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Network: April/May 2007
Network Asks Employees How Do You Improve Health Every Day?
 “Here at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital we improve health every day by helping to educate our cancer patients. We sit down with them and take time to answer their questions. We find that it really empowers them to understand the type of cancer they have, what needs to be done and what side effects they can expect during treatment. When they leave here, they’re armed with information and resources to help them fight the disease. As a cancer survivor myself – I was just a little older than Jackie VandeLinde when I got the disease 15 years ago – I could identify with a lot of the things she was feeling. I try to use my experience. I tell my patients, ‘Look, I’ve been there and I’ve done that, and you can do it, too!’”
— Linda Neely, RN, OCN
Radiation Oncology Department
Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
Years with Sentara: 24
 “For me, improving health every day means that I am there for each patient ― not only from a medical standpoint, but emotionally. I’m there to greet them with a smile, hold their hand, give them a hug, encourage them and try to make a pleasant experience out of what is often a very difficult time in their lives. We develop a relationship with these patients and sometimes it’s a lifelong relationship. A lot of them – like Dr. Farassat – come back to see us and it does us a lot of good to see how they’re doing. I tell my patients that half of your treatment is keeping a positive mental attitude. If you stay upbeat, you’re going to do better. Some people think it would be a depressing job, but it’s just the opposite. I enjoy being part of the cure. My patients give to me as much as I give to them.”
– Beth Armstrong, RT (R) (T)
Radiation Therapist
Sentara CarePlex Hospital
Years with Sentara: 5
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