Mission 

Network: May 2009

 Creating a Culture of Collaboration, Innovation and Hope
Emma Grace Gaffa, the 2008 Arthritis Walk Hero, is 3 years old and lives in Yorktown. She is spunky, smart and full of personality. Emma was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis when she was nine months old. She has made a lot of progress since her diagnosis, thanks to her family, her doctors, and the information and support of the Arthritis Foundation.

In 2008, the Sentara Health Foundation granted over half a million dollars to fund projects related to four priorities – access to basic health care, aid for the frail and elderly, pregnancy outcome improvement initiatives and collaboration building with other organizations to address health care issues. The Sentara sponsorship dollars for the Arthritis Foundation went to expanding the Life Improvement Series in Hampton Roads and to programs that provide the preventive care and interventions that may reduce a person’s need for more costly care in the future—such as the 2008 Arthritis Walk, which was sponsored by the Sentara Health Foundation.

The foundation has achieved great success in the areas of community benefit and philanthropy. Read more ways the Foundation has improved the lives of others through collaboration and partnership in the The Sentara Health Foundation 2008 Annual Report.

Strengthening the Healthcare Safety Net of the Region
For more than 120 years, Sentara has been committed to the health and well-being of people in our region, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. In total, Sentara provided $157,825,000 in Community Benefit in 2008. Of that, $137,530,000 was in uncompensated care. Here is a look at how that breaks down:

Sentara provided $137,530,000 in uncompensated patient care services. It breaks down to: 
-- 118,512 uninsured and underinsured patients that were served
-- 324 patients per day received free services
-- This equaled more than $376,000 per day

Teaching & Training of Healthcare Professionals
-- Sentara has committed over $25 million annually to Eastern Virginia Medical School to maintain a highly trained pool of top-quality doctors in the area.
-- Local colleges are also supported to insure a supply of skilled nurses and clinical professionals in the future.
-- Health career camps are offered at Sentara facilities for high school students to introduce them to health care professions.

Community Health and Prevention
-- Sentara Cancer Network provided over 15,500 people with screenings and information on cancer prevention
-- Community Health and Prevention coordinated over 1,700 events that touched more than 36,600 people for health screenings.
-- Sentara Living for seniors reached over 6,000 in membership
-- Flu patrol delivered 13,328 immunizations in 2008.

The Sentara Health Foundation has awarded over $5 million in grants as it marked its 11 year milestone. The grants fund: 
-- Access to basic health services
-- Services that improve pregnancy outcomes
-- Coalition building initiatives with local agencies to find health solutions
-- Programs for the frail and at-risk elderly.

Collaborating to Serve Medically Indigent
When Cynthia Stinson had a heart attack in 2000, she was working 60 hours a week and still couldn’t afford health insurance. Ironically, her doctor said that it was hard work that contributed to her heart attack. That sent the 43-year-old divorced mother to Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital for seven days for an angioplasty and a stint to correct her blockage. When she recovered, her doctor told her to quit one of her two jobs as a restaurant cashier and prescribed nine medications, eight of which were prescription drugs. Read the April 2009 Community Benefits Report  to find out how Sentara made a difference for Stinson’s medical care by covering her hospitalization costs through charity care, and by helping Stinson – who has diabetes with complications – qualify for services at Beach Health Clinic for medical services and prescription assistance.

Sentara Receives Award from the College of William and Mary
During its recent Charter Day celebration, the College of William and Mary recognized Sentara for its $7.4 million gift in-kind to the college for construction of its School of Education. Sentara relocated its Williamsburg hospital in 2006 to a campus located off Mooretown Road and allowed the college to acquire its former parcel of land for well under fair market value. Prior to relocation, Sentara appointed a committee, conducted a year-long study and held a public hearing. Sentara’s re-use committee determined that the college’s proposal best fit the community’s needs.

The Botetourt award honors non-alumni members of the William and Mary community who embody the spirit of Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt, who served as rector of the College from 1769 until his death in 1770. Bernd accepted the award and remarked on the long history of cooperation between the college and Sentara. The statue has been placed on permanent display inside the main lobby of Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center.