At the invitation of CarePartners Health Services (CarePartners), Mission Health has entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) for CarePartners to become an affiliated member of the Mission Health system. The signed MOU symbolizes the beginning of a collaboration that will ultimately enhance patient care in western North Carolina.

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Dr. Allan Zacher of Interventional Pain Services of Western North Carolina, PLLC (www.IPSWNC.com) is one of the select few physicians that has been awarded the prestigious Patients' Choice Award by Vital Signs doctor rating service.

Only doctors who have received top scores by their patients and pass other quality measures are awarded this rare honor.

Spring break vacations are an opportunity to unwind, but they don’t have to derail healthy habits. Plan ahead to ensure that fitness, healthy foods, and safety are part of the holiday. Consider the following tips for a spring break without regret.

Get moving

• Don’t neglect your workout routine. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s important to exercise at least 2.5 hours each week. Spring break is a time to relax, but vacationers should be conscious of their activity level. Take breaks from lying on the beach to go for a walk, play volleyball, go swimming, head to the tennis courts, or take a bike ride. Make sure to raise your heart rate and be active to avoid spring break weight gain.

Macon County has been ranked 16th in North Carolina for over-all good health in the recently released 2013 rankings. That is three spots below the 2012 ranking of 13th. Despite the small decline, Macon still sits ahead of 84 other counties throughout the state and is ranked fourth in Western North Carolina behind Watauga (3), Henderson (12) and Transylvania (14).

The County Health Rankings and Roadmaps program is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The program ranks almost every county in the country.