Celebrating Doctors by Creating a Collaborative and Supportive Culture
Having someone trust you to be their doctor is a great privilege and honor. The relationship between a patient and their provider should be built on trust and transparency. At UNC Health Pardee we are focused on that goal by providing patient-centered care for the region – but we can’t get there without treating those who provide the care with respect and support.
A committed workforce
Pardee’s team of providers have a shared vision of putting the patient first and improving the lives of the people in our community. We do that by working together. We want our patients to feel heard, cared for and respected. I have been with the organization for 17 years and I have noticed as our provider network and service lines have grown, we have maintained a collegial and supportive environment among the medical staff.
As the leader of the medical staff, it’s my goal to foster a workplace built on transparency, having our teammates understand we are all in this together and moving in the same direction. When you create a culture where people feel comfortable and respected, you attract and retain the best professionals.
Pardee BlueMD physician Dr. Kristen Lee joined the organization and worked as a hospitalist with Pardee for seven years. She recently transitioned into the primary care setting because she was looking for a change. “I decided to stay at Pardee in primary care after leaving hospitalist care because I knew the culture and appreciated it,” Dr. Lee shared. “We are uniquely positioned to give hometown feeling care to the people in Hendersonville and surrounding areas but also have the resources and expertise of UNC Health available to us.” She shared that it is important to her to make a difference in her patients’ lives and that Pardee facilitates her ability to do that better than anyone else in the area.
Growing in innovation, remaining personal
Like Dr. Lee mentioned, many consider Pardee the hometown hospital and that is a role we are proud of and take seriously. We want our patients to feel a personal connection with their doctors and we take pride in creating lasting relationships with the people in our care. We also want our community to know that we are much more than a hospital. Pardee extends its reach throughout Western North Carolina with a comprehensive physician practice network, cancer center, and urgent care locations that are here to care for the whole person and create happy and healthy communities.
While we started as a community hospital, as we've grown, I am proud to say that we have kept that hometown, feel because of the people we’ve attracted. From establishing a state-of-the-art cancer center to building a robust team of physicians that includes 53 board-certified specialties, we strive to provide the region with nationally recognized, quality care close to home without losing that personal touch.
Dr. Joel Callahan, medical director for Pardee Neurology Associates, shared that he first came to Pardee 13 years ago because of its focus on community. In his tenure with Pardee, we’ve grown the practice to a robust team of five providers and expanded the types of neurology services we offer. “As we’ve grown, we have maintained the focus on community, which means we are expanding our service lines to address the needs of the community,” Dr. Callahan said. “We have been able to do that by recruiting people who have the same mindset.”
Celebrating our doctors
As we prepare to celebrate Doctor’s Day on March 30, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to my colleagues at Pardee for their commitment to advancing the community's well-being. Thank you for your dedication, for holding each other accountable, and most importantly for putting our patients first. It’s an honor to work alongside you.
By: Greg McCarty, MD
Chief Medical Officer
UNC Health Pardee
