Towne Lake Primary Care Welcomes Dr. Kirk Hewling Towne Lake Primary Care recently added Kirk Hewling, M.D., as the newest physician to its practice at the Northside Cherokee/Towne Lake Medical Campus in Woodstock. A board-certified physician in family medicine, Dr. Hewling joins Dr. Robin Loe and Dr. Noreen Mercando in providing families with the highest quality medical care possible. Dr. Hewling is a graduate of the Howard University College of Medicine. He completed his residency at the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Hewling has practiced in the Atlanta area for more than 10 years. His clinical interests include sports medicine, adolescent medicine, and cardiovascular health, and he has received numerous awards for his care, including the Patient's Choice Award, Compassionate Doctor Recognition and Hypertension Care Recognition. 900 Towne Lake Parkway, Suite 410, Woodstock. 678-445-0819
Georgia Cancer Specialists Collecting Backpacks for Foster Children Georgia Cancer Specialists (GCS) and Northside Hospital are collecting backpacks and kid-sized suitcases for foster children in Georgia as part of the 13th annual Totes 2 Tots suitcase drive. Approximately 8,500 children, from infants to teenagers, are currently in the foster care system in Georgia. Many of these children shuffle their belongings in garbage bags when they are removed from their homes. Since Totes 2 Tots was first launched in 2003, the annual volunteer event has collected and distributed more than 37,000 bags. Totes 2 Tots originally was held on Martin Luther King Day as a way to honor Dr. King's vision of philanthropy and give back to the community. The event is now held on the preceding Friday, to kick off a weekend of service in Dr. King's honor. Donations of new or nearly new backpacks and suitcases will be accepted at 27 GCS offices across Georgia, including Canton, at 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., January 16. 228 Riverstone Drive, Canton. 770-479-1870, GaCancer.com
Falany & Hulse Women's Center Opens in Towne Lake Falany & Hulse Women's Center is scheduled to open a new Towne Lake location on January 12. The team of board-certified physicians includes Dr. Angela Falany, Dr. Michael Hulse, Dr. Najai Lawrence, and Dr. Annie Kim, along with certified physician assistants. Falany & Hulse Women's Center provides state-of-the-art women's healthcare, including OB/GYN services and surgical procedures performed in office and at Northside Hospital-Cherokee and North Georgia Medical Center in east Ellijay affiliated hospitals. 900 Towne Lake Parkway, Suite 404, Woodstock. 770-720-8551, FalanyAndHulse.com
Georgia Academy for Economic Development Includes Cherokee Graduates The Georgia Academy for Economic Development, held this past December, included a 2014 Region 3 Multi-Day Training Program open to Cherokee County participants. Meghan Griffin, director of the City of Canton's Main Street program, and Mitzi Saxon, administrative coordinator for the City of Woodstock's Office of Economic Development & Downtown Development Authority, were among the participants from professional and non-professional economic development fields, elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators, and social service providers across 10 counties in metro Atlanta. Georgia EMC and Georgia Power provide facilitators for the program, and the Georgia Dept. of Community Affairs provides staff support to this important program. Created in 1993, the Academy is taught one day a month over a four-month period. It includes training in the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on business recruitment and retention, tourism product development, downtown development, planning, and other essentials for community success. In addition, the curriculum features specific leadership skills, such as consensus building, ethics in public service, collaborative leadership and other segments needed for effective community leadership in economic development. Local elected officials may receive certification training credits through the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association for completion of this program. "One of the goals for the multi-day regional Academies is to encourage multi-county cooperation," says Corinne Thornton, director of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development. "Many times the participants discover the issues facing their community are the same as those facing other communities in their region, and can then combine limited resources to address the issue."
Inalfa Cherokee Facility Now Open Inalfa Roof Systems has opened its new assembly facility in Cherokee County. The new assembly facility, located at Cherokee 75 Corporate Park in Acworth, is part of the company's strategic expansion plan to double its efforts in technical innovation. According to a company press release, "In 2010 and 2011, as the North American market rebounded, it became clear that we needed to address the growing demand in the Southeast to satisfy our customers and growth of the business." Planning started for a new facility in 2012. Inalfa Cherokee currently produces roof systems for BMW, Ford and Nissan programs, with plans to add GM business and glass encapsulation capabilities in 2015. Currently, more than 250 employees work at the Inalfa Cherokee facility. With the continued growth of the business, Inalfa Cherokee expects to grow beyond 400 employees by 2016.
MaThCliX Opens in Woodstock MaThCliX MaTh Learning CenTer is now open in Woodstock. Tracy Lynn Porter, founder and director, has a B.S. and M.A.T. in Mathematics, is a Ga.-certified, Gifted Endorsed Teacher for grades 7-12, and currently teaches at KSU in the math department. MaThCliX serves students of all ages in all areas of math, including elementary, middle, pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus, statistics, and college-level math. Most students are served through the open math lab. Private tutoring, test prep courses, homeschool support, and various workshops also are available. 1105 Parkside Lane, Suite 1324, Woodstock. 770-852-0314, MathClix.com
Cherokee Chamber Elects New Board of Directors The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce has announced the seven members who were elected recently to the organization's board of directors. These volunteers will serve three-year terms beginning in January 2015 and continuing through December 2017. The newly elected board members include Neil Blackman, Corblu Ecology Group; Dr. Brian Hightower, individual member; Karen Mathews, WellStar Health System; Jeff Mitchell, South State Bank; Michael Searcy, WLJA 101.1 FM/Enjoy! Cherokee magazine; Jennifer Stanley, Northside Hospital-Cherokee; and Alan Thompson, MOJO Productions. "I look forward to working with these new board members, as well as those who will be continuing to serve the Chamber as we work collaboratively to meet the Chamber's mission," said Jeff Rusbridge, of Dyer & Rusbridge, PC, who serves as the 2015 chairman of the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce.
9Round Kickboxing Opens in Woodstock 9Round kickboxing fitness center is now open in Woodstock. 9Round is a full-body 30-minute kickboxing workout that is fun, fast-paced and effective. The workout consists of nine different workout stations that change daily, and a trainer is on hand to help you through each station workout. 9Round Woodstock owners Chris Foster and Mike McDowell are offering your first workout free with no obligation. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday (closed 1:30-3:30); 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Friday (closed 1:30-3:30); and 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Saturday. 1426 Towne Lake Parkway, Suite 106, Woodstock. 678-483- 6044, 9round.com
Northside Hospital Expands Pediatric Imaging Services at Towne Lake Campus Northside Hospital's Northside/Towne Lake Imaging in Woodstock now offers pediatric sedation for MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and CT (computed tomography) imaging to its scope of services. "We are pleased to be able to offer pediatric sedation for these more advanced diagnostic imaging procedures for children and teens," said Tanya Fields, M.D., a board-certified radiologist with a sub-specialty in pediatric imaging. "Northside Hospital continues to invest in state-of-the-art technology and programs in order to provide comprehensive services and convenience to our patients." Kavitha Bareddy, M.D., a board-certified anesthesiologist with pediatric experience and medical director of pediatric imaging sedation at Northside Hospital, adds, "Children are naturally anxious on a trip to the doctor, particularly when they don't feel well or are in pain; getting them to be still during an MRI or CT procedure can be challenging. When procedural sedation is recommended, we use a variety of effective and safe techniques, which are tailored to the specific needs of each child and their planned procedure." Dr. Fields and Dr. Bareddy lead Northside/Cherokee Towne Lake Imaging's pediatric team alongside PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)-certified sedation nurses. Together, they work to ensure that the highest quality diagnostic images are obtained. After each exam, Northside's PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications Systems) allows the radiologist and the child's referring physician to view images simultaneously from their own offices and computers. This enables them to directly discuss each child's case and determine an accurate diagnosis much faster. Both parents and referring physicians are always kept in the information loop and results are typically available in less than 24 hours. Faster results mean shorter waits for diagnosis and treatment. Northside/Cherokee Towne Lake Imaging offers high-quality radiology/imaging services for patients of all ages. The facility, which moved to the new Northside Cherokee/Towne Lake Medical Campus in 2013, offers MRI, CT, digital screening mammography, digital X-ray, bone densitometry and ultrasound exams in addition to the new pediatric sedation service.
Skin Cancer Specialists, P.C. Relocates Skin Cancer Specialists, P.C. has relocated to a new office in Marietta. Skin Cancer Specialists, P.C. provides services related to the prevention and management of skin cancer, including skin cancer screening examinations; removal of skin growths for biopsy and the removal of skin cancers; Mohs micrographic surgery; and advanced reconstructive surgery for skin cancer. Office hours are 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. 835 Cogburn Ave., N.W., Marietta. 770-422-5557, SkinCancerSpecialists.com