Having a baby can be an exciting and overwhelming time. With so much to learn, new techniques to acquire and knowledge to digest, it might feel like you’ll never be ready.

That’s why the Women’s Health Center at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is hosting a community baby shower.

On Saturday, April 4, 2020, from 1 – 3 p.m., the Hylton Education Center on Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center’s campus will open its doors for this special event full of food, fun, and education. Parking is free.

Registrants will have a chance to enjoy a celebration of their upcoming birth, take part in baby shower games, receive a tour of the Labor and Delivery unit, and learn important information on topics such as safe sleep, LARC, postpartum depression, nutrition, breastfeeding, and more. Parents-to-be can also register in a raffle to win a new stroller.

“This is something that every new, and not so new parent should attend,” explains Women’s Health Center Director Beverly Wainman, “Childcare methods have evolved over the years. This is an opportunity for parents to learn something new- whether it’s honing fresh techniques or brushing up on skills they had forgotten. This event empowers parents.”

Parents will also get to take part in a Question & Answer session with Ashraf Afifi, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Neonatology; Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, GW University; Children’s National Medical Center.

Space is limited and you must preregister. Tickets are just $5. Visit WHC2020BabyShower.eventbrite.com or call 1-800-SENTARA to reserve your spot today.

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, 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, neurosurgery, primary care, orthopedics, urology, weight loss surgery, women’s services and more.

On Friday, February 28, guests gathered at the Old Hickory Golf Club in Woodbridge to enjoy an afternoon of information, food, and fun.

To commemorate the occasion, the crowd dressed in red in support of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Campaign.

This year’s keynote speaker was Monique Acosta House. Monique knows how true the statistics are, at 22, she was diagnosed with heart failure. In July 2017, she received a heart transplant.

Monique’s advice is simple. “Treat your body like your best friend. I treat my heart like my best friend. I do everything my physician tells me to do. I know my numbers – my cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose and BMI. Having a new heart has changed my life. It has changed my perspective. How could it not?”

In addition to Monique’s inspiring story, guests took part in a physician question and answer panel which not only answered questions but educated the audience on heart health and the preventive measures they can take now which will make a difference in the future.

“We’re so happy to host this event for our community,” said Kathie Johnson, President, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. “Not only is it informative, it’s interesting and it could save lives.”

Mrs. Johnson served as the event’s emcee and presented the American Heart Association with a check for $1,560.

Cardiologists reminded the group it’s important to take charge of their lives and their heart health. While we don’t have control over some factors like heredity, race, and sex – we do have control over our diet, activity level and deciding whether we smoke or drink. Making healthy changes into a habit can make all the difference in the world.

Healthy habits include:
• Be active
• Control cholesterol
• Eat better
• Manage blood pressure
• Maintain a healthy weight/BMI
• Reduce blood sugar
• Stop smoking

According to the American Heart Association, women should know the symptoms of a heart attack, which include:

• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
• As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. Women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

A simple test may predict heart disease before symptoms start. Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring is a non-invasive CT scan of the heart. It is recommended for people who currently do not have any symptoms, but have a moderate probability of having Coronary Artery Disease.

• Recommended for men older than 40, women older than 50, people who are overweight, diabetic; or have a family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.
• The exam takes 10-15 minutes. No preparation is required.
• Ask your primary care physician if this test is right for you. Insurance plans may not cover this screening. Once you have a physician referral, call 703-523-1560 to find out the cost and schedule your Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring test.

Visit Sentara’s 28daysofheart.com to learn more about risk factors, healthy tips, and recipes. Discover your heart’s age, the answer might surprise you!

It’s February and love is in the air! It’s also the perfect time to love your heart health, as it’s American Heart Month.

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Its effects are something Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Cardiologist Shahryar Mafi MD, FACC sees all too often. Cardiovascular disease is his specialty.

“People don’t realize, but there are things they can do to prevent many of these episodes from occurring,” explains Dr. Mafi, “The primary prevention involves diet and exercise. If applicable- weight loss and smoking cessation.”

According to the American Heart Association, the estimated annual incidences of heart attacks in the U.S. is 605,000 new attacks and 200,000 recurrent attacks. That means every 40 seconds; someone will have a heart attack.

Staying on top of your screenings and testing are imperative for good health, “Screening for cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension are very important factors to reduce future cardiovascular events,” says Dr. Mafi.

Recent research has shown a direct relationship between the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries and the likelihood of a future heart attack.

“Unfortunately, there is no universally accepted yearly testing or imaging for identifying cardiovascular disease. Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring and Carotid Artery Ultrasound are recommended in certain populations,” explains Dr. Mafi.

Determine your heart attack risk; get your Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring exam (CAC). Contact your primary care provider or cardiologist for a referral, and then call 703-523-1560 to schedule your appointment.

On Monday, January 13, 2020, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center (SNVMC) in partnership with Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William (SBGPW) launched the Books4Babies program at the Women’s Health Center at SNVMC.

Every SNVMC newborn will leave the hospital with a children’s book, a developmental milestone guide, and resources. Books and resource material are offered in both English and Spanish.

The resources include suggested books for parents to read to their children and a flyer from the Prince William Public Library System promoting the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says, “Reading regularly with young children stimulates optimal patterns of brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development, which, in turn, builds language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime.”

Prior to the babies leaving the hospital, SNVMC trained volunteers will educate families about the importance of reading aloud beginning in infancy. Most volunteers have comprehensive experience in teaching and working with young families.

The Books4Babies program launch at SNVMC is spearheaded by Linda Trexler, SNVMC Books4Babies program lead, together with Pam Emert, who has more than four years of experience with the Books4Babies program. Currently, the program at SNVMC is comprised of six  SNVMC auxiliary volunteers. It is our goal, together with other county sponsors, that every baby born in Prince William County will receive a book and his/her parents will receive information about the benefits of reading to their child, beginning at birth.

The launch of Books4Babies at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center has been made possible through generous donations from the SNVMC Medical Staff, the Lake Ridge Rotary, and SNVMC Auxiliary as well as numerous community donations.

As part of a statewide network of Smart Beginnings, SBGPW serves with assistance and guidance from Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). This approach allows local efforts to be individualized while working in harmony with other communities to achieve results throughout Virginia. SPARK serves as the fiscal agent.

To contribute to the Books4Babies program at SNVMC, Contributions can be made to the Prince William County Schools (PWCS) Education Foundation (SPARK)

• Online/credit card Visit SPARK Website at www.poweredbyspark.org, to CONTRIBUTE, use “Add special instructions to the seller” to designate your contribution to B4B – Sentara

• By check, please note in MEMO: Books4Babies – Sentara SPARK, the Education Foundation for PWCS P.O. Box 389 Manassas, VA 20108
SPARK is the operating name of the Prince William County Public Schools Education Foundation (FE ID# 54-1498824), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law

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 offer s 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, neurosurgery, primary care, orthopedics, urology, weight loss surgery, women’s services and more.

Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William (SBGPW) is a public-private partnership aimed at increasing kindergarten readiness in the cities of Manassas, Manassas Park, and Prince William County, Virginia. Our leadership represents members of the business, education, health, and social services sectors, working together to deliver efficiencies to bring greater opportunity to our area’s most vulnerable – our children, ages 0-5. For further information, please contact Tawnya Soltis, Executive Director, at [email protected] or visit www.smartbeginningsgpw.org.

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of the da Vinci Xi Surgical System.

The da Vinci Xi System was designed with the goal of further advancing the technology used in minimally invasive surgery.

• The System can be used across a spectrum of minimally invasive surgical procedures and has been optimized for multi-quadrant surgeries in the areas of gynecology, urology, thoracic, cardiac and general surgery.

By enabling efficient access throughout the abdomen or chest, the da Vinci Xi System expands upon core da Vinci System features, including wristed instruments, 3D-HD visualization, intuitive motion, and an ergonomic design.

• As with all da Vinci Surgical Systems, the surgeon is 100% in control of the robotic-assisted da Vinci System, which translates his/her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body. The Xi System’s immersive 3D-HD vision system provides surgeons a highly magnified view, virtually extending their eyes and hands into the patient.

Key Features Include:

• A new overhead instrument arm architecture designed to facilitate anatomical access from virtually any position.
• A new endoscope digital architecture that creates a simpler, more compact design with improved vision definition and clarity.
• An ability to attach the endoscope to any arm, providing flexibility for visualizing the surgical site.
• Smaller, thinner arms with newly designed joints that offer a greater range of motion than ever before.
• Longer instrument shafts designed to give surgeons greater operative reach.

The da Vinci Xi System is an expandable technology platform that is designed to accommodate and seamlessly integrate a range of current technologies, as well as future innovations, in areas such as imaging, advanced instruments, and anatomical access.

• We are truly thrilled to be a leader in this field and look forward to continue bringing Woodbridge and Northern Virginia minimally invasive surgical options.

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is an accredited Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery and Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology.

• The Sentara Weight Loss Surgery Center is a designated accredited Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).

For more information on minimally invasive surgical options at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, contact us at 1-800-SENTARA or visit sentara.com/surgery.

We talk with Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center’s Dr. Alexandra Modiri, a gastroenterologist with Houshang Makipour MD PC / Northern Virginia Endoscopy Center.

– What does the field of gastroenterology cover?

Gastroenterology is a field of medicine that encompasses diseases of the digestive tract. For example, we prevent colon cancer by performing colonoscopies. We also treat a variety of other conditions such as GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome, hepatitis, etc.

–  GERD Awareness Week is the last week in November – for those who don’t know, what is GERD?

GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease refers to a disease, which affects the lower esophageal sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus. Transient relaxations of this muscle allow acid from the stomach to spill up to the esophagus resulting in common symptoms of heartburn or regurgitation.

– Who is most likely to have this condition?

This condition affects 10-20% of the population and numerous causes have been identified. Some common causes include acidic foods and beverages, obesity, medications or the presence of a hiatal hernia.

– How is this condition diagnosed?

GERD is often a clinical diagnosis. More severe cases may result in further testing via EGD or upper endoscopy, pH testing, etc.

– What are the symptoms of GERD?

The two most common symptoms of GERD are heartburn and regurgitation. Some patients may also suffer from difficulty swallowing, chronic cough, hoarseness or vomiting.

– What is the treatment?

Treatment options include lifestyle modifications (such as the avoidance of dietary triggers and weight loss) or use of medications such as proton pump inhibitors.

– What do you wish people knew about your specialty that they might not?

Gastroenterology is a huge field, which encompasses hollow organs such as the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, gallbladder and colon or large intestine along with solid organs such as the pancreas and liver. Gastroenterologists have achieved the highest level of training for the performance of colonoscopies and endoscopies.

–  Do patients need an order to see you? What’s the best number to make an appt.?

Some patients require a referral while others may not. We can be contacted at 703-580-7433.

This post is sponsored by Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. 

As children, many of us were encouraged to eat certain foods because they would help make our bones strong.

We were also probably cautioned from doing things that would cause them to break.

However, children are not the only ones who need to be reminded of the importance of keeping our bones strong.

Our bones provide support and protect our organs. They also store important minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus, which can be released when needed by the body.

If we don’t eat right and get proper exercise, our bones can become weak. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bone density and quality diminish.

The bones become more porous and fragile, greatly increasing the risk of fractures. People with osteoporosis most often break bones in their wrists, spine, and hip.

There are various factors that put people at greater risk of osteoporosis:

• After 40 years of age, people are not able to replace bone tissue as quickly as it is lost.
• Women, particularly white and Asian women, are more likely to get osteoporosis.
• Family history of osteoporosis is another risk factor.

While those factors cannot be controlled, other factors can be, such as diet, exercise, and other habits. To reduce your risk, follow a bone-healthy diet and exercise regimen, reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption and stop smoking.

Eating a well-balanced diet with foods that are rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamin D can help to keep our bones healthy. Calcium supports the structure of our bones and teeth. Magnesium and vitamin D improve our body’s ability to absorb calcium and aid bone growth. Good sources of calcium include:

• Green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, okra, broccoli)
• Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt)
• Chinese cabbage or bok choy
• Sardines/salmon with edible bones
• Apricots/figs
• Nuts (almonds, sesame seeds)
• Beans/legumes
• Foods fortified with calcium (Check the labels on tofu, soy milk, and orange juice.)
Good sources of magnesium include:
• Nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts)
• Green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale)
• Soy milk
• Beans/legumes
Good sources of vitamin D include:
• Fatty fish (tuna, salmon)
• Eggs (Vitamin D is in the yolk)
• Cheese
• Foods fortified with calcium (Check the labels on cereal, soymilk and orange juice.)

Likewise, proper exercise can help keep our bones strong. Weight-bearing exercises, such as weight training, walking, climbing stairs, and dance, are best for bone health. Non-weight bearing exercises, such as swimming and bicycling, are good for cardiovascular health, but they do not provide much benefit to your bones.

Talk to your doctor about bone-healthy exercise and foods that are right for you. To learn more about our orthopedic services, visit SentaraOrthopedics.com.

With the days are getting shorter and the temperatures colder, it’s common to feel slightly depressed as you patiently wait for the first blooms of spring – leaving many to wonder if winter depression is a real thing.

The answer is “yes,” winter depression, or fall and winter seasonal affective disorder, is a real ailment that affects many every year. So, what are some of the signs of winter depression?

• Oversleeping
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Difficulty concentrating
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of energy
• Appetite changes – especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
• Feelings of hopelessness and anxiety

But, have no fear – treatment is readily available and highly effective.

• For starters, taking walks outside during lunch on sunny days without sunglasses on can be extremely beneficial.
• Your brain craves exposure to sunlight during the winter and, even if it’s cold outside, will respond positively to a little time in the sun.

However, if you feel like more consistent exposure is needed, consider purchasing a sunlight lamp for your home.

• Finally, simple antidepressant therapy can make all the difference in the world.
• So, talk to your doctor about what may work best for you while you brave the winter cold.

This post is sponsored by Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. 

Even though we are seeing a decrease in deaths from the disease, it remains the number one cancer killer – more than prostate, breast and colon cancers combined.

• Part of the reason is that unless it’s caught at the early stages when the tumor is in one area, it spreads and is often deadly.

If it is caught at early stages, there’s good news – removal of the tumor can be done more efficiently than ever.

• Using robotic surgical tools, surgeons are able to perform minimally-invasive removal of lung tumors.

While not every lung resection (removal of part of the lung) can be done this way, due to the individual’s health and complexity of the situation, overall robotic surgery can be beneficial to patients.

• In addition to having more efficient surgical options, anyone with a history of smoking should schedule a lung CT scan to catch any tumors at the early stages.
• “I wish people knew more about the advantages of lung cancer screenings. There used to be no good way to screen and now CAT scans with low dose radiation make it much easier to have proof every year that the lungs are tumor-free,” said Dr. Bethany Tan, a general thoracic surgeon.

An annual lung cancer screening is recommended for anyone over 55 who has 30 pack-years (having smoked around a pack a day) or has been a smoker within the last 15 years.

• Of course, people who are currently smoking should be screened, and know that smoking is linked to 80 to 90 percent of lung cancers.
• To make your appointment for a CT Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring exam at the Sentara Heart & Vascular Center call 703-523-1980.