(L-R): (front row): Kelly Davita, Patient Advocate; Naya Parker, Patient Advocate; Chaplain James Hoy, Sentara Heart Hospital; (back row): Chaplain Elaine Lehr, manager of Chaplaincy Services; Yolanda Berthiaume, Chaplain’s office; and Chaplain Pete Parks, Emergency Department.

The idea began after she read an article in a trade newsletter. It was given life when she received a phone call from someone on the palliative care team. That phone call, the first request the Chaplain’s office received, requested that someone sit with a dying patient. And so began Sentara Norfolk General Hospital’s No One Dies Alone program.

Elaine Lehr, manager of chaplaincy services, said that it was something that we needed to do. She engaged the other chaplains and then sent out the call for volunteers.

Chaplain Elaine Lehr, manager of Chaplaincy Services, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

“The program started in November 2012. Basically, it is intentional sitting with a patient,” stated Lehr. The No One Dies Alone program provides volunteers to sit with dying patients when their families cannot be there for extended periods. “I was pleasantly surprised by the number of volunteers we got.”

The volunteers, from several different departments at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, volunteer to sit with the dying when family members or others are unable. These volunteers all seem to have at least one thing in common: the belief this service helps not only the patient, but is indeed a gift to each and every volunteer. “It’s not for everybody,” said Chaplain Lehr. “We attach the guidelines for the program and ask each potential volunteer if they can abide by the guidelines.”

It’s “An All of Us Program”

Lehr is quick to tell you that the No One Dies Alone program is not a chaplain’s program. “This is an all of us program. The chaplains organize volunteers to go in . . . it’s a huge team effort. What we’re providing is an intentional presence . . . an assurance that someone is there with the patient,” says Lehr.

When called upon, program volunteers will introduce themselves to the patient, lightly touch the patient’s arm and tune into the Care Channel – an internal station with scenery and music. If a patient is alert, sitting activities are guided by the patient. If the patient is not alert, the volunteer lets the patient know via words or touch that he or she is not alone and the volunteer is still with the person.

“Our employees love the program,” said Lehr. “It’s a way they can give something back to our patients and their families.”

Read the PilotOnline.com article, Norfolk hospital volunteers sit with dying patients.

(L-R) Prisca Benior, music in residence, and Kamal Chémali, MD, perform a piece together.

Sentara Neurologist and musician Kamal Chémali, M.D. knows first-hand the power of music. He has collaborated with Music Therapists to help stroke patients reactivate the language areas of their brains using Music Therapy.

After just a few minutes, one patient who had difficulty saying a simple sentence was able to sing one instead. After a month, the same patient was able to say the sentence without music.

“This is kind of spectacular,” says Chémali. “Some people say it’s a miracle, and indeed it is. It’s the power of music,” he continues.

Neurologic Music Therapy is an evidence-based treatment by a qualified professional using music to achieve a non-musical outcome. For some, it’s used for gait training; for others it’s used to regain language or better manage pain.

With Music Therapy, a board certified Music Therapist relies on music, melody and rhythm, but not a patient’s musical ability, to help that patient.

Chémali, who created a similar music and medicine program at the Cleveland Clinic, founded the Sentara Music and Medicine Center in Norfolk, Virginia and serves as the center’s medical director.

He is sharing his thoughts and experiences with neurologists all over the world at the 22 annual European Stroke Conference in London, UK May 28-31.

Rita Smith

Written by Rita P. Smith, MS, RD, CDE, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with Martha Jefferson Hospital, in Charlottesville,VA. Rita has over 35 years experience in the field of nutrition and disease prevention.

 Grills across the country are getting revved up as meals move to the outdoors.  Grilling is one of the healthiest ways to prepare food. A variety of healthy foods can easily be cooked on the grill.

• Vegetables can simply be washed and cut in half for grilling:  sweet and white potatoes, onions, bell peppers, eggplants, zucchini, and yellow squash. Carrots, corn, and mushrooms can be grilled whole. Brush the vegetables lightly with olive oil. The vegetables should be at room temperature before cooking.
• Fruits grill nicely. Cut pineapples, bananas, mangoes and peaches in half. Remove pits and grill pulp side down.
• Meats (beef, pork and poultry) can be tenderized with marinades prior to grilling. This is especially helpful with very lean cuts of meat. Combine marinade ingredients in a zip-lock bag. Add meat to the bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator before cooking on the grill.
• Citrus flavored marinade: ¼ cup lemon juice, ½ cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium chicken flavor bouillon granules, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper.
• BBQ marinade: ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, ¼ cup tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon cumin.
• Fish on the grill is flavorful and nutritious. Choose firm fish such as halibut or salmon. Brush with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. 
• Burgers such as turkey, black bean or other veggie burgers are low in saturated fat! Serve on toasted whole grain buns.

Other healthy sides:

• Potato salad: make with red skin potatoes. Lighten the dressing with reduced-fat mayonnaise whisked with nonfat buttermilk and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
• Multi-grain or whole wheat pasta salad gets a nutritional boost with sliced green onions, diced red and yellow peppers, and halved cherry tomatoes. Toss with a light olive oil and vinegar dressing 
• Coleslaw made with red and green cabbage, as well as red onions and bell peppers is terrific when tossed with a cooked oil and vinegar dressing.

Check out Rita’s blog Healthy Bites,  for other health tips and recipes.

Becker’s, a healthcare industry publication, named systems based on the provision of the full continuum of care from wellness and prevention programs, urgent care, hospital care, and hospice care to health plans.  What Becker’s didn’t say is that Sentara is looking for ways to transform care for patients with a focus on better outcomes and management of chronic diseases. This is just the beginning.

Who else do you recognize from Becker’s list of 100 Integrated Health Systems to Know?

While only five to 10 percent of breast cancers are hereditary, a Sentara Cancer Network genetic counselor shares that it’s important to identify families with hereditary cancers. These can be breast cancers but also colon, pancreas, prostate or other cancer. By identifying families at higher risk, we are able to help prevent future cancers from occurring in these families with a strong history of cancer.

Here are several questions you can ask yourself to understand if you may be a candidate for genetic testing of the BRCA genes.

• Have you or a family member (mother’s or father’s side) been diagnosed with breast cancer at age 50 or younger?

• Have you or a family member been diagnosed with ovarian cancer at any age?
• Do you have a male family member who has had breast cancer at any age?
• Do you have Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, and a personal or family history of breast, ovarian, or pancreatic cancer at any age?
• Do you have a previously identified BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation in your family?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, please call the toll-free Sentara Cancer Network resource line at 888-220-2214 to be connected with a breast expert who can help you with a more thorough discussion of your risk.

“Even though I realize finding out you have a gene that increases your risks of cancer is concerning, helping my patients begin to see that knowledge is power helps them reclaim some control,” says Jessa Blount, MS who is a certified genetic counselor with Sentara Medical Group.

The new information patients learn through genetic testing helps them make better decisions about their health.

Learn more about Sentara Cancer Genetic Services. 

I had been fighting getting a dog for years! I had every excuse you can have not to get a dog!

Kathy Tandy and her dog Roxy.

Last year at the holidays, my daughter came to me and said, “You’re a terrible mother, you didn’t get anything on Shane’s Christmas list…not even the dog!”

Well, that was the day that I took my 20-year-old and 19-year-old to an animal rescue foster home and we came home with Roxy! It was like having another baby. I already have five children and believe me I didn’t need another!

Today, I can say that Roxy has been one of the best things that ever happened to me. Every day she looks at me with those big brown eyes, just begging me to take her for a walk. We walk three times a day, a mile each time. Whether it is raining, snowing or windy…we walk. It forces me to get up and get moving and I feel great when we are done.

I enjoy the exercise, and the therapy I get from Roxy is priceless. I can be mad at my kids or my husband, or have had a really challenging day at work, but Roxy will listen to me. She does not judge me and will just give me that look of “you go girl” or “that’s right, you’ll show them.” It is the best therapy in the world for my heart and body, but also for my soul.

My point here is that working with a partner makes all the difference in the world and it does not have to be a dog. If you are accountable to a friend, family member or health coach, and committed to getting some type of exercise everyday, it sometimes gives you the push you need to follow through. If you don’t feel like getting the exercise on a particular day you are not only letting yourself down, but your partner too!

Having a partner is good for the body, mind and soul.

More than 18 bags of unwanted drugs were retrieved at Sentara CarePlex Hospital and Sentara Port Warwick.

For the safety of the community, Sentara CarePlex Hospital and Sentara Port Warwick recently helped clean up Newport News and Hampton. Teams staffed both locations to accept unwanted prescription drugs during National Drug Take Back Day.

At Sentara locations, more than 18 bags of unwanted drugs were retrieved to keep unwanted drugs out of the reach of children and from being flushed down the drains.  Sentara partnered with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Hampton and Newport News Police Departments. Nationally, more than 371 tons of drugs were collected during this Take-back event.

Allergy season has arrived, bringing telltale yellow pollen-covered cars and a battle against itchy eyes and runny noses. The 2013 Asthma and Allergy Foundation of American ranks two Virginia cities (Virginia Beach and Richmond) among the top 22 cities in the US in their “Spring 2013 Allergy Capitals” list (allergycapitals.com).

Over-the-counter medications, including saline nasal sprays as well as antihistamines currently available are often sufficient to effectively control the symptoms of hay fever, says Kimberly Smith-Griffin, M.D., a physician with Sentara Internal Medicine Physicians in Chesapeake.

Smith-Griffin also recommends taking a shower and putting on fresh clothes after being outside for any length of time to avoid even more exposure to the yellow stuff. When over-the-counter medications aren’t controlling the symptoms, Smith-Griffin recommends consulting a doctor.

Families struggling with the spring allergy season have a new high-tech tool in the battle. The telehealth service, called Sentara MDLIVE, offers patients easy and immediate access to a team of board-certified physicians licensed in the state of Virginia, via Webcam, phone or email. These doctors can diagnose allergies and prescribe necessary medications during the “virtual visits” – saving patients a trip to the doctor’s office.

“The good news is that there are effective allergy treatments available for adults and children. Sentara MDLIVE allows you to receive the care you need whenever it’s most convenient,” says Smith-Griffin, who also takes call for Sentara MDLIVE.

The service is available to all Virginia residents (and nationwide) and the visits are often covered by insurance providers. If not, the cost of a visit is $45 –  significantly less than an ER or Urgent Care visit.

Sentara MDLIVE is not limited to seasonal allergy ailments; patients can use the service for any non-emergency condition including a cold or flu, sinus infection or mild respiratory problems.

How does it work?

Sentara MDLIVE visits are covered for Sentara employees covered by Optima Health insurance – learn more by logging onto your optimahealth.com account.

Or you can log on to www.mdlive.com/sentara or call 1-800-335-4836 to get started. You’ll consult with a board-certified doctor using your computer and a webcam or the telephone. Virtual appointments are usually scheduled within minutes of registration and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Written by Angie Laing, RN, CEN, SANE-A, Program Coordinator of the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Forensic Nurse Examiner Program, Charge Nurse in the Emergency Department, and Magnet Co-Chair.   Angie has worked at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for 8 years.

Angie Laing

In recognition of National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Forensic Nurses, advocacy groups, agencies and organizations are raising awareness and educating communities and individuals in identifying and preventing sexual violence.

So, join the conversation, and start talking about identification and prevention of adult and child sexual abuse.

Here’s how you can help. Be informed.

Sexual and domestic/intimate partner violence poses a significant public health problem linked to increased mortality and morbidity.

• These crimes can result in severe physical and psychological problems, both immediate and long-term and create a considerable health burden for survivors.
• Access to care and available resources creates an additional community burden for this population.
• Forensic nurses, law enforcement officers and victim advocates are often the first to come in contact with survivors of sexual violence.

Understand what a forensic nurse examiner does?

Forensic Nurse Examiners (FNEs) or Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) are registered nurses who specialize in the care and management of survivors of sexual and domestic/intimate partner violence.  Their specialized knowledge goes beyond the medical field and extends into the legal arena of identification and collection of evidence and familiarity of the judicial system.

FNEs provide survivors of sexual assault a comprehensive medical-forensic examination, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, emergency contraception, evidence collection and chain of custody procedures, give testimony in a court of law, and promote a continuum of care by managing follow-up services and referrals to valuable community resources.

Find out how forensic nurses respond to survivors. 

We also work in conjunction with a multidisciplinary team of professionals from law enforcement agencies, victim advocates, victim services, and the legal system that make up the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).

This specialized team provides a coordinated community response to survivors of sexual violence by offering immediate access and improvement of victim services, outreach, follow-up, primary prevention education, and identifying and bringing the responsible person(s) to justice.

Learn more about Sentara Healthcare’s Forensic Programs

 Sentara Healthcare has a Forensic Nurse Examiners Program at the following hospitals including: Sentara CarePlex Hospital, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center and RMH Healthcare.

The programs provide immediate care and services for survivors of sexual and domestic/intimate partner violence.

Sentara’s first forensic nurse examiner program was established in April 2006 at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. The program, which is staffed with 7 part-time forensic nurses, serves victims of sexual and domestic/intimate partner violence and is an extension of the hospital’s Emergency Department.

The program provides services and referrals to approximately 80-100 forensic patients a year. It is funded by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice (DCJS) bi-annual grant, the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Victim Fund, which is designed to improve services for victims of sexual and domestic/intimate partner violence, an underserved population in the community.

Angie’s dedication to raising awareness and educating communities and individuals in identifying and preventing sexual violence earned her an Inside Business Healthcare Hero award.

Read Forensic Nurse is a champion for prevention. 

Ambulances and firetrucks lined up on Colley Avenue.

The surrounding Colley Avenue community as well as those on the medical center campus saw and heard the activities, sirens and lights of first responders during the drill, which took place on Children’s Lane.

There was no cause for alarm during the drill.

Important facts about the drill:

• The emergency activities on Children’s Lane on April 25, from 9 to 11 am, were part of a drill.
• All EVMS, CHKD and Sentara Norfolk General Hospital services were fully operational during the exercise.
• All city roadways were open during the exercise, with the exception of Children’s Lane, which runs parallel to Colley Avenue between Olney Road and Raleigh Avenue.
• Travelers used Raleigh Avenue to reach the CHKD Emergency Room.

Take an inside look at the drill. 

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  Local responders off load “patients” from the active shooter drill.

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  “Patients” are triaged and assigned in the Emergency Department.

  

  Local responders and Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Emergency staff participate in the drill.

  

  Emergency Department teams assess “patients” during the drill.

  

  Teams from EVMS, CHKD, Sentara and local responders participate in a debriefing after the drill.