Orthopaedic oncologist joins Cabell hospital

HUNTINGTON -- Felix H. Cheung, MD, has joined the medical and dental staff at Cabell Huntington Hospital and the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine as an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedics.

Cheung is fellowship-trained in musculoskeletal oncology and is the region's only orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in orthopaedic oncology. He performs specialized orthopaedic treatments for bone and soft-tissue cancers and the latest techniques in limb-sparing reconstruction.

Cheung's arrival at Cabell Huntington Hospital adds to the hospital's comprehensive and leading-edge orthopaedic services that include total joint replacement, orthopaedic sports medicine, hand and foot care, orthopaedic trauma care and back and spine care.

Cheung completed his musculoskeletal oncology fellowship at Harvard Medical School and his orthopaedic residency at West Virginia University. He earned his medical degree at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

For more information about orthopaedic services at Cabell Huntington Hospital, call 304-691-1262 or visit www.cabellhuntington.org.

Family medical center welcomes new physician

HUNTINGTON -- Cabell Huntington Hospital welcomes Robert Harpold, MD, to its Family Medical Center in Milton.

Harpold is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is now accepting new patients at the facility located at One Harbour Way in Milton. Harpold earned his medical degree and completed his residency in internal medicine at West Virginia University. He also has experience as a hospitalist and a private practice physician.

The Cabell Huntington Hospital Family Medical Center in Milton offers primary health care services for adults and children, on-site laboratory services and same-day appointments. Harpold joins Shelley Bailey, MD, at the Milton location.

For directions or to make an appointment, call 304-743-1407. The Family Medical Center in Milton is part of the Cabell Huntington Hospital Family Medical Center network. For more information or directions to locations in Huntington, Barboursville or Kenova, visit www.cabellhuntington.org.

Chamber announces new director of development

HUNTINGTON -- The Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce announces Carly Knotts has joined its staff as director of development. She will be recruiting new businesses to the Chamber and serving as a liaison for the Chamber's Young Professionals Committee. Knotts received her bachelor's degree in marketing and management from Marshall University in 2005 and her master's degree in business administration from Marshall in 2007.

Pastoral care director elected to top role

HUNTINGTON -- Dr. David C. Johnson, director of Pastoral Care and Education at Cabell Huntington Hospital, has been elected to serve the next four years as president-elect and president of the Association of Professional Chaplains.

In the role, Johnson will lead the professional organization for more than 4,000 chaplains in health and human services settings. The group represents more than 150 faith groups.

Johnson has been with Cabell Huntington Hospital since 1993, overseeing the Pastoral Care and Education Department that trains professional chaplains and provides spiritual care for hospital patients and staff.

For more information, call 304-526-2049 or visit www.cabellhuntington.org.

RCBI announces Employee of the Month

HUNTINGTON -- Rebekah Marie Duke, financial assistant at the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (RCBI), has been selected as the organization's Employee of the Month for August.

Announcement of her selection was made by Charlotte Weber, RCBI director and CEO.

A 1999 graduate of Lawrence County High School in Louisa, Ky., Duke earned her bachelor of business administration degree, with an emphasis in accounting, from Morehead State University, Morehead, Ky., in 2005.

Prior to joining RCBI in 2007, she was employed with Bow-Mech Services in Ashland, and with the auditing firm Ware & Hall in Huntington.

She and her husband, David Lee Duke Jr., make their home in Ashland. She is the daughter of Pearlene D. Richie of Ashland and Nick J. Richie of Louisa.

Based at the RCBI Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center in Huntington, she also works with the RCBI centers in South Charleston, Bridgeport and Rocket Center, W.Va.

Her interests include reading, playing the piano and walking in the park.

KDMC cardiologist named to national board

ASHLAND -- King's Daughters Medical Center cardiologist Vaughn Payne, M.D., has been appointed to a two-year term on the Board of Governors of the Kentucky chapter of the American College of Cardiology. Payne is associated with Kentucky Heart and Vascular Physicians.

The board is made up of 10 representatives from four districts in Kentucky. The board provides education and networking opportunities for about 200 Kentucky cardiovascular specialists, including physicians, nurses and physician assistants.

Payne specializes in electrophysiology and peripheral vascular disorders. He is a 1986 medical school graduate of the University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, Mo.; completed a residency (1989) at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Ky.; and completed a fellowship (1992) also at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Practicing primarily in Prestonsburg, Ky., Payne can be reached at 606-886-7595.

KDMC names two new directors in IT department

ASHLAND -- Two King's Daughters Medical Center team members recently were named to new leadership roles within the Information Systems Technology Department.

Greg Whitlock has accepted the newly established position of IST security director, taking responsibility for KDMC information systems access, HIPAA security compliance and IST audits and finance. Whitlock also continues to be the technology project manager for the Epic project.

Chad Phipps is the new technology director, responsible for KDMC's information technology infrastructure, including the data center, databases and network. Phipps continues to be the Ancillary Systems project manager for the Epic project. For the past five years, Phipps has been the PACS administrator for Radiology.

OLBH announces medical staff additions

RUSSELL, Ky. -- Officials at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital (OLBH) announces the following additions to the OLBH medical staff.

Al Addasi, M.D., vascular surgery, earned his doctorate of medicine from the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. He completed a general surgery residency at Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore and a vascular surgery fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Board certified in surgery, Addasi practices at Tri-State Vascular Group at 2301 Lexington Ave., Suite 230, Ashland and 1061 Kenwood Blvd., Ashland. He can be reached at 606-326-1675 or 606-833-5864.

Jack Borders, M.D., psychiatry, is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine. He served in the United States Navy at Jacksonville Naval Medical Center where he was a general medical officer. He was chief resident at Maricopa County General Hospital at Arizona State. Borders is a diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management and a fellow of the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians. His office is located in Bellefonte Centre at 1000 Ashland Drive and he can be reached at 606-326-0322.

Jerod Darnell, DPM, podiatry, earned his medical degree at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. He conducted his residency in Cleveland at University Hospitals Richmond Medical Center. Darnell received extensive training in forefoot, rearfoot, and ankle surgery at 19 different hospitals and surgery centers in the Cleveland area affiliated with University Hospitals Health System and Cleveland Clinic Hospitals. Darnell's office is located at 2301 Lexington Ave. St. 325 in Ashland and he can be reached at 606-327-5454.

Diego Maldonado, M.D., pulmonology, earned his medical degree from the University of Ecuador School of Medicine. He served as chief fellow of pulmonary medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine's Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami where he also conducted a critical care medicine fellowship and an internal medicine internship and residency. Maldonado is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Critical Care Medicine. Maldonado practices with Ashland Medical Group at 1061 Kenwood Drive in Russell, Ky., and can be reached by calling 606-833-5864.

Alfred Sassler, D.O., otolaryngology, graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia. He served a head and neck surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. He completed an otolaryngology residency in head and neck surgery and a surgical internship at U.S. Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Va. Sassler served as a medical officer in the United States Navy. Sassler practices in Ashland at 613 23rd St., Suite 310, and can be reached by calling 606-324-2600.

Hazel Yang, M.D., endocrinology/internal medicine, earned her medical degree from the Institute of Medicine, Rangoon, Burma. She served a fellowship at Coney Island Hospital in New York City. She completed both her residency and internship at North General Hospital in New York City. Yang's office is located at 2025 Carter Ave.. The office can be reached by calling 606-325-1894.

For more information concerning OLBH physicians, contact the OLBH CareLine at 606-833-CARE (2273) or visit the complete OLBH medical directory online at the hospital's Web site at www.olbh.com.

OLBH names new operations manager

RUSSELL, Ky. -- Shelly Damron has been named operations manager of Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital's (OLBH) primary care and specialty practices system.

Damron is a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington with a degree in health information technology and she earned a bachelor's degree from Marshall with an emphasis on health care administration.

Prior to coming to OLBH, Damron served as a practice manager at Cabell Huntington Hospital. Damron is a certified physician coder through the American Academy of Professional Coders, of which she is a member. She also is a member of the American Health Information Management Association and the Medical Group Management Association.

Damron resides in Huntington with her husband.

Marketing agency welcomes new associates

SCOTT DEPOT, W.Va. -- Barnes Agency welcomes two new staff members to its growing team of professionals.

Tim Taylor joins Barnes Agency as its new web designer. He holds a bachelor of arts degree at Marshall University. Taylor, an award-winning Flash designer, brings to the Barnes Agency the resources needed to produce quality Web design.

Melissa Stephenson joins the agency as public relations coordinator. She has a bachelor of arts degree in public relations from Marshall University. Stephenson will coordinate public relations for Barnes Agency's clients, concentrating mostly in earned media.

"I am very excited to add these talented individuals to our client services team. They bring new and innovative techniques and processes that will only enhance our capabilities to serve our current and future client base," states Jeffrey M. Barnes, president and CEO of Barnes Agency, in a press release.