For Immediate Release
Contact:
Wendy Kelly
[email protected]
252-449-9184
Dr. Christina Bowen, Medical Director of The Outer Banks Hospital Center for Healthy Living, Honored on National Rural Health Day
NAGS HEAD, N.C. — Nov. 19, 2020 — The Outer Banks Hospital and Medical Group along with Vidant Health are proud to announce that Dr. Christina Bowen, medical director of The Outer Banks Hospital Center for Healthy Living, was selected by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health to represent North Carolina and will appear in the 2020 edition of “Community Stars.”
Each year on the third Thursday of November, the NOSORH leads National Rural Health Day, an annual day of celebration that shines a light on the vital health needs of an estimated 57 million people living in rural America.
In 2015, the NOSORH put out a nationwide call to nominate individuals, organizations and coalitions making a positive impact in rural communities. Soon after the stories started to arrive, the book of “National Rural Health Day Community Stars” was created. This year, nominations came in from 48 states, a record for this annual, inspiring recognition program.
Dr. Bowen’s focus on patient-centered care and healthy lifestyle education makes a difference in the lives of those she serves. In 2019, Dr. Bowen helped organize a community education event called “Power Over Cancer: Creating an Action Plan to Prevent Breast and Other Cancers” to educate and motivate attendees on the importance of healthy lifestyle choices and how those affect health and well-being. “Dr. Bowen has a passion for rural health care in North Carolina,” Charles Shelton, M.D., radiation oncologist at The Outer Banks Hospital, shared. “To say she has moved the dial in rural outcomes is an understatement. She has created the tools to redefine the settings on that dial and, for this, as a cancer doctor, I am very grateful. I am proud she represents our state in this honor.”
“I am truly humbled and honored to have been selected to receive the Community Star recognition,” Dr. Bowen said. “Having grown up in eastern North Carolina and then attending East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine, I count practicing in eastern North Carolina as a gift. I am thankful for my community, my team and my amazing patients.”
Ronnie Sloan, FACHE, president of The Outer Banks Hospital, added, “Dr. Bowen’s passion, engagement and positivity are infectious. We are fortunate that she lives and works here in the Outer Banks, and the region is blessed that she has the heart and drive to spread her passion for wellness throughout the 29-county region of eastern North Carolina that Vidant Health serves.”
In addition to her role at the Center for Healthy Living, Dr. Bowen also serves as the medical director of Vidant’s Office of Experience, medical director of Integrative Medicine at Vidant Cancer Care and medical director of the Dare County Health Department.
“Dr. Bowen has been an invaluable addition to the Office of Experience as medical director, and we are grateful for the vision of The Outer Banks Hospital to expand her influence throughout the region,” said Vidant Chief Experience Officer Dr. Julie Kennedy Oehlert. “We are so fortunate to have a practicing integrative medicine provider at Vidant Health who is capable of leading integrative medicine thought leadership for our patients and our team members. She is a tireless role model and advocate for compassion and love as essentials for health care.”
Vidant would also like to recognize the 13,000-plus team members who have dedicated their work to making a positive impact on the health and well-being of the rural communities Vidant serves. Each and every team member has helped provide the high-quality care that more than 1.4 million people in the region depend on.
This National Rural Health Day, The Outer Banks Hospital and Medical Group, along with Vidant, would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to Dr. Bowen and all team members for their commitment to serving eastern North Carolina.
About NOSORH
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health is the membership association of the nation’s 50 State Offices of Rural Health. State Offices of Rural Health are anchors of information and support for rural communities, health professionals, hospitals and clinics across the nation. They are dedicated to collaboration, education, communication and innovation to improve health in small towns around the country.
About The Outer Banks Hospital and Medical Group
The Outer Banks Hospital is a full-service community hospital offering a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services. The 83,796-square-foot facility is a joint venture between Vidant Health and Chesapeake Regional Healthcare. The Outer Banks Medical Group is affiliated with The Outer Banks Hospital and includes nine physician practices, two urgent care locations and a testing center that stretch along the Outer Banks, from Avon to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Caption:
Leadership from The Outer Banks Hospital, Outer Banks Medical Group and Vidant Health recognize Christina Bowen, MD for being selected as North Carolina’s “Community Star” by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. Pictured left to right are: Lynne Miles, regional administrator of Outer Banks Medical Group; Ronnie Sloan, FACHE, president, The Outer Banks Hospital; Christopher Mann, MD, orthopedic surgeon at Outer Banks Orthopedics and Sports Medicine; Christina Bowen, MD, medical director for The Outer Banks Hospital Center for Healthy Living; Charles Shelton, MD, radiation oncologist, The Outer Banks Hospital Radiation Therapy Center; Julie Oehlert, chief experience officer, Vidant Health; Amy Montgomery, FACHE, senior administrator of operations, The Outer Banks Hospital.
