Patient Stories
CategoryConnect with grateful patients as they share their experiences and recognize the exceptional employees who make a difference every day.
Life’s Precious Moments
Editors Note: The following post written by David Plummer, MDiv, LMFT, CIM, BCCC, BCC, Team Coordinator, Chaplaincy Services, Sentara CarePlex Hospital, is about a special moment he witnessed at the hospital. Sentara Commitments: Always treat you with dignity, respect and compassion Recently, I received a call from the Sentara CarePlex Hospital Critical Care Unit assistant manager who shared a very bittersweet … Continue Reading
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Nightingale saved my life
Nightingale is the regions first air ambulance service that has been operated by Sentara since 1982. Since beginning operation, Nightingale has completed around 17,000 missions including that of Sentara employee Steven Ford. Steven Ford worked at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital from 1996-2000 as a x-ray tech while he was still in the Navy. Steven began working for Sentara again in 2007 after retiring from the Navy, and recovering from his nearly fatal accident. “In 2006 I was in a nearly fatal motorcycle accident near Elizabeth City while on my way to work. I was on a single lane country road when a 95 Oldsmobile made a left hand turn in front of me. Too late to avoid the car, I hit him on the right front corner going 55 mph. “When I hit the car everything went into slow motion as I flew through the air. I flew 40 feet over the hood of the car and landed in a ditch, laying there for 3-4 minutes before someone arrived. After being taken to Albemarle Hospital, I was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital via Nightingale to the Trauma Bay.”
Thank a Social Worker Today
Sentara Recognizes National Professional Social Work Month. Have you hugged a social worker lately? Well, if you haven’t now is a great time to do so. March marks National Professional Social Work Month and this year’s theme is Social Work Matters. The theme seeks to showcase the impact of more than 642,000 professional social workers in … Continue Reading
Rotator cuff tendon can wear down
Just like a pair of jeans Admittedly, she waited too long to see a doctor about the grinding and aching in her shoulder that awakened her in the night. At age 50, Cindy Duncan thought arthritis or bursitis was causing the pain. Those were possibilities; she wasn’t a professional or even serious athlete, after all. … Continue Reading
Let your heart lead the way
A nurse at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital leads the way in the Sentara commitment of “Always treat you with dignity, respect and compassion,” through her helpful and compassionate tips for how to treat patients. Brenna Kenney, RN, was peer coaching one of her co-workers regarding bedside manner when fellow employee Janet Reese, Chaplin, overheard … Continue Reading
Beating the Clock
Sentara Heart and Vascular Center provides fast, lifesaving care to its first heart attack patient. “I think I’m having a heart attack.” Those were the seven words Woodbridge resident, Marcel Huard, said when he arrived at Sentara Potomac Hospital’s Irene V. Hylton Emergency Care Center. What happened after that, he says, was a blur. “After … Continue Reading
Celebrating a special moment
Hospital patient celebrates one of “life’s” precious moments Sentara Commitments: Always work together as a team to provide you quality healthcare For some, being in the hospital can mean missing some of life’s special moments. This could be a family member birthday, a special anniversary or even a wedding. For Terrie Kaluzny, patient in the … Continue Reading
A Heart full of Love and Kindness
Valentine’s Day is a time for love and caring. It is a time to celebrate and show appreciation for the people in our lives who we love and care about most. However, for one 13-year-old boy this holiday kindness transcends family to also include strangers in need. Logan Pettorini is the son of Sentara Potomac Hospital employee Jennifer Pettorini. … Continue Reading
The Sounds of Caring
A professional listener who hears what most miss The wear and tear of a 40-year history of playing soccer brought Woody Poole to Sentara Leigh Hospital for a double knee replacement. It was his experiences as a dad, teacher and coach that make him somewhat of a professional listener. In these roles, he has honed … Continue Reading
Care Coordination at its Best
Editor’s Note: Sherry Norquist, Care Coordination Manager, contributed this story for Sentara Today. What is Care Coordination? The Sentara Leigh Hospital Care Coordination team focuses on meeting the patient’s plan of care at the bedside and beyond in collaboration with physicians, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, home care nurses, post-acute providers and the rest of a multidisciplinary … Continue Reading
