WOODBRIDGE — Public health officials in Virginia and North Carolina report seasonal influenza is at widespread levels across both states.
Effective immediately, Sentara Healthcare asks all patients and visitors, including those seeking outpatient services, to wear a mask inside its hospitals, medical facilities, and physician practices to protect the community from the spread of flu. Masks and hand sanitizer are available at all facility entrances for public use.
All patients and visitors, even those who already had a flu vaccine, are strongly encouraged to wear masks inside healthcare facilities. The flu vaccine is the best prevention available but is not 100 percent effective. Masking provides an added layer of protection from the potentially deadly disease.
As a healthcare provider, our goal is to protect the community from disease. Data suggests an infected person can spread the virus for as long as 24 hours before experiencing symptoms. Our masking recommendation helps protect our patients, visitors, and staff from the exposure to flu, even before symptoms are noticeable.
Individuals experiencing flu-like symptoms are asked to stay at home and refrain from visiting patients at the hospital. Symptoms of flu include fever and respiratory illness symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, chills, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.
The recommendation to wear a mask when entering healthcare facilities will remain in effect during flu season for as long as the disease is at widespread levels. Additional measures to limit the spread of disease, especially flu, including washing hands frequently, staying home when sick, getting vaccinated and coughing into sleeves or tissues.
This comprehensive rehabilitation center offers neurological rehabilitation, handles orthopedic injuries and conditions, spine therapy, occupational therapy, pre and post-surgical rehab, balance therapy, manual physical therapy, plus Sentara’s S.A.F.E. Program geared toward fall prevention and education, all in an outpatient setting.
The goal of Sentara Therapy Center is to serve the rehabilitation needs of patients, their physicians and the community with comprehensive and quality care through personalized attention and our licensed, specially trained, dedicated staff.
“Our highly skilled staff are trained to work with those who have had difficulty finding specialists treating neurological conditions. These may include general weakness, lack of mobility or coordination, problems with complex thought or memory, problems with reading or processing visual input, or who are at increased risk of falls,” explains Sarah Sidar, MS, OTR/L, Team Coordinator, Sentara Therapy Center, “We fully assess the complex needs of our patients, and address the many facets of each individual’s condition, be they physical, cognitive, or environmental. We welcome the opportunity to work with patients experiencing other conditions as well, including orthopedic dysfunction, chronic pain, post-operative complications, or other conditions which may be limiting their independence and quality of life.”
Sentara Therapy Center is located at 4565 Daisy Reid Avenue, Suite 215, Woodbridge, Virginia 22192. It’s easily accessible on the Prince William Parkway near the Prince William County Government Center. Call to make your appointment today at 703-523- 8750.
Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is a 183-bed, not-for-profit community hospital serving Prince William County and its surrounding communities. Our medical center combines the resources of a major health system with the compassionate, personalized care of a community hospital.
SNVMC offers quiet, private rooms and high-quality care focused on safety and patient satisfaction. We offer a wide range of medical specialties, a highly qualified medical and clinical staff, and state-of-the-art technology. Our clinical services include advanced imaging, cancer services, diabetes management, emergency care, heart, and vascular care, lab services, neurology, primary care, orthopedics, urology, weight loss surgery, women’s services and more. Sentara Healthcare is proud to be rated a Top 15 Health System by IBM Watson Health and one of America’s Best Large Employers by Forbes.
Patients requiring physical therapy will experience state of the art equipment for evaluation and treatment at Sentara Therapy Center.
You can take more steps than hand washing and getting enough sleep to fight off the flu. Eating a balanced diet will also boost your immune system to resist flu viruses.
Micronutrients that help our immune system include antioxidants, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc. Foods with anti-inflammatory properties also help immune function because chronic inflammation can weaken and disrupt your immune system.
The ABCs of Vitamins
• Vitamin A: Vitamin A helps keep our skin healthy. Skin is our first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. Foods high in vitamin A are usually orange. Carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, cantaloupe, apricots, and pumpkin are good sources of vitamin A.
• Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that aids our immune system. It protects our cells from damage by destroying free radicals that hurt DNA and accelerate aging. The daily value (DV) for vitamin C is 60 mg per day. The effectiveness of “mega” doses – or amounts far more than the DV of vitamin C, is still under debate. ?Consuming extra vitamin C during an illness may decrease its severity and duration. Because your body doesn’t produce or store it, you need daily vitamin C for good health. To help resist the flu, include vitamin C rich foods, such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and sweet peppers in your diet.
• Zinc: Zinc helps us make white blood cells that fight off foreign bacteria and viruses. Zinc deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in American adults, so it is a good idea to be mindful of consuming zinc-rich foods. Good food sources of zinc include beef, turkey, chicken, nuts, beans, and yogurt.
More Flu-Fighting Foods
Besides being a good source of zinc, yogurt also contains active live cultures, or probiotics, which strengthen the immune system, help prevent infection and regulate the body’s inflammatory response.
Look for yogurts that have “live and active cultures” printed on the label. Choose plain yogurts, rather than flavored because these contain excess sugars. You can sweeten plain yogurt with vitamin-rich fruits instead.
The body uses more fluid when fighting colds and flu. Try to drink at least 64 ounces of liquid each day. All fluids count towards your goal. Avoid sweetened beverages when hydrating because a high sugar intake increases inflammation, weakening the immune system.
Chicken soup is another liquid that may keep you hydrated to help fight flu and ease its symptoms. The hot, steamy broth has a mild anti-inflammatory effect that can soothe a sore throat, thin secretions and helps open respiratory passages.
There is no one food which can arm you against the flu but lacking certain nutrients can make you more vulnerable to catching it. Your best strategy for strengthening your immune system is eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes lots of antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory foods and plenty of fluids.
This post is written by Robin Atwood, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who has been serving the community surrounding RMH for the last 17 years. She is a Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition and is based in the Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center where she provides nutrition counseling for maximizing nutrition and wellness to cancer patients and cancer survivors.
The holiday season is often a time for overindulging in food, while the colder temperatures and shorter days typically are associated with much less physical activity than we need.
Children will follow the lead of their parents in choosing food serving portions and activity level. Traditional holiday food is loaded with calories and is often available in large quantities at every party.
The trick for parents is to model good habits for their children and to combat these challenges that lead to weight gain. Here are some do’s and don’ts to promote healthful habits, during the holidays and all year round!
• Do not go to holiday parties hungry. Have children eat some healthy snacks before you head out. Also, make sure to drink plenty of water as thirst is often interpreted by our bodies as hunger.
• Do have the entire family maintain play and exercise routines. You may have to get creative if the weather keeps your family inside, but even an indoor impromptu dance party is a great way to burn calories!
• Do not prepare an abundance of desserts for the holidays, but don’t eliminate treats altogether.
• Do cook up winter squash soup, roasted root vegetables, baked sweet potatoes, and other filling, yet healthy foods? Do not use food as a reward.
• Do suggest some special activities when children ask to eat between meals, such as creating healthy holiday-themed snacks – like stacking red and green grapes on a toothpick or making a “broccoli” holiday tree.
• Do not adopt the “clean-plate club” concept.
• Do teach children to only serve themselves what they can eat.
• Do not forget or let your children forget that holidays are about sharing family times and making memories not only with meals but with walks, games and creative adventures.
• Do take “adult” time to enjoy yourselves!
Remembering these tips will help everyone enjoy all of the fun of the holidays.
This article is written by Dr. Jennie Hurwitz Tabakin is a board-certified pediatrician at Sentara Pediatric Physicians in Virginia Beach. She believes in creating a caring and sensitive relationship with her patients and their parents in order to communicate more easily with them about their health. Some of her clinical interests include health literacy and health communication.
Healthy living can be tough, but for Dr. Adam Brown, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center and Sentara Lake Ridge, he’s practicing what he preaches. Over the last year, Dr. Brown has lost 65 pounds through diet and exercise.
• It can be challenging to change habits. As a Doctor, what would you tell folks who are working on getting healthier?
I would first say — “You can do it!” As long as you can move and have the ability to make decisions about what and how you eat, you can do it. You can get healthier and feel better. Over the past year, I have had my own journey with getting healthier and feeling better, both mentally and physically. In the end, I have lost about 65 pounds since January 2018, losing from size 40 waist to a size 32. Change, however, takes planning, preparation, dedication and most importantly, support. Avoid gimmicks. They simply don’t work especially in the long run. You may have transient wins, but your goal should be to be healthier in life and not for just a season.
• Personally, you made some changes- what was the biggest help/tip/motivator for you?
Over the past year, I have made significant changes to my entire life and the results physically and mentally have been dramatic. Mentally, I recognized watching the news on a constant loop of negativity was unhealthy. So, I turned it off. That was so hard, but I just turned it off. Watching the same people day-in and day-out argue about the current state of the world, became unhealthy. I still read the newspaper and check in to the news occasionally, but let’s be honest, no matter which side of the political spectrum you are on, there is a lot of negativity out there. Replacing that negative focus on more positive things (i.e. exercise, spending time with friends and family) has made a huge difference.
Physically, I have altered my food choices and I exercise daily. I limit red meats and fried foods, increased healthy fruits and vegetables, and limited simple sugars and carbohydrates. I educated myself on just how many calories were in the things I ate and I made substitutions. You would be surprised how many calories are in “healthy” foods like sushi or pasta. For example, instead of eating a large bowl of pasta with sauce, I eat twice as many vegetables and a smaller bowl of pasta. Instead of 2 sushi rolls, I had sashimi and a roll. The flavors are similar, but the volume shifts.
From an exercise perspective, I have also replaced sitting on the couch with movement like walking in the evenings, going to an exercise class or doing the elliptical at the gym. I also have turned to weight lifting 3-4 times a week. In effect, I break a sweat exercising 25-30 minutes every day. So what’s the result? I feel great! I can run 1, 2, 3 miles now without taking a break. Before, I got winded walking up my steps.
Seeing my body change and feeling better has been the biggest motivator. Just looking at pictures from my 40th birthday to now, are dramatic and keeps me engaged. I do not want to go back. While the change is slow, looking at the change over time keeps me going. But there are secondary motivators like my iPhone App. I use a fitness app to track my food consumption every. single. day. Yes, it seems tedious, but it has kept me honest and educated about my choices throughout the entire process. My circle of friends and my spouse have been motivating as well. But here’s the key – I needed a friend or buddy to walk with me on this journey not just shout from the sidelines. Both my spouse and one of my best friends have walked with me the entire way. They both have lost weight, built lean muscle, and are living a healthier life. At times, we have struggled, but have brushed ourselves off and started getting healthier again.
• What do you wish everyone knew in their quest to take control of their health?
I wish people could feel as good as I feel. It’s life-changing. And it’s a healthy life change that I controlled and managed. It’s also so affirming to hear the positive comments and the cheers from the sidelines as I have been on this journey.
Lastly, I want people to know that they can control many of their health conditions. So many of our health conditions can be reversed with healthy living. When I turned 40, I had borderline high blood pressure, borderline cholesterol and weighed 256 pounds. Now, I have low blood pressure, low cholesterol, and a low resting heart rate all due to diet and exercise changes. No medications.
This post is sponsored by Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.
If you had seen John Reed earlier this year, you would have seen a man taking one painful step after another, leaning heavily on a cane.
Months later, it’s a different story for the 69-year-old from just across the Potomac River in Waldorf, Md.
“I didn’t take this lightly. I was in increasingly severe pain for almost the last 20 years, mainly my right knee, but in the last few years, my left knee has also bothered me,” explains Reed.
It’s that pain and the desire to have a Bilateral Knee Joint Replacement which led him to Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.
“When I was a teenager, I had been through knee surgery and rehab on one knee, so I knew I wanted to get both my knees done at once,” says Reed.
Replacing knees at once is an uncommon procedure, one in which Reed was uniquely qualified.
For most patients, over time, a condition known as severe osteoarthritis develops where the cartilage in the knee joint that creates a natural cushion between your bones breaks down.
“It’s bone on bone,” said Sentara Orthopedics Manager Julie Billingsley. “It’s excruciating.”
As part of the procedure, the old joints are replaced by new, durable synthetic materials. It can take up to six weeks of recovery time for the average patient.
It’s people like Julie and the Sentara Patient Care Services staff members and the time they dedicate to patients like Reed is what makes all the difference.
Julie says in most cases like this, people are not only blinded by their pain, but they have a lot of fears about proper recovery.
The Sentara OrthoJoint® Nurse Navigator, Ada Vega-Diamantis, RN, begins meeting with her patients two to three weeks before the operation to give them a bright outlook on what to expect before they’re admitted to surgery, and then what to know and prepare for during recovery.
While Reed mentally prepared himself for surgery, the experience at the Sentara OrthoJoint® Center was beyond his expectation.
“If it weren’t for the staff at Sentara, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am,” exclaims Reed. “From the moment I walked in to register, to the moment I left, each and every member of the team had a positive attitude and treated my family and me with respect and grace.”
It’s that dedication to caring which is the hallmark of the Sentara OrthoJoint® Center.
“Our focus is to provide extraordinary, individualized care and provide constant communication for patients and their families to ensure seamless coordination and excellent outcomes,” explains Vega-Diamantis.
In the seven months since his surgery, Reed’s range of motion has returned, he’s walking more than three miles a day, and he’s stronger than ever before. He says it’s all due to his care team, “They’re angels from God!”
To learn more about the Sentara OrthoJoint® Center and find a specialist, call 1-800-2ORTHOJT.
Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is partnering with Postpartum Support Virginia (PSVa) to help women overcome postpartum depression by providing a free peer support group for new mothers.
The support group will meet the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from 10:00-11:30 at the Hylton Education Center at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, 2300 Opitz Boulevard, Woodbridge, VA 22191. The first meeting will be Tuesday, December 11. For information about the group, email: [email protected]
Postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are the MOST COMMON complications of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting 1 in 5 new mothers. According to Adrienne Griffen, MPP, Founder and Executive Director of PSVa, “Left untreated, PMADs can have long-term negative impact on mother, baby, and entire family. Fortunately, these illnesses are relatively easy to diagnose and treat.”
Driving along Route 1, you may notice a new sign on your commute. It’s a topic not many women want to talk about.
Susan Bahorich, Communications Advisor for Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, talked to Dr. Allyse Weltman of About Women OB-GYN to learn more.
What is your name and official title? Allyse Weltman, MD, MA
When someone hears the term “Uro/Gyn,” what exactly does that mean? It usually means a problem involving the pelvic floor, which would include the uterus and bladder.
How big of an issue is this? It can be a huge issue for many women, many of whom their lives are compromised because of it.
What are some symptoms of these problems? The symptoms can include pelvic pain, pelvic pressure, urinary leakage, overactive bladder.
Are these problems just for women 55 years or older? These problems can affect women of any age, especially after having children; but many women who are menopausal experience worsening of symptoms.
Many women may be dealing with these issues and feel embarrassed. What would you say to those women? There is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is very common and there are many treatment options, so there is no reason they need to suffer.
What treatment is available for these issues? Treatments range from pelvic floor physical therapy, medication options, and a range of surgical options.
If someone is dealing with these issues, what advice would you give? That there are many options depending on the issue they are having and if their symptoms are interfering with the quality of their lives, it is worth addressing.
How should someone go about learning what treatment is right for them? Women can give our practice, About Women OB-GYN a call at 703-878-0740, or visit Sentara.com to learn more about pelvic floor disorders.
It’s a crime that is often under-reported, if at all.
That’s why Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is hosting a seminar Tuesday, November 6, 2018, called “Hidden in Plain Sight: Education for the Community on Human Trafficking.”
Susan Bahorich spoke to the organizer of this can’t miss event.
What is your name and official title?
Rhonda Boyett, BSN, RN, CEN, SANE-A
Forensic Nursing Program Coordinator for SNVMC
What does that role entail?
As the program coordinator, I am part of multidisciplinary teams within our community that collaborate for the health and safety of our individual patients and the community at large. I am a liaison for our program to multiple community partners.
As a Forensic Nurse, I consult with patients that present to the Emergency Department that has been a victim of a violent crime. This looks different for different types of patients and crime. We provide victim and patient-centered care for each of our patients.
For example Sexual Assault patients, I may document a head-to-toe forensic medical exam (this may include using specialized equipment such as colposcopy with special filters, alternate light sources, toluidine blue dye application), collect and preserve evidence, work with the police department, directly connect the patient with a victim advocate, discuss community resources, and help them with safety planning. When needed, I go to court and testify as an expert witness.
IF the patient is a competent adult victim of Human trafficking, they may be too scared to report to law enforcement, in which case I would provide healthcare to include emotional support and give them information and resources on safety planning and what to do when they are ready to report the situation to officials.
How did this Human Trafficking Seminar come about?
Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises that our country is facing and there is a need to educate the general population on what it looks like within our community. This is Forensic Nurses Week (November 5-9th) and I choose this topic to focus on because as a Forensic Nurse we are seeing more patients that are being trafficked.
In a survey of sex trafficked survivors, 88% of them said they had contact with a healthcare provider while they were being trafficked.
A lot of people may see this seminar and wonder if there’s really a problem. What would you say to those people?
Yes, this is happening within our community as we speak. Sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and domestic servitude.
“Hidden in Plain Sight” is the title of our presentation. Many people think that Human Trafficking victims are only those that are “locked/chained up” and operating in illegal underground industries, when in reality, it may be a teenage neighbor that is being forced to perform sex acts for someone that is threatening and/or intimidating the victim. In many situations, victims do not identify as victims because of fear, shame, or guilt.
There are a lot of young girls/women out there who are often preyed upon- what tips/advice would you offer them to keep themselves safe?
If anyone finds themselves in a vulnerable position where they feel threaten or forced into something they are not comfortable with, please confide in a trusted adult or contact the police directly.
For members of the public, how can they identify/realize that someone is being trafficked? How should they help in those situations?
Education is key to identifying potential victims!
For help or to report a concern or tip.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call 1-888-373-7888 or TEXT – BE FREE (233733)
(Never put yourself in harm’s way)
If people can walk away with one message about human trafficking- what do you want that to be?
I would like our community to become more educated on what Human Trafficking looks like in real life, so we can identify victims quicker and help get them out of “the life” and to a safer and healthier situation.
“Hidden in Plain Sight” will be presented by Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center’s Forensic Nursing Program November 6 from 6-8:30 at the Hylton Education Center, 2300 Opitz Boulevard, Woodbridge, Virginia 22191.
It’s free, open to the public and no RSVP is required
