no one knew he (the patient) was off balance,” Hudson said. “This whole episode took place in a period of six or seven minutes. It happened that quick. Up until then, you would not know that he (would) be violent or acting out.”

Hudson said his security team responded within two minutes.

Hudson said the accused patient had only been waiting 20 minutes to be seen when he hit the other patient.

“You can’t prevent that,” Hudson said. “You can get hit waiting in a line at a store.”

He added other hospitals in the state have faced similar action from the state.

Japhaine Newton told The Times she informed the intake person in emergency that her son needed help upon their arrival. She took her son to the emergency room after noticing a change in his behavior and after consulting his doctor, she said.

janet@wilsontimes.com | 265-7847

The argument, presented Thursday in a legislative study commission, is at the heart of a proposed bill that would require health insurers to cover behavioral therapy and other treatments for children with autism, a neurological disorder marked by varying degrees of problems communicating and forming bonds with others.

Story continues here ➤

“Yes, I do wish it had never happened,” Nelson said. She said she hopes the court’s sentence will help her cope with mental illness that was her defense during the trial.

Story continues here ➤

Story continues here ➤

But almost three months to the day after she had reported Keith Raymond “Poindexter” Whitworth missing, Moss received news Wednesday that she had hoped never to hear.

Story continues here ➤

Story continues here ➤

“I see a fire truck going with its lights and my first thought is, ‘This can’t be good,’” said Brian Sims, James’ brother.

James Sims, 48, grew up in Union County in a family of five brothers, including Brian and Lou.  His mother, Eline Thoresbury, kept them in church and away from trouble.

Story continues here ➤

Patton Counseling notified its 17 employees on Monday that they would be furloughed on Tuesday, essentially suspending services for hundreds of clients in Madison and Buncombe counties.

“They don’t know what they are going to do,” Roberts, a support specialist, said of her clients. “We should have had 30 days notice to get these clients transitioned to somebody else. This is unethical to do this.”

Story continues here ➤

Story continues here ➤

At her death, she was president-elect of the Board for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), North Carolina Chapter, vice-chair of the state’s Diabetes Advisory Council, and a board member of the Mental Health Association of North Carolina.

Story continues here ➤

Story continues here ➤