Network: December 2008
Members of the Team
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| Preliminary Rendering of Sentara Princess Anne Hospital. |
Bon Secours Virginia and Sentara Healthcare to collaborate on Princess Anne Hospital
Bon Secours Virginia and Sentara Healthcare have agreed to collaborate in developing Sentara Princess Anne Hospital and hospital related services on their respective outpatient campuses in Virginia Beach. Sentara is pursuing approval to increase the 120 beds previously approved and will now revise its pending Certificate of Public Need application to reflect the new proposal for a single 200-bed joint ventured facility on the Sentara Princess Anne Health Campus, using inpatient beds relocated from Sentara Bayside Hospital and Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center. Read the news release.
National Designation Recognizes Nursing Excellence, Teamwork
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital is the first in southeastern Virginia to be named a MagnetHospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Less than 5 percent of U.S. hospitals have earned this credential. “We are very proud to be awarded Magnet status," says Lois Kercher, chief nursing officer for Sentara Healthcare. “This designation recognizes excellence in nursing and teamwork among all hospital staff," Kercher adds. “Everyone at Sentara Norfolk General contributed to this national honor.” Read the news release.
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| (L-R) Sentara Bayside Hospital FIRRST team Judy Marlow, Jennifer Kreiser, Kay Hall, Sally Sauer and Carrie Ford |
Sentara Bayside Hospital FIRRST Team a Success
The Family Initiated Rapid Response Safety Team (FIRRST) at Sentara Bayside Hospital marked its one-year anniversary in November 2008. FIRRST is a system that encourages family members to initiate an emergency call to a Safety Response Team from within the hospital if they notice a change in their loved one’s condition and feel medical attention is needed. This systemwide initiative was launched first at Sentara Bayside Hospital whose FIRRST Team has responded to three calls to date with excellent feedback from all involved. One patient said the program gave her additional confidence in the care she received. All Sentara hospitals are scheduled to have FIRRST teams in place by the end of 2008.
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(L-R) Megan Cordova, RD, CDE, leads a therapeutic drumming session along with Cathy Kelly, RN, BSN.
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Sentara Extends Health Education to Indian Reservation
Team members from Sentara Community Health and Prevention recently provided a series of four classes about Heart Healthy Living to residents of the Pamunkey Indian Reservation. The reservation is located many miles away from medical services, requiring residents to be self-reliant and well educated about health prevention and crisis. Classes provided included nutrition, basic cardiovascular and diabetes information, public access defibrillation awareness and drumming for stress relief led by Megan Cordova, RD, CDE, who is certified in therapeutic drumming. The classes, held in the Pamunkey Museum on the reservation, were well received. Optima Health Maintains Excellent Rating First introduced in 1984, Optima Health Plan has received the highest level of accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its tenth consecutive year. The commercial plans received a rating of 97.4 and Medicaid received 96.1 out of a possible score of 100. College of William and Mary Dedicates “Sentara Green”
More than 200 people were on hand September 25, 2008, as the grounds that formerly housed Sentara Williamsburg Community Hospital were dedicated for use by the College of William and Mary Education Department. Rector Michael Powell presented Ken Krakaur, president of Sentara's Peninsula Region, with a resolution naming the grounds directly in front of a planned education building “Sentara Green.” Sentara Williamsburg Community Hospital was donated to the college in the summer of 2006, following the opening of Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center. College officials are in the process of constructing a new School of Education building on the site, scheduled to debut in 2010.
Optima Health’s Eating for Life Program Wins National Award
Out of more than 1,000 entries, Optima’s Eating for Life program has won the 2008 National Health Information Award at the Bronze level in the category Total Health Information Program among Hospital and Health Care Systems. The awards are distributed by the Health Information Resource Center, a national clearinghouse for consumer health information. Developed by Optima dietitian and health educator Joan Sechrist, PhD, RD, Eating for Life offers adults a self-paced program, with a DVD and workbook, to teach them about healthy eating habits and exercise. Read a news release about the award.
To learn more about Optima's community health and prevention programs, visit Optima's Web site.
Palliative Care wins AHA Award
Sentara’s Palliative and end-of-life programs have won a Citation of Honor from the American Hospital Association’s Circle of Life awards program. The Circle of Life program recognizes innovation in palliative and end-of-life care, which helps patients and their families cope with severe, life-threatening illnesses and which helps terminal patients live as fully as possible through the end of life. The ‘Citation of Honor’ category recognizes health care providers who have affirmed a commitment to palliative care. Sentara’s program is among six programs in the nation to receive a Citation of Honor this year. For more information on the awards, visit the American Hospital Association's Web site. Photo ID: (L-R) Carol Wilson (3rd from left) accepts Sentara’s award from Dr. Krista Dobbie (4th from left). They are flanked by Jennie Chin Hansen, president, AARP, Washington, D.C., Stephen Connor, PhD, vice president, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Alexandria, VA, William Petasnick, president and CEO, Froedtert & Community Health, Milwaukee, WI, and AHA's chairman, and Kate O'Malley, senior program officer, California Healthcare Foundation, Oakland, CA.
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(Pictured clockwise from left) Maggie Hurd, retired Sentara employee, Tamera Mears and Kasey Pritchard, Sentara Human Resources, Meril Amdursky, Sentara Health Foundation, and Richard Davis, retired Sentara employee, collectively staffed the Sentara Retirees Connect booth at the event.
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Sentara Princess Anne Marks Two-Year Anniversary
Sentara Princess Anne Health campus celebrated its two-year anniversary with an open house on September 20, 2008. Residents were invited to meet some of over 100 physicians and specialists now seeing patients on the campus. Activities included Advanced Imaging Center tours, free health screenings, healthy cooking demonstrations, chair massage, entertainment by the Rhondels and children’s activities, such as face painting, moonwalk, trackless train ride tours and refreshments. Since opening in 2006, Sentara Princess Anne Emergency Department has treated more than 75,000 patients. Congratulations to Sentara Team Members Howard Kern, president and chief operating officer, Sentara Healthcare, received the 2008 American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Outstanding Leadership Award for District 02.
Cathy Fox, emergency department clinician II, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, received the Tidewater EMS 2008 Regional Award for Outstanding Emergency Nurse.
Virginia Savage, director of Nursing Information Services, Sentara Obici Hospital, received the 2008 Athena Award from the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes an "individual who demonstrates excellence, creativity, community awareness, and actively assists women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills.” New Appointments at Sentara
Congratulations to the following Sentara physicians, staff members and new Sentara team members on their appointments within the system.
- Teresa “Terrie” Edwards, previously executive vice president and administrator of Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in Richmond, has been named vice president and administrator of Sentara Leigh Hospital.
- Dr. Scott Miller, a former NDC physician with a specialty in infectious disease, has been named vice president of medical affairs at Sentara Leigh Hospital.
- Beth Carlson, formerly director of nursing at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, Neb., has accepted the position of vice president of Patient Care Services at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center.
- Dr. J. Stephens (Steve) Julian, Jr., former immediate past president of the medical staff at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, has been named vice president of medical affairs at Sentara Obici.
Sentara Obici Hospital Ambulatory Surgery Centered Honored
Sentara Obici Ambulatory Surgery Center was honored as Hampton Roads' Outstanding Corporation in October at the 2008 Hampton Roads Regional Crime Line Top Cop dinner. Sentara Obici Hospital was selected for its outstanding community partnership and the cooperation staff provided during the April 28, 2008, tornado. Immediately after the tornado, Sentara Obici Ambulatory Surgery Center allowed emergency responders to turn a large portion of their facility into the Incident Command Center for the area’s rescue and recovery effort.
Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Earns Cardiac Certification
The Joint Commission has awarded Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital a Disease Specific Care (DSC) certification for treatment of heart failure and heart attacks. This follows a rigorous review of policies, procedures, treatment plans and protocols, as well as interviews with program leaders and clinicians to ensure they are adhering to evidence-based guidelines. Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital is only the second hospital in the Commonwealth of Virginia to receive this distinction. To read more, view the press release.
Stroke Care Recognized at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital’s stroke program has been recertified with The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval ™ after initially receiving its Disease Specific Certification in 2006. Read the press release.
Sentara Williamsburg Sleep Center Earns Accrediation
The Sleep Center at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center recently received program accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), which currently accredits more than 1,500 sleep medicine centers and laboratories across the country. The AASM is dedicated to setting standards and promoting excellence in sleep medicine health care, education and research. To receive a five-year accreditation, a sleep center must meet or exceed all standards for professional health care as designated by the AASM. Learn more about sleep disorders services at Sentara and read the news release.