Network: February/March 2009
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| Kennis Crosby (center) gets her teeth checked through the American Red Cross Adult Dental Clinic. |
Dental Program Changes Woman’s Life
Kennis Crosby, a 36-year-old uninsured Norfolk single mother couldn’t afford a dentist for many years. She discovered the American Red Cross Adult Dental Clinic, which treated her for $15 per visit and referred her for restorative dentistry to a new program supported by a $27,000 Sentara Health Foundation grant. The Continuation of Care Program helps patients who need extensive dental work not only with their dental health but with education and job training. With assistance through Opportunity Inc., a workforce development organization, Crosby entered a special dental assistant training program, completed an internship and received a job offer to work in a private dental office. Read her story in the Sentara Community Benefit Report .
Sentara Health Foundation-Funded Medical Center Coming Soon
Renovations are underway at the site of the new Virginia Beach Family Medical Center, which received $300,000 in seed money from the Sentara Health Foundation. The facility will be operated by the Peninsula Institute for Community Health (PICH). This is a great example of how Sentara Health Foundation grants are helping to address the needs of the underserved.
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| Carol Wolsh, LPN, checks blood pressure for Jason Hartz (R). |
Routine Health Screening Leads to Prompt Treatment
Readers of
Sentara’s 2008 Community Benefit report will also learn about residents like Jason Hartz, who stopped by a Sentara-sponsored health fair to say hi to his stepmother, a Sentara nurse who was staffing the event. He ended up participating in the free screenings himself and discovered that while his blood pressure was normal, his cholesterol numbers were off the chart, registering at 500, instead of the 190 or below considered healthy. He quickly visited a doctor who ordered a stress test to check his heart which appeared healthy, rechecked his cholesterol and put him on medication. Find out more about
free community health screenings sponsored by Sentara.
Mission: Health Hits its Stride
In 2007, just 732 Sentara employees participated in the WalkAbout with Healthy Edge program to lose weight and improve their health. In 2008, after the start of the "Mission: Health initiative," that figure jumped to 3,601. The Eating for Life program jumped from 196 participants to 1,259. Whether it’s to enjoy lower health plan premiums or just to feel better, participation in these two programs suggests that Sentara is moving toward a healthier workforce. “We are thrilled with these participation rates because it demonstrates that our employees are taking charge of their own health,” said Terrina Thomas, director of Sentara Health and Preventive Services. “We’d just like to say ‘keep up the good work!’ ”