Larkins has a new management team at the Carolina Grill in Columbus. Jenny DiGennaro, general manager and Shane Trauth, assistant Manager are working hard to make Larkins Carolina Grill a favorite place for lunch, dinner, Sunday Brunch or anything in between. Under the direction of Lewis Bentley, area manager for Larkins on the Lake and Larkins Carolina Grill, Jenny and Shane bring years of restaurant experience.

DiGennaro has introduced a new menu with items such as the half portion selections for a lighter fare. The lunch selection has been expanded, the Sunday Brunch is bigger than ever, she said, and there are several new items on the dinner menu.

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Paul Zimmerman is the new manager of the Lilac Wine Bar in Tryon.

We are making changes to many things and this includes the food menu, Zimmerman said. The new one will be simple, fresh, local and seasonal. A menu consultant is being brought in, Zimmerman said.

The music is just piano at a nice low volume.

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Chris Comeaux, CEO of Four Seasons in Flat Rock, and Rita Burch, executive director of Hospice of Rutherford County in Forest City, N.C. announced a joint venture between their respective organizations to help people in Western North Carolina live in their own homes for as long as possible.

The collaborative effort, called Livability, LLC, is a consulting and retrofitting business that specializes in universal design concepts for home safety and accessibility.

Four Seasons and Hospice of Rutherford County combine many years of experience in caring for chronically and terminally ill patients and their families, Comeaux said. Since the 1980s, both hospices have acquired a reputation of excellence in serving patients in the mountains and foothills, and Livability is an extension of their missions.

Heidi Owen, director of community services for Hospice of Rutherford County for the past 16 years, will serve as executive director of Livability. Owen, originally from Etowah and now a resident of Rutherford County, has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina and a master’s degree in business administration with a health care concentration from Gardner-Webb University. She is a certified fund raising executive as well as a certified aging in place specialist.

For more information about Livability or to request a home assessment, contact Heidi Owen at (828) 233-0348 or visit the Livability website at www.livabilityhome.org.

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Mission Hospital and Pardee Hospital are collaborating on plans for a patient-focused, outpatient-oriented health campus which will improve access, quality and availability of cost-effective healthcare services to residents of south Buncombe and north Henderson counties.

Mission and Pardee have a very successful history of working together to advance quality healthcare and effectively serve our region. After considerable collaborative planning, we are pleased to announce this exciting project that supports our common mission of enhancing healthcare in the region, said Kris Hoce, president and CEO of Pardee Hospital.

The proposed location for the collaborative health campus is along Hendersonville Rd., in the town of Fletcher, on the Buncombe County and Henderson County line. The project is currently being planned as a two-level, approximately 130,000 square foot building. In addition to wellness and prevention programs, proposed services include imaging, surgery, emergency, rehabilitation, pharmacy, lab, and physician offices. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2011.