WOODBRIDGE – (Press Release) Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center will expand its services to patients and their families with the introduction of the Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center.

The team, surrounded by cancer survivors, celebrated the opening of the Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center with a ribbon cutting and cancer survivor celebration on Thursday, June 6, 2019, which culminated in a butterfly release.

The new Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center is a specialized resource for our patients and community. It’s a place where we offer our patients compassionate care, coordinate access to a network of specialists, state-of-the-art technologies, treatments, clinical trials and cutting edge innovations thanks to our comprehensive, integrated cancer care supported by the Sentara Cancer Network.

“Cancer is something which has touched all of our lives in one way or another,” explains Kathie Johnson, President, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, “At the Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center, our team approach is led by our dedicated, board-certified patient navigator to help patients through this difficult time and ensure they and their families navigate seamlessly through this process.”

The center will be a place for patients to come for support groups – offered in both English and Spanish- yoga and meditation classes. Patients and their families will also have access to our community partners, such as the American Cancer Society, who will be on site once a month to assist patients and their caregivers with resource coordination such as transportation.

“At Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center we strive to provide a continuous, coordinated care experience which reduces patients’ anxiety and gets them back to their favorite activities as soon as possible. This is a sacred, safe space for our patients and families and it’s just one more way We Improve Health Every Day,” explains Heather Causseaux, Director of Oncology Services.

Our commitment continues to grow, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center will introduce our new onsite PET-CT and imaging services later this year. These services will help our patients and community. Instead of visiting multiple sites, patients will be able to streamline their care process and get testing in the same place where many of their doctors and specialists are located and where their treatments take place.

This beautiful center and the PET-CT wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless work of the entire team and a generous grant from The Potomac Health Foundation.

Are your health goals wreaking havoc on your grocery bill? Have you bought into the myth that eating healthy will break the bank?

There are many ways to achieve a balanced and nutritious diet without spending a fortune on groceries from week to week.

Here are some grocery shopping tips for buying healthy foods at healthy prices:

• Favor Frozen: Frozen fruits and vegetables often offer the same nutrients (or more, because they are frozen immediately after being picked) as their fresh counterparts while being much more cost-effective. They also offer the additional benefit of keeping longer when stored in the freezer, so you can purchase larger quantities without any going to waste! Be sure to choose frozen produce without added sugar/sauces.
• Select Seasonal: Produce that is currently being grown in your region is likely to be cheaper in the store due to lower transportation costs. For fruits/vegetables that are not in season, consider buying them frozen. Check out your local farmers markets as well for good buys on seasonal produce!
• Buy Bulk: Purchasing large quantities of non-perishable items can help to cut down on money spent and the frequency of your grocery trips. Look to the bulk foods aisle for items like whole grains, nuts and seeds, dried beans and even spices. Many of these foods can be stored in the freezer for several months!
• Pick Plant Proteins: Purchasing a lot of meat and poultry can quickly send the grocery bill into the danger zone. Consider introducing “Meatless Mondays” or simply swapping the meat in recipes for plant proteins like beans/legumes, lentils, nuts or whole grains such as quinoa. Plant sources of protein are often high in fiber and have been shown to benefit heart health!
• Go Generic: The store brands of many grocery items are nearly identical in nutritional value to the name brands. Opt for the generic or store brands for items like frozen fruits and vegetables, canned goods and pantry staples such as sugar, salt and spices.
• Do It Yourself: Many foods that are already prepared or “ready-to-cook” have a higher price tag because you are paying for the convenience. To cut back on cost, as well as added sugar and salt, avoid items like pre-marinated meats, boxed side dishes and frozen entrees.

*Signing up for rewards cards, using coupons and watching for sales on items you regularly use are other ways to save a buck (or several!) without sacrificing your health and nutrition goals.

Don’t let the higher price tag of foods labeled “organic” or “natural” convince you that a healthy diet is out of your price range. You don’t need to buy high priced “superfood” items to have a healthy diet. Keep the focus on eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean protein and, using these strategies, purchasing nutritious foods can be done with budgets of any size!

This post is written by Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. 

May is National Foster Care Month.

For Children’s Sake of Virginia (FCSVA) is a therapeutic foster care agency that works throughout Northern Virginia. They frequently get asked the same questions about foster care and wanted to take some time to share their knowledge today.

What is Foster Care?

Foster Care is a temporary living arrangement in which adults provide care for children who need a safe place to live when their parents or another relative cannot take care of them.

What is the goal of foster care?

The goal for a child in foster care always starts with reunifying the child with their birth family. However, the goal may change to adoption, independent living, or placement with a relative if and when it is in the best interest of the child.

What types of children are in foster care?

All kinds of children can be found in need of foster care services. Children in foster care range in age of newborn to 21 years old. Most of the children in care have experienced some form of neglect or abuse. As a therapeutic agency, FCSVA sees a lot of older children, sibling groups, children with medical or behavioral needs, or non-native English speakers. FCSVA works with their foster parents to find the children that will be the best fit for a home, and their parents always have the final say about whether they are comfortable with a child before they come into the home.

How long will a child stay in my home?

It is hard to say how long a child will stay in foster care, as many factors contribute to this. A child’s stay in foster care can be as short as overnight or last as long as months or years. However, courts are pushing for a goal of one year to permanency for a child in foster care whenever possible.

Am I financially responsible for my foster child?

Foster parents are provided a stipend per child. Each child is also provided a clothing allowance per year from the county, and typically all children in foster care have medical expenses covered by Medicaid.

What training do you need to become a foster parent?

All first-time foster parents are required to take Parent’s Resource for Information, Development and Education (PRIDE) training program through FCSVA. This is a 27-hour course, and FCSVA builds the schedule for the course based on the foster parent’s availability. Outside of this training, each foster parent will also need to be CPR & First Aid certified, and complete several annual parts of training.

Who can be a foster parent?

Anyone older than 21 years old who is financially stable, has space in their home for a child, a vehicle to transport the child in, and love and patience in their heart is welcome to apply!

FCSVA offers free training and approval to foster parents. This includes single parents, LGBTQ+ parents, adults who have not had children before, parents who rent an apartment, those with medical conditions, and more. Every child has a different need for their foster parents, and we work to count you in, not out, as a foster parent! You can call (703) 817-9890 or visit online today to learn more!

Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt is a poetry and prose writer who has lived in Prince William County since 1999. She has published six books and is working on a seventh. Learn more about her at KatherineGotthardt.com, and follow her work on Facebook by searching #KatherinesCoffeehouse.

By Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt

What are you really looking for? When it comes down to it, most of us just want to be happy.

We have different ways of getting there, but at the base of it, enjoying life at some level is just plain attractive. Now, there are those folks out there who seem to thrive on maintaining their own misery.

I’m leaving them out of the discussion because I don’t think they are the norm. (And some of them, even though they act like they love being miserable, really don’t. They just think they don’t have other choice.)

Getting and staying inspired and motivated is one route to happiness.

But how?

The world can be a crappy place. There are social ills and war and nightmares beyond our imagination, some of them happening right in our backyards.

Let me tell you a story I heard a long time ago that I never forgot. I don’t even know where I heard it, but I know it was said to be a true story of a Holocaust survivor.  

A Jewish mother and her baby had been carted off in a train, destination Auschwitz. Now picture that. You’re young, you have an infant you love and need to care for, and you’re shoved into a cattle car. You only know where you’re going can’t be good.

She arrives to suffer all the horrors that we hear about—torture, humiliation, death, all of it surrounding her. Her baby cries and is murdered in an unthinkable way. She’s in utter darkness in every sense of the word.

And then one day, she finds a random flower petal on the ground in the camp. Just one, white, thin petal, probably from a wildflower. It has been trampled on, but it’s still fresh. She picks it up and puts it in her pocket. She touches it every day.

She puts it in her mouth at one point and sucks the flavor of the flower right out of it. Then she puts it back in her pocket. And that’s what keeps her alive.

Not possible, you think? It is if you’re focused on the petal, and that petal has meaning. It is if you’re grateful for a speck of beauty even amidst the ugliness. It is if you can believe that even in the darkness, there is a flicker of light waiting for you to notice.

It doesn’t get much worse than what that women went through. Call it faith, hope, God, Spirit, luck, chance, fate, absurdity—it’s the little things that can keep us motivated enough to keep going. But we have to look for them and focus on them.

If you want to be happy, stay motivated and inspired. To do that, seek out and focus on the right things, those things that work in favor of motivation and inspiration.

It’s not going to be easy. You will need help along the way.

Do the work. Accept the help. And when you’re in a better place, be the one to offer help.

You never know when you might be that petal, no matter your own condition.

These stories—

which of these

bring us to our knees,

which to our feet,

standing on tippy-toes,

stretching towards the sun?

Those are the ones

to read.

To remember.

Remember.

Until next time,

Katherine

 

While there have been mountains of support toward the equal and fair treatment of the LGBTQ community, there is still much progress to make. Queer and Trans individuals are still seeing vast amounts of discrimination and violence from peers and family.

Amira Pankey and Julia Singley are facilitators for the upcoming LGBTQ Youth summer program series offered at the Manassas Park Community Center. With their help, we hope to offer LGBTQ youth an affirming environment where they can enjoy all the benefits of parks and recreation.

According to the Center for Disease Control, LGBTQ youth are almost five times as likely to attempt or contemplate suicide compared to heterosexual youth. Pankey said, “Queer and Trans youth experience incredible rates of violence ranging from disproportionately high rates of suicide, depression, and anxiety to homelessness, housing instability, bullying, substance abuse, family rejection, and assault.” These numbers are higher for LGBTQ youth of color.

“If communities care about the quality of life and wellbeing of young people, then the needs and experiences of Queer and Trans youth must be made visible and attended to,” added Pankey. We have to show that a community that celebrates the diversity of the human experience is the strongest.

“We’re very excited to continue to expand our program offerings to better serve communities that have been historically underserved,” shared Jason Shriner, Marketing Manager for the Department. “Our City and Department have been seeking ways to more visibly support the community, and with Julia and Amira reaching out to us, it couldn’t have been more perfect timing.”

Shriner emphasized that rushing LGBTQ youth programming for the sake of having it may have a less meaningful impact. Singley’s and Pankey’s years of experience of working with LGBTQ youth (and having staff dedicated to running this specific series) means the program will be more impactful, more meaningful, and, ultimately, more successful.

At the Manassas Park Community Center, one of our goals is to create programming that encourages participation. We take pride in knowing that our programs and events are inclusive and affirming. We are always looking for more ways and ideas to create a positive environment.

“Queer and Trans youth create art, fashion, language, and culture. They are brilliant and push the boundaries of what is possible in all kinds of ways.” Singley hopes to uplift and celebrate Queer and Trans youth while working at their side to strengthen their support networks, survival skills, and resources.

Pankey and Singley are hosting our LGBTQ Youth Speak Out event on May 30 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Manassas Park Community Center to start our summer programming series. We encourage LGBTQ youth ages 12-20 to join us and share what kind of programs they would like to see at the Community Center. For more information about the Speak Out and the program series, please contact Tony Thomas.

The Manassas Park Community Center is located at 99 Adams Street in Manassas Park, VA. Managed by the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation, the facility is home to basketball courts, a swimming pool, wellness areas, special events, and recreational classes. For more information visit us at www.ManassasParkCommunityCenter.com or call at 703-335-8872.

After facing a high-risk pregnancy, Louise Fife gave birth to a baby boy who, like her, is now happy and healthy.

Louise and her husband Phillip were new to the area. Louise, 52, was pregnant with the couple’s first child. A friend recommended the OB/GYN practice About Women, and soon, Louise was seeing Dr. Baraty, a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“In medical school, I was always drawn to professions which were surgically based. In obstetrics, it’s usually the only time a patient is excited about coming to the doctors’ office and really looking forward to seeing their doctor,” explains Dr. Baraty. “With gynecology, I am working with patients of all ages through the well-woman visits and making sure they are healthy and happy, or in problem visits getting them back to being healthy and happy with medical or surgical treatments.”

Louise dealt with high blood pressure issues throughout her pregnancy and was carefully monitored. Dr. Baraty worked with the perinatologist, a doctor who specializes in complicated, high-risk pregnancies, to make sure both the mother and baby were healthy.

As Dr. Baraty explains, high-risk pregnancies generally have one or more of the following four components:

• existing conditions such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and the like
• complications from a previous pregnancy
• multiple gestations (i.e. twins, triplets, etc.)
• fetal problems or birth defects

Louise’s high blood pressure led to several overnight stays at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.

“My wife was admitted to the hospital a couple of times for monitoring. Plus, we had several 24-hour screens to determine if there were any issues with pre-eclampsia,” remembers Phillip. “Blood work was continuously being done. The team was wonderful, assuring my wife that her organs, liver, and everything was performing very well for her age and for her being pregnant, but her blood pressure was the biggest issue.”

Louise was admitted at 28 weeks and then again at 32 weeks. Soon after that, she was admitted a third time, after her blood pressure increased. Doctors discovered signs of pre-eclampsia, a potentially dangerous pregnancy complication. The decision was made for early delivery.

On April 25, at 33 weeks and five days, Noah River was born by caesarian section. He weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces. Both the mother and baby did well.

“She had a bit of anxiety with the spinal block, but the anesthesiologist, Amy, was wonderful. She was with us the whole time and did a great job of calming my wife. It was a very positive experience,” said Phillip.

The delivery team at the Women’s Health Center at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, along with a neonatologist from Children’s National who supports the NICU, was ready for Noah’s arrival.

For two weeks, Noah received expert, specialized care in the NICU – learning to eat on his own and growing more every day. The new family was able to head home before Mother’s Day, where Phillip and Noah made sure to celebrate the new mom in their family.

Nearly a month after his birth, Noah is thriving. Phillip reports that he’s eating constantly, and at his first pediatrician visit, he already weighed 5 pounds and 9 ounces. Louise is also doing great.

The family is thankful to the team at Sentara even presenting the nurses in Labor and Delivery, Postpartum and the NICU with flowers and card of appreciation.

“The care we received was wonderful. It was really nice knowing my wife and Noah were in good hands,” said Phillip.

A new Athlete of the Month has been selected for the Competitive Edge Athletic Performance Center. For May, the chosen athlete is 16-year-old Taylor Small.

“I’ve been lucky to work with Taylor over the past three years and watch her put in countless training hours to become one of the top athletes in our area,” said Coach Monte, trainer at Competitive Edge.

Small has gained recognition as a National Emerging Elite athlete for the triple jump. She is also a sprinter for her high school track team and competes in the 4×100 meter and 4×200 meter races.

In addition to being an accomplished athlete, Small is also on the academic honor roll.

Q: Do you have a job? What school do you go to or are planning on going to?
A: No; I attend South County High School with hopes of soon attending North Carolina A&T.

Q: How long have you been training at Competitive Edge?
A: Four years

Q: What makes Competitive Edge unique?
A: Competitive Edge offers personal training, and the staff at this facility treat me, and others, like family!

Q: What is your favorite type of workout, and why?
A: Vertimax; it increases my muscle memory and helps to improve my sports performance (arm position, stride, explosion).

Q: What has been your greatest athletic success?
A: Last weekend, I jumped 38.2 in the triple jump, qualifying me for emerging elite nationals.

Q: What has been the most difficult part of your journey to fitness?
A: The most difficult part of my journey as an athlete was having to come back from a hamstring injury. It made it harder for me to get back into the workouts—preventing me from getting stronger.

Q: How did you initially react when you learned that you were an Athlete of the Month?
A: Shocked; Coach Monte revealed this news to me the day before my birthday!

Q: What does being the Competitive Edge Athlete of the Month mean to you?
A: It means a lot. I’ve worked really hard, and I feel honored to have been selected to receive this title—the hard work paid off!

Q: What motivates you to get out of bed and workout each day?
A: Being the best athlete I can be!

Q: What is the most beneficial part of being an athlete?
A: Accomplishing yearly goals. Doing so keeps me motivated and determined.

Q: How will you continue to maintain your fitness in college?
A: To continue to train hard and always remember what my coaches at Competitive Edge have taught me.

Q: What are your goals in the next ten years?
A: To hopefully graduate college and to begin a career as a physical trainer or an athletic trainer.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: Once again, I feel honored to have been selected as Athlete of the Month! I’d also like to thank my coaches for getting me here. Thank you!

Danita Hardin and Ryan Ferguson aren’t your traditional foster parents.

Danita Hardin is a single foster mom who started fostering children when she was only 23 years old. Ryan Ferguson is a single foster father who waited to foster until later in his life.

Danita has raised several of her own children to adulthood. Ryan does not have any biological children but has worked with children his entire life.

Today, they share an important connection; the children they each adopted are siblings, and they work together to keep that bond alive.

Danita and Ryan fostered four siblings between them, and when they became open for adoption, both Danita and Ryan were more than happy to make their connection with these children permanent.

Danita adopted three girls, and Ryan adopted a boy. They describe themselves as “parent partners,” meeting for barbeques, birthday parties, sporting events, and sending each other pictures when they can’t see their siblings in person.

Both are still foster parents today and have a lot to share about their journeys.

“I foster because I want to give back to the kids here in my surrounding communities. There are so many children right in my back yard that just need some consistency, love, and nurturing, sometimes for a short period of time, and sometimes longer.”

“I have been fostering since 2007; however, I have been working with children all my life. Fostering has been a great experience because you expect to teach the kids about living and often times they each us about loving, caring, and new experiences. Words of wisdom to other foster parents; treat the children in your home as you would your biological child, be fair, love them as hard as you can, and just remember that you are possibly making life long connections.”

– Ryan Ferguson

“‘Children are the most precious treasure a community can possess, for in them are the promise and guarantee of the future… They are a trust no community can neglect… An atmosphere needs to be maintained in which children feel that they belong to the community and share in its purpose.'”

“This quote, I think, sums up both my reason for being a foster/adoptive parent, as well as the way I interact with my foster and adoptive children. I began my journey as a foster parent more than 20 years ago when I was only 23.

My first placement was a 12-year-old who insisted on calling me ‘mom’ which raised a lot of questions. In the past 20 plus years of fostering children, I have played a part in raising more than 30 children. I have also met some wonderful people, including my ‘co-parent’ Ryan.”

– Danita Hardin

Both Ryan and Danita are foster parents through For Children’s Sake of Virginia, a local therapeutic foster care agency. Between the two of them, they have had more than 20 foster child placements, and For Children’s Sake of Virginia is incredibly grateful for them.

Interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent?

Anyone older than 21 years old who is financially stable, has space in their home for a child, a vehicle to transport the child in, and love and patience in their heart, is welcome to apply.

FCSVA offers free training and approval to foster parents.

This includes single parents, LGBTQ+ parents, adults who have not had children before, parents who rent an apartment, those with medical conditions, and more

Every child has a different need for their foster parents, and we work to count you in, not out, as a foster parent.

You can call 703-817-9890 or visit fcsva.org today to learn more.