to download the full magazine. - Martha Jefferson Hospital

Martha Jefferson 

f a l l 2 0 1 0 magazine 

From Tragedy 

to Celebration 

Fast Action Saves 

One Woman 

From Devastating 

Effects of Stroke

president’sletter 

“The only thing constant in life is change.” 

Francois de la Rochefoucauld 

Change has most definitely been constant 

lately, especially for those of us in healthcare. 

Although physician practices and hospitals 

experienced many periods of change in the past, 

the current environment is bringing about 

profound transformation. In fact, this is one 

of the most significant periods of change I 

can recall since the creation of the Medicare 

program in the 1960s. 

Many of the changes we’re seeing now 

actually took root in 2008, as the slowly declining 

economy began having a spiral effect 

on the delivery of healthcare. Eventually, it 

led to the passage of the Health Care Reform 

Act, which is in many ways altering the very 

foundation of our operations. 

But I disagree with the opening quote that 

change is the only constant. For although 

Martha Jefferson is in the process of instituting 

some significant changes in how we deliver 

healthcare — the most obvious being the new 

hospital we will be moving into in August 2011 

— our mission of improving the health status 

of the community hasn’t changed. Our vision 

of setting the standard for clinical quality 

and personalized healthcare services remains 

constant. Our role as a caring, community 

hospital continues as strong as ever. 

But sometimes things must change to stay 

the same. As you may have heard, Martha 

Jefferson recently announced its intent to 

merge with Sentara Healthcare, a 122-year-old 

not-for-profit organization based in Norfolk, 

Va. Our openness to the possibility of a partner 

began in 2008 as part of our strategic planning 

process. After researching all our options, the 

Board set a proactive course of action to ensure 

Martha Jefferson was best prepared to handle 

the transformation in healthcare that we are 

beginning to see. 

Ultimately, Martha Jefferson’s Board concluded 

that joining an integrated health system would 

allow Martha Jefferson to better sustain its 

mission as a community hospital by providing 

even higher quality comprehensive services to 

our patients. There are many distinct advantages 

of being part of a larger system, perhaps 

the most significant of which is the sharing of 

knowledge and best practices which enables all 

of a system’s physicians, nurses, employees and 

volunteers to deliver better patient care. 

Martha Jefferson, however, had to ensure 

that the system it joined would be a match both 

operationally and culturally, and it was soon 

clear that Sentara was a perfect fit. Sentara is a 

recognized leader in the industry, but most 

importantly, their culture mirrors our own. Martha 

Jefferson is familiar with Sentara, their staff and 

their practices, having worked together on many 

projects and learning from each other over the 

past 10 years. During this time, one thing that 

has always stayed with me is their willingness to 

listen. Our thoughts and ideas are valued, and 

that’s important when partnering with someone. 

Sentara was rated the nation’s #1 

integrated health system in 2010 by Modern 

Healthcare magazine, the second time they 

achieved this prestigious honor. They were also 

recognized as an Employer of Choice for 2010. 

Their “stake in the ground” has always been 

quality, and they aspire to be in the top 10 

percent nationally in clinical excellence. Combine 

that with the Caring Tradition that Martha 

Jefferson is known for and I have no doubt our 

partnership will be a success. 

I will be the first to tell you that although 

change is healthy, it can also be scary. I 

personally faced moments during this process 

when I questioned the concept of joining another 

organization, realizing some things will be done 

differently at Martha Jefferson in 2011 with a 

partner. But decisions at Martha Jefferson 

are always made in the best interest of our 

patients, employees and the community, and 

it quickly became apparent that this merger 

met that standard. 

I am excited by the prospect of what Martha 

Jefferson Hospital will be able to achieve working 

with Sentara. As we strive to move from good 

to great, this partnership is an important part 

of that effort, and I firmly believe it will leave 

us well-positioned to serve our community for 

the next 100 years. That is one thing that will 

never change. 

James E. Haden, President

Students Get 

Jump-Start on 

Healthy Living 

In Their Own Words .............................................. 2 

Healthwise .......................................................... 6 

Community Benefit.............................................. 8 

Report on Cardiology ........................................... 17 

20 

Satisfaction 

Scores Among 

Highest in VA 

departments 

Recognition of Excellence .................................... 18 

Martha Jefferson 2011 ........................................ 22 

Nutrition .............................................................. 30 

Health Education Calendar ................................. 32 

contents 

22 

8 Creating the 

14 

Three Stories 

of Weight Loss 

Success after 

Bariatric Surgery 

21 

Reflecting on 

the Past and 

Preparing for 

the Future 

Ultimate Patient 

Experience 

on The 

Cover: 

Quick Thinking 

and a Trained Team 

Saves One Woman 

from the Long-Term 

Effects of Stroke 

page 10 

Martha Jefferson Magazine, established February 2006, is a quarterly publication of Martha Jefferson Health Services, a community healthcare system including 

Martha Jefferson Hospital and Martha Jefferson Medical Services. Questions or comments regarding any material in this publication 

should be directed to the Office of Public Relations, 459 Locust Avenue, Charlottesville, VA, 22902. 

Martha Jefferson Hospital President: Jim Haden; Editors: Michael Cordell, Jenn McDaniel; Contributors: Diane DiCarlo, Cathy Link, Ray Mishler, Lauri Wilson 

Photography: Sarah Cramer, Luca Dicecco, Eric Kelley, Natalie Krovetz, Jack Looney, Lucy O’Dell; Design: Folio Design, Ltd. 

26 

Shopping for a 

Cause! Martha’s 

Market Draws 

Thousands 


f a l l 2 0 1 0 magazine 

From Tragedy 

to Celebration 

Fast Action Saves 

One Woman 

From Devastating 

Effects of Stroke

intheirownwords 

We are proud to print the following 

excerpts of letters received from patients 

regarding recent healthcare experiences 

at Martha Jefferson Hospital. These 

letters remain anonymous, as Martha 

Jefferson takes great strides to protect 

the privacy of community members. 

I have been meaning to write to you for some 

time to tell you what wonderful experiences 

my wife and I have had recently with our arm 

and shoulder surgeries respectively at the 

Outpatient Surgery Center. Were we not there 

for surgeries, it almost felt as though we could 

have been at the Greenbrier, such was the 

courteous, attentive, caring and professional 

way we were treated by every single employee 

we came in contact with. Beginning with the 

front desk and ending with the wheelchair 

attendant wheeling us down to the entry, 

and all the medical professionals in between, 

trying as hard as I could to find fault with 

anybody or anything, all I was able to conclude 

was “Wow! All surgeries should take place in 

hospital facilities such as this.” 

While you probably hear from disgruntled or 

unhappy customers on occasion, as all of us do 

who the work in the service arena, I wanted to 

be sure to let you know that two recent customers/ 

patients could not have been happier with their 

experiences notwithstanding the reason for their 

being customers in the first place. 

– August 2010 

2 Martha Jefferson 

Letters to Martha Jefferson Hospital 

This letter is a belated and enormously grateful 

thank you to the Hospital for the wonderful 

care we received. [ You all made us feel 

safe and comfortable. You told us 

what we could expect and you listened 

and responded to our questions and 

requests. ] You explained the different 

equipment and machinery, and you checked in 

on us with just the right frequency. All of the 

nurses treated us courteously and — more 

importantly — with genuine human caring. 

– July 2010 

Yesterday I visited the Martha Jefferson Hospital 

Outpatient Care Center for an MRI. I never 

had this test before. I didn’t know what to 

expect. Frankly, I was a bit anxious about the 

procedure. Fortunately for me, and I’m certain 

many others, this experience was as comfortable 

and positive as it could be. This letter is 

to express my thanks and appreciation for the 

good attention I received. 

– July 2010 

Email your 

thoughts about 

recent experiences 

at Martha Jefferson 

to letters@mjh.org. 

*Some letters may be altered in order to fit the page 

My husband was a patient for five days during 

which he had surgery and recuperated. The 

care was excellent, both by his physician and 

by your staff of nurses and LPNs. Keep up the 

good work. Everyone I know who has had an 

experience in your facility has nothing but 

good things to say, both about the hospital and 

its staff. [ It is our hospital of choice, 

and we look forward to seeing the 

opening of the new hospital in the 

near future. ] 

– July 2010 

I am writing to give you some feedback on the 

excellent care my wife has received at Martha 

Jefferson over the last two months since being 

diagnosed with breast cancer. From day one 

when we entered the hospital for surgery, 

everyone was superb in both their caring 

and management of our situation. From the 

receptionists to all of the nursing staff, I 

could not have been more pleased. 

With our second surgery and hospital stay, 

[ once again not only was the care 

impeccable, but everyone’s willingness 

to answer questions and offer help 

was appreciated. ] 

– May 2010

Change on the Horizon 

Recognizing and Embracing the 

Challenges and Opportunities to Come 

By Lillian BeVier 

Martha Jefferson Health Services Board of Directors 

Ms. BeVier has been involved with Martha Jefferson Hospital since 1995. In 

addition to serving on the Board of Directors, she has also been a member of 

the Martha Jefferson Hospital Board of Trustees, the Planning Committee and 

the Quality Care Committee. Ms. BeVier retired this year from the University of 

Virginia School of Law, where she was a professor for 37 years. 

It would be reasonable to think that raising 

the money for, designing, building and 

planning for the opening of the new hospital 

have been foremost on the Health Services 

Board’s agenda for the last two or three years. 

Although these tasks have occupied much 

of our attention, they have, in fact, proved 

to be relatively manageable, thanks to the 

generosity of our donors and the superlative 

performance of our leadership team, planning 

staff, architects and construction crew. 

So rather than the new hospital, the issue 

that actually has confronted us with the most 

uncertainty and most pressingly challenged us 

to try to foresee and plan for the future can be 

summarized in one word: change. 

The recently passed healthcare legislation 

is both the culmination and the portent of an 

ever-accelerating pace of change in healthcare. 

And it is the Board’s continuing priority to 

anticipate and prepare for the change that has 

confronted us — and that will continue to supply 

us with our most difficult choices and most 

significant opportunities in the years to come. 

The changes we have been grappling with 

have to do in part — but only in part — with 

the adjustments to and reductions in hospital 

reimbursement that the healthcare bill will 

require. Put quite simply, we will have to find 

ways to do more with less: to continue our 

quality initiatives and to maintain and improve 

patient care — which always have been and 

always will be our priorities — while receiving 

fewer dollars in exchange. 

In the midst of healthcare reform, also 

changing profoundly is the nature of medical 

practice and the trend of young physicians to 

seek employment rather than go into practice 

on their own. The trend is understandable — 

young doctors want the manageable lifestyles, 

reasonable hours, relief from administrative 

hassles and secure salary that employment 

promises. But the shift requires us to 

identify and implement a new model of 

physician-hospital integration — a daunting 

undertaking about which both ideas and 

uncertainties abound. 

Clearly, to meet and adapt to these farreaching 

challenges, we have a great deal of 

work ahead of us. And although all this change 

is both daunting and exhilarating, we believe 

that Martha Jefferson will tackle the challenges, 

and we look forward to exploiting the opportunities 

it presents. 

Dr. Hunt MacMillan, laboratory medical director at Martha Jefferson Hospital (left) and 

Dr. Kevin McConnell, a nephrologist with Jefferson Nephrology, Ltd. (right) are two of 12 Hospital Board members. 

boardperspective 

Privileged to Serve 

Hospital Board Members Thanked 

for Tireless Efforts 

At the end of 2010, two Martha Jefferson 

physicians, Dr. Kevin McConnell and Dr. Hunt 

MacMillan, will be stepping down from their 

positions on the Martha Jefferson Hospital Board 

of Trustees after serving nine years each — the 

maximum term allowed. 

Dr. McConnell, currently the chair of the 

Hospital Board, and Dr. MacMillan both held their 

leadership positions while many of the major 

decisions regarding the new hospital were taking 

place. From the purchase of the land at Peter 

Jefferson Place to the design concepts and 

eventual construction, they were able to watch 

the project progress, unfold and become a reality 

for the community. 

“It was an honor to be part of such an inclusive 

project that will be an asset to our community for 

decades to come,” said Dr. McConnell. “We got 

to share a time in Martha Jefferson’s history that 

many will never get to experience.” 

“It was a treat for me to be able to sit around 

the table with my fellow Board members and talk 

about what could be done to continue to make 

Martha Jefferson better,” said Dr. MacMillan. “The 

energy and enthusiasm the Board members have 

regarding the governance of the hospital and 

their fiduciary responsibility is unparalleled. The 

emphasis is always on quality, and although I 

will miss being a part of such a wonderful group, 

I have every confidence the other board members 

will continue the pursuit of clinical excellence.” 

In January, Dr. Josh Fischer of Cardiovascular 

Associates of Charlottesville and Dr. John 

Carpenter of Rio Family Medicine will be joining 

the Hospital Board. 

Martha Jefferson 3

newdoctors 


Dr. Angela Amin – Anesthesia 

Albemarle Anesthesia 

Medical School: Louisiana State University Medical School 

(New Orleans, LA) 

Internship: University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC) 

Residency: University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC) 

University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston, TX) 

Dr. Matthew Backens – Family Medicine 

Family Medicine of Albemarle 

Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School 

(Norfolk, VA) 

Internship: Maryview Medical Center (Portsmouth, VA) 

Residency: Maryview Medical Center (Portsmouth, VA) 

Fellowship: Maryview Medical Center (Portsmouth, VA) 

Clinical Interests: Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Non-Surgical 

Maternity Care, Sports Medicine 

Dr. Susan Blank – Endocrinology 

Blue Ridge Endocrinology and Diabetes, PLC 

Medical School: Harvard Medical School (Cambridge, MA) 

Internship: Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) 

Residency: Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) 

Fellowship: University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) 

Clinical Interests: Type I and Type II Diabetes, Thyroid Disorders, 

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Osteoporosis, Adrenal 

Disorders, Pituitary Disorders 

Dr. Gemila Bouber – Pediatrics 

Pediatric Associates of Charlottesville 

Medical School: University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) 

Internship: Strong Memorial Hospital (Rochester, NY) 

Residency: Strong Memorial Hospital (Rochester, NY) 

Clinical Interests: Adolescents 

Dr. Margaret Crook – Endocrinology 

Blue Ridge Endocrinology and Diabetes, PLC 


Internship: Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC) 

Residency: Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC) 

Fellowship: University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) 

Clinical Interests: Osteoporosis, Diabetes, Polycystic Ovary 

Syndrome, Pituitary Disorders, Hyperglycemia 

Dr. William Knight – Hospitalist 

Martha Jefferson Inpatient Services 

Medical School: University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) 

Internship: University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) 

Residency: University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) 

Dr. Sanjay Kripalani – Emergency Medicine 

Piedmont Emergency Consultants 

Medical School: Wake Forest University 

(Winston-Salem, NC) 



Dr. Prashanth Mally – Pain Management 

Osteopathic Pain Management 

Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine 

(Portsmouth, Dominica) 

Internship: Nassau University Medical Center (East Meadow, NY) 

Residency: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 

(New York, NY) 

Fellowship: University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)

Dr. Mark Mandichak – Hospitalist 

Martha Jefferson Inpatient Services 

Medical School: Jefferson Medical College 

(Philadelphia, PA) 



Dr. Matthew Panzarella – Orthopedics 

Atlantic Coast Orthopedic Specialists 

Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse, NY) 

Internship: SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse, NY) 

Residency: SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse, NY) 

Fellowship: Long Beach Memorial Medical Center 

(Long Beach, CA) 

Clinical Interests: Orthopedic Sports Medicine, 

Pediatric and Sports Related Injuries, Arthroscopic Surgery 

of the Knee, Shoulder, Elbow and Ankle 

Dr. Anil Shukla – Emergency Medicine 

Piedmont Emergency Consultants 


Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 

(Boston, MA) 

Dr. Jenny Smith – Gastroenterology 

Charlottesville Gastroenterology Associates 

Medical School: University of Mississippi (Jackson, MI) 

Internship: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA) 

Residency: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA) 

Fellowship: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA) 

Clinical Interests: Barrett’s Esophagus, Esophageal 

Cancer, Interventional Endoscopy 

Dr. Laura Smith – Reproductive Medicine/ 

Endocrinology 

Reproductive Medicine and Surgery Center 

of Virginia 




Fellowship: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, MA) 

Clinical Interests: Evaluation and treatment of 

infertility and fertility preservation 

Dr. Timothy Zimmer – Orthopedics 

Commonwealth Orthopedic Specialist, Inc. 

Medical School: University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH) 

Internship: Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) 

Residency: Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) 

Fellowship: Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) 

Clinical Interests: Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery 


healthwise 

Priority #1 – Primary Care 

Family Practices 

Growing in 

Central Virginia 

When you’re feeling under the weather, you want 

to be seen by a doctor as quickly as possible. No 

one wants to have to drive far from home when 

they’re not feeling well, and the faster you’re 

treated, the sooner you’ll be back on your feet 

and back into the swing of life. 

For rural areas in Central Virginia, having 

quick, convenient access to primary care 

services can be much more of a challenge than 

in heavily populated areas like Charlottesville 

and Albemarle County. To accommodate the 

growing need for primary care in Louisa County, 

Martha Jefferson is opening Spring Creek Family 

Medicine in Zion Crossroads and welcoming Dr. 

Michael Sty into the practice as of Dec. 1. Dr. Sty 

will be joined by Dr. Kathy Smyth, a pediatrician 

from Palmyra, one day a week. Once opened, the 

facility will provide healthcare services that are 

closer to home for more people than ever before. 


Spring Creek Family Medicine will start accepting patients Dec. 1. 

In addition, construction is now under way 

on a new facility in Nelson County that will be 

the future home of Afton Family Medicine. The 

practice needed to expand the size of its existing 

facility to accommodate the recent addition of a 

second doctor, as well as to provide room for the 

patient growth that will come as the population 

of the entire region continues to expand. 

Preparing for the Future 

The opening of these two new facilities comes 

at a critical time in Central Virginia, when the 

looming demand for healthcare services is set 

to test the capacity of the current primary care 

system. In addition to the increased demand 

created by population growth in our area, the 

entire nation is about to experience a surge in 

The official groundbreaking 

for the new Afton Family 

Medicine was held on Aug. 

31. Dr. Charles Cole and 

Dr. Stephen Schmitz are 

moving into the new facility, 

located off Route 151, 

to accommodate recent 

patient growth.

the need for primary care physicians (PCPs). 

With the implementation of healthcare reform 

in the coming years, 32 million Americans not 

currently covered will be provided with health 

insurance and will, in turn, expect to have ready 

access to medical care. So the addition of new 

primary care facilities will be a crucial part of 

anticipating and meeting that extra demand. 

From the patient perspective, the likely 

influx of new demand into the healthcare 

system means that getting quick access to 

primary care may become more challenging 

— so now is the time to make sure you and 

your family are prepared. Having a PCP you 

know, trust and are comfortable communicating 

with is an incredibly important starting point for 

ensuring your family’s well-being. If you don’t 

already have a PCP, Martha Jefferson Hospital’s 

Health Connection Department can offer you 

referral advice based on your location, needs and 

preferences. You can reach Health Connection by 

calling (434) 654-7009 or 1-888-652-6663. 

R x: Stay Connected 

Nothing can replace the support of friends 

and family during important life events, 

including medical treatment, rehabilitation 

and end-of-life care. To allow patients at 

Martha Jefferson the ability to easily reach out 

to family and friends during these times, we 

now offer access to free, easy-to-use website 

pages provided through CaringBridge.org. 

With this service, patients can quickly: 

• Create a personal web page 

• Write journal entries 

• Display photographs 

Family and friends who are granted access 

to the web page can read patient entries and 

write their own messages of support and 

encouragement. This service will help patients 

stay connected with those who care about them, 

wherever they may be, in such important times. 

For more information on the Caring Bridge program, or 

to create a page, please visit www.marthajefferson.org. 

Go Get ’Em Baby! 

Martha, the official Martha Jefferson Hospital mascot, cuddled up with nurses, doctors and other 

team members from the OB unit to congratulate them on a job well done. The group broke the 

Hospital’s record for the most babies born in the months of March, June and August this year, 

with 173, 171 and 151 births, respectively. 

May 2007, during which 190 births took place, holds the current record for the busiest month in 

history at Martha Jefferson. 


communitybenefit 

healthy Living 101 Greenbrier Students Get Extra Dose of Education 

For the past year, Jackie Martin, director of 

community outreach at Martha Jefferson Hospital, 

has been shifting from her office on Locust 

Avenue to classrooms at Greenbrier Elementary 

School to work with students and share lessons 

about living a healthy, happy life. 

The program is a proactive approach to 

raise student awareness of health-related 

topics such as nutrition, refusal skills and 

proper hand-washing techniques — all 

subjects they are tested on through the 

Virginia Standards of Learning. 


Each of the 10 programs that Martha 

Jefferson developed for the students caters 

to a specific age group, from kindergarten 

up through the fourth grade. 

“When we created the program, we worked 

to put together materials that would not only 

be interesting and exciting for the children, but 

would also serve as a type of early intervention,” 

said Martin. “The more we can teach children to 

be healthy at a young age, the more likely they 

will follow through when they grow up.” 

Teachers at Greenbrier stay in the classrooms 

during the lessons and have clearly seen 

the benefits of the programs. They feel the 

interactive nature of the lessons allows 

children to engage with the information in a 

personal manner, which makes it stick with 

them longer. 

“The students absolutely love their time with 

Mrs. Martin,” said James Kyner, principal at 

Greenbrier. “Other classes come up to me and 

ask when they get to learn about the wheelchairs. 

So you can tell the kids are excited.”

Pictured: (top) The programs put together by Jackie 

Martin, director of community outreach at Martha 

Jefferson, address important health-related topics, as 

well as questions students may be asked on the Virginia 

Standards of Learning test. The goal is to start sharing 

health information with children at a young age, in 

hopes they will take the skills with them as they grow up. 

(bottom) During one module on interacting with 

people with disabilities, students got to experience 

both what it would be like to be disabled, as well as 

the responsibility that comes along with caring for 

someone in need of assistance. 

Martha Jefferson on the Move! 

Free Diabetes Screening Sets the Stage for Follow-Up Care 

Martha Jefferson Hospital’s ongoing commitment to serving the needs of our 

community has led us to provide a free quarterly diabetes screening for individuals 

at risk for acquiring the disease. 

In August, a team of nurses and community outreach staff visited the Southwood 

Mobile Home Park and screened more than 30 adults for both high blood sugar 

and high blood pressure. Twenty-nine percent of the people screened were 

determined to be at risk for diabetes — more than triple the national average 

of 7.8 percent. 

“The high number of people determined to be at risk shows us there is indeed 

a serious need in our community for continuous education and outreach,” said 

Jean Blankenship, RN, community services coordinator. “A recent health status 

assessment by the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County showed there 

was an urgency for these types of programs, and Martha Jefferson is dedicated 

to following through with prevention opportunities.” 

Children in the Southwood community were also encouraged to attend the Martha 

Jefferson on the Move event. School supplies, including pencils, glue sticks and paper, 

were available for more than 150 children. Approximately 75 students stopped by to 

pick up their packages during the free screening. 

For information on upcoming FREE screenings and events 

at Martha Jefferson, please visit www.marthajefferson.org. 


a Stroke of 

Fortune 

Quick thinking and a trained team of providers with the right treatment 

tools saved one woman from the devastating long-term effects of a stroke 

10 Martha Jefferson

[ People’s voices started sounding distant, and Betsy Ann 

realized her face felt “wrong” — later she learned that it 

was drooping, one of the key signs of a stroke. ] 

Springtime had arrived, and after a long, cold 

winter, Betsy Ann Lee was happy to get outside 

and enjoy a fish fry with the family. 

Betsy Ann, a 70-year-old Scottsville resident, 

had been working hard in preparation for a 

visit from her children, grandchildren and 

great-grandchildren. She’d peeled 30 pounds 

of potatoes for potato salad and made the perennial 

children’s favorite, macaroni and cheese. 

Although Betsy Ann felt fine the entire 

morning, when it came time to eat she 

wasn’t particularly hungry. But because she 

wanted to enjoy the day, she sat with her 

family and picked at a small plate of food. 

After just a few moments, she noticed 

something was wrong. 

“It was like something had blown into my 

eye and started burning. I rubbed it, and as 

I did that, my other eye started burning,” 

recalled Betsy Ann. “Within seconds, both 

my eyes and my sinuses felt as if I’d sniffed 

red pepper.” 

People’s voices started sounding distant, 

and Betsy Ann realized her face felt “wrong” 

— later she learned that it was drooping, one 

of the key signs of a stroke. She called her 

daughter over, who immediately confirmed 

that Betsy Ann wasn’t acting like her usual 

self. Moments later, leaning on her daughter 

for support as she tried to stand up, Betsy 

Act FAST 

Betsy Ann Lee was lucky to be surrounded by 

family who recognized the signs of stroke. Their 

fast action allowed her to get the care she needed 

quickly so she can continue to enjoy their bustling 

family gatherings. 

Ann realized she had lost feeling in her left 

side as well. 

Betsy Ann’s children took her inside to lie 

down. Her daughter, a Certified Nurse Aide, 

believed all the symptoms pointed to a stroke, 

so they called 911 immediately. But because 

of the distance from the rescue squad to Betsy 

Ann’s home, her sons decided to put her in the 

car to make the trip to the Martha Jefferson 

Emergency Department themselves. 

Within an hour of her first signs of stroke, 

Betsy Ann was at Martha Jefferson, surrounded 

by a team of doctors and nurses. After confirming 

that she had, indeed, had a stroke, the doctors 

administered intravenous tPA (tissue plasminogen 

activator), one of the most effective 

treatments for ischemic stroke. 

The most common type of stroke, ischemic 

stroke, occurs when a blood clot blocks the 

blood flow in a vessel in the brain. If the blood 

does not flow to the brain, permanent damage 

Recognizing the Signs of a Stroke 

Stroke is the third leading cause of death 

in the United States and is the leading 

cause of adult disability. With only a 

limited amount of time from the onset of 

stroke to receive tPA, it is crucial to know 

the signs of a stroke. 

If you think someone is having a stroke, 

act F.A.S.T. and perform this simple test: 

FACE: 

ARM: 

SPEECH: 

TIME: 

When smiling, does one 

side of the face droop? 

When raised, does one arm 

drift downward? 

Does the speech sound 

slurred or strange? 

If you observe any of these 

signs, it’s time to CALL 911! 


may occur. By administering tPA, doctors are 

able to dissolve such clots, helping to reduce 

the risk of long-term effects. However, it is 

important to administer tPA within four and 

a half hours of the onset of ischemic stroke 

symptoms. After this time period, there is a 

greater risk the treatment could actually cause 

bleeding in the brain, and the lack of oxygen in 

the brain could cause damage. 

Fortunately for Betsy Ann, she arrived at the 

hospital in plenty of time. The clot in her brain 


A Family at Risk 

Although Betsy Ann seemed healthy, her high blood pressure, 

race and age all put her at greater risk for stroke. Family history 

of stroke is another key factor, which means Betsy Ann’s entire 

family will need to be mindful of their risk for stroke. 

Other risk factors for stroke include: diabetes, elevated 

cholesterol, obesity, tobacco use, excessive use of alcohol, 

sedentary lifestyle, previous stroke or transient ischemic attack 

(TIA) and a history or new onset of irregular heartbeats (atrial 

fibrillation or atrial flutter). 

dissolved, and she quickly felt the benefits of 

her family’s fast action. 

“Sometime the next night I realized that I 

could move my hand and foot some,” Betsy 

Ann said. “Soon after, I was talking a bit better 

as well.” 

Recovery from a stroke takes time, so after 

a few days in the Stroke Unit at Martha Jefferson, 

Betsy Ann spent time in an inpatient 

rehabilitation facility and then continued with 

outpatient rehab visits until she could get 

Life Goes On 

Betsy Ann has six grandchildren and 

five great-grandchildren. Thanks to the 

life-saving tPA treatment administered 

at Martha Jefferson, the potentially 

devastating effects of a stroke — which 

can include paralysis and loss of speech — 

have been minimized, so she can continue 

to watch them grow. 

[ “You have to be quick when you have a stroke. Without the tPA, …I would have been paralyzed.” ] 

around without a walker. Within a month of her 

stroke, Betsy was back to work as a companion 

and caregiver to a local woman. 

“I’m not as fast as I was, and I use a little 

extra care — but I am getting better,” Betsy 

Ann remarked. “You have to be quick when you 

have a stroke. I asked the nurse what would 

have happened without the tPA, and she said I 

would have been paralyzed. I’m lucky I came to 

Martha Jefferson quickly and got the medicine 

I needed fast.”


Hospital Recognized 

as Joint Commission 

Primary Stroke Center 

Effective stroke management takes a team of people who have been 

trained to recognize the signs, and quickly implement the series of steps 

it takes to treat a stroke. Martha Jefferson’s stroke team is comprised of 

physicians, nurses and technicians from the Lab, Pharmacy, Imaging, 

Rehabilitation, ICU and Emergency Departments, among others. 

Martha Jefferson Hospital was recently named a 

Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission, a 

leading healthcare accreditation agency. Martha 

Jefferson earned this distinction after the Joint 

Commission conducted an extensive on-site review. 

The Advanced Primary Stroke Center certification 

recognizes Martha Jefferson Hospital’s exceptional 

efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care and 

signifies the services provided at the hospital include 

the critical elements needed to achieve long-term 

success in improving stroke outcomes. 

“The teamwork at Martha Jefferson Hospital is 

what allowed us to excel and achieve this great 

accomplishment,” said Dr. Alexander Grunsfeld, stroke 

program medical director. “Everyone from members 

of the Lab, Pharmacy staff, Medical Imaging and 

Rehabilitation Services staff were involved, and their 

hard work is reflective of Martha Jefferson’s commitment 

to providing outstanding care to our patients 

and our community.” 


The Path to Success 

Three bariatric surgery patients share their 

secrets of weight loss, and they all agree: 

surgery is just the beginning 


No matter who you are, chances are you’ve 

struggled with your weight at some point. We all 

want to be, look and feel healthier, and in this 

on-the-go era in which nutrition and sensibility 

are often sacrificed at the expense of speed and 

convenience, reaching and maintaining an ideal 

weight can be a daunting task. For some people, 

their challenge may be to shed 10 pounds or so. 

But for others, that challenge can be greater, at 

100 pounds or more. 

Losing weight — and just as important, keeping 

it off — can be difficult. And especially for people 

with more ambitious weight-loss goals, traditional 

diets and exercise may not be enough. In many 

cases, these people may need a way to jumpstart 

their weight loss; in recent years, bariatric surgery, 

which includes gastric banding and gastric 

bypass, has emerged as an effective tool to 

get them started down the path toward a fitter, 

healthier future. However, although this type of 

procedure can yield faster results, it is certainly 

not an end unto itself and must be used with care 

and discretion, in combination with other longterm 

lifestyle changes, for optimum outcomes. 

For three of Martha Jefferson’s most successful 

weight-loss patients, the use of gastric banding 

was the jump-start they needed to begin. Since 

then, they have each found the magic combination 

of changes that continue to lead them 

toward success: a change in diet, more exercise 

and a strong support network. 

Focus on Diet Changes 

Like many working moms and dads today, 

Regina Perkins has her hands full. As a nurse 

in the Martha Jefferson Emergency Department, 

Regina has a fast-paced, high-stress job that, 

combined with the responsibilities of raising 

two children and taking care of her household, 

makes for a hectic lifestyle. 

When they do get a chance to slow down 

a bit, Regina and her family love to hike and 

enjoy time outdoors — but she wasn’t always 

able to enjoy that playtime. Struggling to keep 

up on one occasion while hiking Humpback 

Rock, Regina recalled, “I nearly passed out. I 

was sweating, shaking and feeling nauseated.” 

Regina was not in an optimum state of 

health — she had high cholesterol and blood 

sugar, was pre-diabetic, and often experienced 

shortness of breath. Her weight was 

clearly taking a toll on her well-being. So 

when she learned about the gastric banding 

procedure, she was ready to make a change. 

As a nurse, Regina knew that although 

surgery was a key starting point, the procedure 

alone wasn’t going to guarantee her success. 

But she did have a strong support network 

in place — a crucial part of success for any 

bariatric patient — working in the same

Two years after surgery, Regina reports having 

lost nearly 80 pounds. She feels more confident 

in how her patients perceive her and is happy to 

be setting a better example for her children. 

hospital as her surgeon and having her 

husband’s love and encouragement to guide 

her along the way. 

Now, two years after her surgery, Regina 

has made major changes to her diet, faithfully 

following her dietitian’s advice and working 

toward a healthier body. 

“Before surgery, I rated a restaurant on two 

things: One, if they had good sweet tea, and 

two, if grease came through the bag,” Regina 

reminisced. “Now I rate a restaurant on what 

kinds of salads they have, and if they have 

good variety. Sweet tea doesn’t appeal to me, 

and I haven’t had a soft drink in two years. 

It’s all about water all the time. I’ve really 

changed my life.” 

Today, with a healthier lifestyle in place, 

Regina still loves to hike with her family — 

but now, she can take the lead and enjoy their 

quality time together, instead of fighting for 

breath and holding them back. 

From 10 Steps to 10 Miles 

Two years ago, Sharon Chicoski was embarrassed 

to go outside, couldn’t enjoy fun summer 

activities with her son and regretted missing 

out on so many of life’s opportunities. 

Sharon was overweight, and as her medical 

problems — high cholesterol, sleep apnea 

and diabetes — began to build, she believed 

increasingly that she needed to take control of 

the situation and improve her health. She had 

considered bariatric surgery for several years prior 

to having the procedure. And although she knew 

it wouldn’t be a quick fix, in 2009 Sharon decided 

she was ready to make a change, beginning with 

weight-loss surgery at Martha Jefferson. 

“Everything about me has changed since 

I’ve had my surgery. I eat healthy and I feel 

better, so I have more energy to do the things 

I was missing out on before. Although it was 

an adjustment at first, once you get into a 

routine, it’s as though nothing has changed,” 

said Sharon. 

One of the biggest changes Sharon has made 

has been to increase her level of activity. She 

and a friend who also had recently undergone a 

weight-loss procedure joined forces to motivate 

each other to get moving. 

“Just after the surgery, my friend would have 

to drag me around the track,” Sharon laughed. 

“But we kept going, and after a while, I was 

walking 10 miles a day — and I felt great.” 

Sharon lost more than 130 pounds in the year following her procedure. Although very pleased with the 

weight reduction itself, she also now finds herself waking up every day feeling better and full of energy. 


Finding Strength in 

a Network of Support 

Before having her gastric banding procedure, 

Juanita Allen had to take medications for high 

blood pressure and high cholesterol. Despite 

having had surgery on both knees, she still 

experienced pain when she walked. In addition 

to those issues, Juanita learned she was 

pre-diabetic. At that point, her doctor told her 

she would either need to make a significant 

change to her weight or begin taking medication 

for diabetes as well. It was then that Juanita 

realized something had to change. 

Juanita knew the process wouldn’t be simple, 

but she decided bariatric surgery offered an 

attractive opportunity to alleviate her health 

issues. Thanks in part to a process designed to 

support patients both before and after surgery, 

since her surgery, Juanita has succeeded in 

losing the weight, getting off all her medications 

and feeling better about herself to boot. 

In addition to her own efforts to eat well and 

exercise, Juanita credits much of her success 

to the people she had supporting her. 

Soft-spoken and nurturing, Juanita had 

always been someone who typically did more 

for others than for herself. But the surgery and 

her subsequent weight loss, gave her a new 

perspective, and Juanita found her key to 

success following surgery was to allow her 

family and friends to support her — instead 

of the other way around. 

“Throughout the process, I’ve had tremendous 

support from my family and my co-workers,” 

Juanita said. 

“They all try to watch what they eat around 

me, so they’re not having things I can’t. They 

encourage me to go and exercise even when 


I don’t feel up for anything. And my husband 

has really been my number-one cheerleader. 

I don’t know that it’s the surgery itself that 

changed me,” Juanita remarked. “But I think 

that it changed the way I feel about myself 

and my desire to take care of myself. Now 

that I’m healthier, I can take better care of the 

people I love.” 

Juanita’s loss of 100 pounds one year after 

surgery has given her the courage to try things 

she never would have done before. Of the 

surgery, Juanita says, “It’s been the best thing 

I’ve ever done for myself.” 

To hear from our bariatric surgeons in their own words or learn more about bariatric surgery at Martha Jefferson 

Hospital, please visit www.mjhbariatriccare.org.

91 

Cool Recovery 

Chilling New Technology Saves Lives 

Heart attack patients are catching a chill at Martha 

Jefferson, but no one’s complaining. 

Certainly, in most circumstances, hypothermia is 

hazardous to your health — when the body gets too 

cold, the heart, nervous system and other organs 

don’t function properly and begin to shut down. 

Research has proven, however, that in some 

life-threatening situations such as heart attack, 

moderately low temperatures can actually be 

therapeutic when induced medically and monitored 

carefully. The technique is called “therapeutic 

hypothermia,” and the American Heart Association 

has recently begun to consider it a leading treatment 

option for comatose cardiac arrest survivors. 

During the procedure, a patient who has suffered 

a heart attack is wrapped in cooling blankets, and as 

quickly as possible, the body temperature is lowered to 

around 91 degrees Fahrenheit — seven degrees below 

normal. Typically, such a low body temperature would 

be cause for alarm, but in controlled environments the 

chilling can be effective in slowing brain cell death — 

which could cause permanent neurological damage 

— as well as slowing cell death in other organs. Once 

cooled for between 12 and 24 hours, a patient’s body 

temperature is slowly raised again, a process that can 

take up to 48 hours. 

“This is cutting-edge technology and can make a 

tremendous difference for patients,” said Dr. Francis 

Ansa, medical director of the Intensive Care Unit at 

Martha Jefferson Hospital. “We talk to each family 

before beginning the process to explain the theory behind 

the cooling blankets. They are often surprised at the 

idea but willing to see how the technique works.” 

Martha Jefferson treated its first patient with therapeutic 

hypothermia in August of 2009, even before any 

official cooling blankets had arrived at the hospital. 

Armed with ice cubes and freezer packs, the team used 

low-tech tools to carry out the state-of-the-art cooling 

procedure. While the process was far more labor 

intensive without an automated system, doctors agree 

reportoncardiology 

91 

more simplistic tools, but I’m glad we did,” said 

that it was worth the extra effort to provide the patient 

with a more successful recovery. 

“We made the decision to cool the patient with 

Dr. Ansa. “Although we, of course, prefer to use the 

blankets now that we have them in-house, it was 

definitely the most beneficial decision we could 

make at the time — and did provide patients with 

a positive recovery.” 

Since then, several other patients have been treated 

with the cooling blankets, and each has regained 

functions in ways doctors didn’t expect. Despite 

their effectiveness, the cooling blankets are used 

infrequently, as a patient must meet specific criteria 

to be eligible for the procedure: first, the patient must 

be minimally conscious; second, the cooling process 

must begin within the first six hours post-cardiac 

arrest for the cooling technique to be effective; and 

third, the patient must be an adult, as the treatment 

is not currently recommended for children. 

Martha Jefferson Hospital is leading the way in 

therapeutic hypothermia and is currently one of 

the roughly 30 percent of hospitals in the country 

using the procedure. The technique requires 

coordination among several departments, 

including the Intensive Care Unit, emergency 

responders, cardiologists and specially trained 

staff who know how to operate the blankets and 

properly execute the procedure. Dr. Christina 

Bove, Dr. Josh Fischer, Dr. Francis Ansa and 

Dr. Alex Grunsfeld have served as physician 

champions for the procedure at Martha Jefferson. 


ecognitionofexcellence 


Electronic Medical 

Records Will Make 

Doctor Visits Easier 

for Everyone 

E-mail. The Internet. Smart phones. 

GPS systems. 

In nearly every aspect of our lives, we can 

point to a way that technology and digital 

information have streamlined our daily activities. 

Take shopping: Buy something online, and 

not only does the website make the ordering 

process a snap — it also remembers your 

information to save you time on future 

purchases. Or correspondence: “Snail mail” 

is now largely a relic of the past, and shooting 

off a message to anyone in your digital 

address book is nearly instantaneous. Or 

travel: Enter an address into your GPS, and 

it very quickly finds you the fastest route to 

your destination. Good use of technology is all 

about solving problems and making life easier 

and more productive.

Today we are entering an era in which digital 

information will begin to have an enormous 

positive impact on another crucial part of our 

lives — healthcare. 

For decade after decade, medical practices 

and hospitals — heavily dependent on 

vast amounts of information — have relied 

on antiquated methods like paper charts, 

prescriptions and referral forms to serve as the 

keepers and transmitters of vital patient data. 

But now, more and more healthcare providers 

are moving into the digital age and switching 

to electronic medical records (EMR). The 

benefits of the switch, for physicians and 

patients alike, are already being realized. 

As a patient, you probably know how tedious 

and frustrating it can be to have to repeat 

your medical history for every different doctor 

you see. EMR stores your complete history in a 

digital database, so filling out the same forms 

over and over will be a thing of the past. 

Or if you’ve ever had trouble reading your 

doctor’s handwriting on a prescription or referral 

form, EMR can help with that, too — no 

handwriting necessary. 

EMR has a number of other benefits as well, 

including helping to ensure the security of 

patient information, speeding up the process 

of getting test results to your physician, and 

lowering healthcare costs by cutting down on 

duplicate laboratory tests and other procedures. 

From Paper Cuts to Paperless 

Martha Jefferson Hospital has been using 

electronic records within the hospital for many 

years, and while the technology has been 

helpful, its impact was previously limited to a 

person’s experience inside the hospital itself. 

Physicians could view information in the hospital’s 

own patient records, but the EMR system 

wasn’t tied into any patient records outside 

the hospital’s walls. 

In 2007, Martha Jefferson took the next step 

into the digital age by implementing EMR into 

its practices, starting with Blue Ridge Internal 

Medicine (BRIM) and soon after expanding to 

eight more practices. 

[ The new system also helps streamline a patient’s 

medications. “It really boosts our ability to ensure that 

we have accurate medicine lists for each patient and 

check for drug allergies,” noted Dr. Clemons. ] 

“The first EMR system we implemented 

was helpful in a number of ways,” said Dr. 

Bruce Clemons, director of outpatient services 

at Martha Jefferson. “Remote access to the 

medical record, especially when taking a call, 

is much safer than relying on memory or the 

paper chart. But, as with any new technology, 

there were still limitations.” 

One of the key limitations with the early 

system was the lack of connectivity with other 

databases. Some data was stored at the 

practice, some was housed at another doctor’s 

office, and some may have been kept in a lab. 

The records were not linked together, and the 

potential benefits of EMR were far from being 

fully realized — until now. 

Connecting the Dots 

In July 2010, BRIM took the next step by installing 

eClinicalWorks. This new EMR system 

will connect with other practices and the 

hospital’s lab database — and soon, with its 

radiology system as well. 

“We are continuing to evolve our outpatient 

EMR strategy,” said Marijo Lecker, vice 

president of clinical support services and IT 

for Martha Jefferson. “With eClinicalWorks, our 

primary care physicians (PCP), specialists, 

nurses and all caregivers will be able to work 

together to enhance patient care and safety 

while improving on the care delivery system.” 

With the new EMR system, a PCP can, for 

example, check on the results of a lab test and 

request a specialist consult on those results 

— all from within one electronic patient 

record, and all while the patient is sitting in 

his or her office. 

The new system also helps streamline a 

patient’s medications. “It really boosts our 

ability to ensure that we have accurate medicine 

lists for each patient and check for drug 

allergies,” noted Dr. Clemons. 

“It also helps us to be more economical,” 

he added. “The system gives us access to a 

patient’s insurance company’s formulary, so 

we can tell them at the time of prescription if 

a drug is covered, or if there may be a more 

economical solution, such as a generic option.” 

To date, three Martha Jefferson practices 

and one independent practice have converted 

to this new system. Over the next 10 to 12 

months, the remaining Martha Jefferson 

practices will convert as well. With the HITECH 

Act passed last year, these practices are not 

only acting in compliance with the law, but 

also are helping to ensure patient safety and 

convenience. 

“Anytime you can connect the dots — 

and especially in healthcare — you make 

significant improvements,” said Dr. Clemons. 

“When all your doctors are on the same system, 

you know they are also on the same page. 

When it comes to your health, that couldn’t 

be more important.” 


The Caring 

Tradition 

Continues 

Martha Jefferson Ranked in Top Tier across Virginia 

For most people, spending time in a hospital — either as a patient or a visitor — 

can often clearly be a stressful experience, and probably isn’t at the top of anyone’s 

list of favorite activities. Despite this reality, Martha Jefferson Hospital strives to 

make the experience of a hospital stay as pleasant as possible, and recent data 

show our patients are quite pleased with the services and care they receive. 

Data collected for the Centers for Medicare 

and Medicaid show Martha Jefferson tied 

for first place in Virginia for the greatest 

percentage of patients willing to recommend 

the hospital to their family and friends. The 

hospital ranks fourth in the state when it 

comes to overall patient satisfaction — 

and in both cases, its numbers surpass 

state and national averages. 

A Culture of Caring 

The survey numbers are certainly impressive, 

and the results would not be possible without 

an exceptional level of teamwork among all 

hospital departments. From the friendly faces 

at the registration desk to the hands that 

help a patient into a car at the end of a stay, 

everyone at Martha Jefferson strives to create 

an exceptionally warm and pleasant atmosphere 

for patients and their families. 

“It’s something you can feel when you walk 

in the door,” said Mina Ford, RN and nursing 

educator. “If someone is lost, we don’t point 

them in the right direction — we take them 

there. Or if they’re hungry for something 

specific, we’ll find it for them.” 

Already having been dedicated to providing 

personalized patient care, in 2008 Martha 

Jefferson took its Caring Tradition a step further 

by becoming a Planetree affiliate hospital. 

Under the Planetree model, the hospital pledges 

to provide unparalleled, patient-centered care 

in a healing, supportive environment. 

“The goal is to extend a warm, personal touch 

into all aspects of healthcare. At Martha Jefferson, 

we have always operated under that mentality, 

and through Planetree we are able to publicly 

acknowledge and pledge our dedication to the 

Caring Tradition in the future,” said Faye Satterly, 

director of cancer care services and Planetree. 

Martha Jefferson Hospital ranks above both the state and national averages for overall patient satisfaction, 

according to recent data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 


Patient-Centered Hospital Design 

More than 50 design teams worked together to 

create the plans for the new hospital, incorporating 

a host of new features that will allow Martha 

Jefferson to elevate the patient experience further: 

Private rooms 

By allowing each patient a private room, there is 

enough space to have family and friends visit, as 

well as space for someone to stay the night if needed. 

Comforting environment 

The hospital will be filled with natural light, 

wonderful colors, and artwork and furniture that 

will allow patients to feel as though they are in a 

home-like environment. 

The patient console 

Each patient room will be equipped with a flatscreen 

TV, and patients will have access to the 

Internet, movies, care team information and 

educational materials. 

Spoken menu 

Each patient will be visited daily by a diet aid, who 

will take their order for the next meal, much like restaurant 

service. The diet aid will also be empowered 

to provide alternatives, if the patient would prefer 

something not on the menu. 

Wireless Internet 

The entire campus will be wired for the Internet. 

Family members and visitors are all encouraged to 

use this complimentary service during their stay. 

Would patients recommend hospital to family 

and friends? 

Yes, Yes, No 

definitely probably 

| | | 

MJH 84% 14% 2% 

VA 66% 28% 6% 

US 68% 26% 6% 

How do patients rate the hospital overall? 

9 or 10 7 or 8 6 or lower 

(high) (medium) (low) 

| | | 

MJH 75% 20% 5% 

VA 63% 27% 10% 

US 66% 24% 10% 

To see the complete results 

of the survey, please visit 

www.marthajefferson.org.

Reflecting on Martha Jefferson 

PaSt, PReSent and FutuRe — the tRadition ReMainS 

As we embark on a new and eventful decade at Martha Jefferson — with the 

upcoming move into our new hospital on Pantops Mountain in August 2011 

— now is an excellent opportunity to reflect on where we’ve come from and 

how we’ve changed over the years. Many retired Martha Jefferson Hospital 

physicians continue to call Charlottesville home, and for them, as for us, it 

is a time for reflection. 

Dr. Charles Gleason has seen his fair share of 

babies delivered at Martha Jefferson Hospital. 

In the 1960s, when he started work in 

Charlottesville, a typical day would consist of 

a nursery visit around 6:00 a.m., office visits 

until 5:00 p.m., house calls before heading 

home and often an interrupted night’s sleep 

in order to welcome a precious new miracle 

into the world. 

Although his schedule wasn’t all that 

different from the hours pediatricians keep 

today, Dr. Gleason says things have definitely 

changed since he went into practice. The 

biggest change he’s seen? Technology. 

“The facilities and equipment available to 

doctors today are amazing,” said Gleason. 

“From cancer care services to advances in 

surgery that now make procedures that were 

complicated in the past a fairly simple 

operation today, it’s given me great pleasure 

to see Martha Jefferson grow and expand over 

the years and provide an increasing set of 

services that allow doctors and nurses to 

better care for patients.” 

For Dr. Gleason, the technological advances 

began in earnest when Jim Haden became 

president of Martha Jefferson. “I had recently 

retired when Mr. Haden came on board, but 

that didn’t stop us from working together. He 

is a tremendous leader and also had an astute 

sense when it came to staying up to date on 

the latest changes in medicine, as well as the 

needs of the community.” 

To meet those evolving needs, Martha 

Jefferson often had to add new service lines 

or upgrade the technology and offerings 

available. While continuing to expand over the 

years to the cutting-edge capabilities of long- 

standing departments like Cardiology, Internal 

Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Oncology and 

Surgery, more recently the hospital has added 

Bariatric services and launched a Neurosurgery 

program to bring the latest techniques and 

most advanced specialized care into its stable 

of services. 

Despite the many expansions and changes 

in the way care is delivered since he got his 

start, Dr. Gleason believes the Caring Tradition 

is woven throughout the hospital’s history, 

imbuing today’s Martha Jefferson with the 

same warmth and compassion it had when he 

first stepped inside. 

“The thing I remember most about Martha 

Jefferson was the way everyone prided themselves 

on the Caring Tradition. Joe Brown was 

Joe Brown — not a patient number or a health 

condition. As long as this sentiment stays 

ingrained in the hearts and minds of everyone 

at the hospital, I have no doubt Martha Jefferson 

will continue to be the hospital our community 

knows and loves.” 

(pictured above) During the 1950s, when 

Dr. Gleason was in medical school, the main 

circle entrance to Martha Jefferson Hospital was 

located on Locust Avenue. The Cardwell Center 

and Replacement Hospital had not yet even 

entered the minds of hospital planners. 


marthajefferson2011 

Creating the Ultimate Patient Experience 

Like the old saying says: There’s no 

place like home. Certainly a hospital, 

with its sterile walls, cramped 

rooms, and outdated televisions 

and radios can’t compare to the 

comforts of home, can it? 

The answer is a resounding “yes,” if design 

teams working on a new hospital come together 

from the beginning with one goal in mind: 

creating the ultimate patient experience. 

For the past five years, professional designers 

have worked alongside nurses, doctors, recent 

patients and community members to create 

a new hospital that feels like home. From a 

fireplace in the lobby to the art on the walls and 

the tiles on the floors, the entire hospital has 

been designed to feel comfortable and warm. 

Although details have been considered for every 

last room in the facility, a great deal of emphasis 

was placed on the design of the patient rooms 

— since most people coming to the hospital will 

either be patients or their visitors. 


New Patient Rooms Provide 

the Comforts of Home 

and Improved Care 

Laying the Foundation 

Five years ago, a basement room of the current 

hospital was transformed into a “mock-up” 

hospital room. The room was used as a practice 

area where the design teams could get an idea 

of the size of the rooms in the new hospital and 

how they should be laid out. Today, the first room 

built out in the new hospital is a mirror image. 

From the very beginning of the process, the 

central question for the room design team was: 

What makes for the best healing environment? 

“We looked at a lot of evidence-based 

research, and one thing we realized quickly 

was our rooms needed to be private,” recalled 

Nancy Maloy, director of nursing. “Everything 

we looked at and read told us that would create 

the most efficient, effective, safe environment 

for patients.” 

Relying on the Experts 

As the plans began to unfold, it was clear that the 

different people who would use any given room 

would have different needs. So the team decided 

to use a three-zone approach, creating room 

sections specific to caregivers, patients and their 

visitors. Representatives from each group were 

called in to give their perspectives on what would 

make an ideal healing environment. 

“The nursing teams were excited to share 

their thoughts along the way,” said Amy Black, 

chief nurse executive. “They are the ones who 

are in the rooms every single day. They know 

what works best, what we could improve upon 

from our current set-up and what additions we 

might be able to make due to the flexibility of 

our new space.” 

Some changes that came out of the nursing 

team’s input include a nurse server that will 

give nurses and doctors access to all the 

supplies they need in each patient room — instead 

of having to wheel supplies around from 

location to location. In addition, blood pressure 

equipment, a hand-washing station and a 

space to prep supplies will all be placed closer 

to patients, allowing for greater efficiency and 

more direct, focused patient contact.

[ For the past five years, 

designers have worked 

alongside nurses, doctors 

and community members 

to create a hospital that 

feels like home. ] 

Prospective patients and their families also 

had a say in making their own potential future 

hospital stays more pleasant. 

“For them, it was all about how comfortable 

the bed was, appropriate lighting, Internet 

access and easy access to the bathroom,” 

said Maloy. “Different age groups had strong 

preferences for certain amenities, and we did 

our best to bring them all together to make a 

room that would work for everyone.” 

As potential hospital visitors, the community 

members of the team had thoughts from the 

visitor perspective. Visits from family and 

friends are an invaluable part of the healing 

experience for patients, and visitors need to feel 

at home in the hospital, too. To that end, the 

team decided to provide a couch in each room 

that can easily be converted to a bed, so visitors 

will be able to comfortably spend the night and 

get some good rest. Each room will also have 

a whiteboard to serve as a central place for 

visitors to leave messages and questions for any 

member of the patient’s care team. In addition, 

the room design is spacious and airy, so no one 

feels cramped or uncomfortable. 

Completing the Vision 

As the design process continued, the mock-up 

room gave way to a “model” room and construction 

began on the real thing. Before outfitting 

each new patient room, Martha Jefferson set up 

one model room in the new hospital for nursing 

teams to inspect, to ensure that every last 

detail was just right prior to going full-scale 

with room construction — and this step was a 

valuable part of the input process. For example, 

once nurses made a site visit to the new model, 

the team discovered the nurse intercom was too 

high on the wall to be easily accessible by the 

average nurse — so the intercom and its wiring 

were lowered in the final construction plans. 

Not only have these changes been an opportunity 

to get it right, but they have also enabled 

construction to stay on track and on budget — 

after all, it’s far easier and more cost-effective 

to make changes to one model room than to 

retrofit 176 of them. 

As the new patient rooms receive the finishing 

touches, everyone involved is proud to have 

played a part in ensuring future patients and 

their visitors are comfortable and well cared 

for in their healing home away from home. 

Although not all the rooms are complete at this point in time, you 

can see a video rendering of what the space will look like when it’s 

done. To take the virtual tour, please visit www.marthajefferson.org. 


philanthropy 


trust 

Defined as: 1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability or character of a 

person or thing.; 2. custody; care.; 3. Something committed into the 

care of another.; 4a. The condition and resulting obligation of having 

confidence placed in one.; 4b. One in which confidence is placed.; 

5. Reliance on something in the future.; hope… 

Charitable giving is a personal gift of 

the heart expressed through trust in an 

organization. Chosen with thoughtfulness, 

the organization honors that trust 

by enlarging the impact of a person’s 

generosity and enriching the meaning 

of the gift. 

Philanthropy is a partnership formed 

from a shared priority and desire to 

serve a need that touches us in some 

personal way. 

Martha Jefferson Hospital has been a 

trusted partner in the greater Charlottesville 

community and neighboring 

Central Virginia towns and counties for 

more than 100 years. During this time, 

there have been many changes as 

healthcare has incorporated advances 

in medicine, technology and delivery 

within a dynamic social, political and 

financial landscape. 

In the midst of all this change, 

some things remain constant. Martha 

Jefferson is community-centered and 

patient focused. The Martha Jefferson 

we trust continues to be defined by 

the doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers 

who choose to live here, work here 

and serve here. It continues to be an 

institution of neighbors-helping-neigh- 

bors; the care delivered is personal, a 

meaningful and distinguishing quality 

for employees and patients alike. We 

are family in the most cherished ways 

that connect us to each other. 

It is a privilege and an honor to 

serve this community as a steward of 

charitable giving at Martha Jefferson 

Hospital, working with those of you 

who trust this organization with your 

gifts. Philanthropy remains one way in 

which you help sustain and improve 

healthcare in our community, supporting 

nursing scholarships and Palliative 

Care, providing for special patient 

needs, and making the experience of 

healthcare at Martha Jefferson one 

which continues to deserve your trust. 

As staff of the Foundation Office, Ray, 

Lauri, Renee, Peggy, Angela, Nancy and 

I will continue to honor and earn the 

trust you place in us and in this 

institution. We will faithfully steward 

your gifts to support the health and 

well being of our community. 

Cathy Link 

Director of Philanthropy 

Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation 

1 2 

ReASOnS we Give: 

• Making a difference for others 

• Expressing gratitude for care received 

• Recognizing a nurse, physician 

or friend 

• Remembering a loved one or friend 

• Investing in a hospital serving my 

community 

• Expressing trust in a partnership 

that enables us to make a more 

meaningful impact 

• Receiving favorable tax advantages 

MAkinG A DiFFeRence 

ThROuGh SuppORTinG 

MARThA JeFFeRSOn: 

• Nursing education and research to 

enhance evidence-based practice 

and patient care 

• Palliative Care to serve the needs of 

those facing advancing illness 

• Patient Special Needs Fund for 

Cancer Care 

• Heart and Vascular Care — healthy 

living, early detection, diagnosis and 

treatment 

• Women’s Health focusing on maintaining 

health throughout our lives 

• Special Projects at the New Hospital 

— Clinical Simulation Learning Center, 

Healing and Sustainable Landscaping; 

Artwork for Patient, Family and 

Caregiver areas and more.

wAyS TO Give: 

• Gifts of cash (checks and credit cards) 

• Gifts of securities (valued more highly 

now than when you first owned them) 

• Gifts through your will 

• Beneficiary designation on Individual 

Retirement Account or qualified 

retirement plan 

For more information, please 

visit www.mjhfoundation.org 

photos (L-R): 1. Grateful patients, families, 

physicians and nurses often are inspired to 

“give back” through charitable gifts for nursing 

education, professional development, research 

and simulation learning that ensures the highest 

quality patient care, safety and satisfaction; 

2. Generous community support has made this 

new Martha Jefferson Hospital and healthcare 

campus possible; 3. Palliative Care at Martha 

Jefferson is supported exclusively by community 

philanthropy. Shown here are Palliative Care 

Advanced Practice Nurse, Mina Ford and 

Chaplain, Suzanne Hilton Smith 

3 

The Heart of 

Philanthropy – 

Honor Others 

By its very nature, a hospital and its staff 

have a profound impact on patients and 

their families. Because of this, expressions 

of gratitude are plentiful. 

A simple “thank you” is always more than 

enough. Many people wish to share their 

feelings of thanks in a letter, such as those 

we include as regular part of this magazine. 

Others, who wish to do more to express 

their appreciation, ask, “How can I help?” In 

many cases, the answer comes in the form 

of a gift that both supports a need at the 

Hospital as well as honors the caregiver 

involved — be they revered physicians, 

nurses or other members of the care team 

who have had an effect on their treatment 

and their lives. 

These gifts are many, and have gone a 

long way to making Martha Jefferson the 

first-class facility that few community 

hospitals can claim to be. Among those 

gifts are the following: 

• The physicians who work in the 

Hospital’s emergency department 

understand what a difficult job ER 

nurses have. The ability to adapt to the 

fast pace and acquire the unique skills 

required in emergency medicine are 

entwined with their ability to treat 

patients. These doctors, Piedmont 

Emergency Consultants PLC, knew 

advanced education and professional 

development are keys to the emergency 

team’s success, and they wanted to 

ensure these nurses had access to the 

dedicated training resources they 

needed. These physicians established 

a fund for such training with an initial 

commitment of $15,000 to be used at 

the discretion of Amy Black, chief nurse 

executive, for continuing education and 

professional development. 

• Mel and Muriel Haney have been 

patients of the Hospital and felt particularly 

obliged to recognize two physicians 

who have been important in their lives 

and with their ongoing care. As Greene 

County residents, they developed a 

longstanding relationship with Dr. Dave 

Duani for primary care at the Hospital’s 

Ruckersville-based practice. When Mel 

was diagnosed and treated for cancer, Dr. 

Manny Cirenza was at his side. This past 

spring, the Haneys established a fund 

honoring Drs. Duani and Cirenza that will 

be awarded annually to a member of the 

Hospital’s nursing or technical staff. 

• The Lab and the Medical Imaging 

Departments at Martha Jefferson have 

had longstanding funds that both 

support the professional development 

of their technical staff members and 

honor now deceased physicians, Dr. 

Karl Menk and Dr. Art Thiele. 

• Dr. David Morris has been an internist at 

Martha Jefferson for more than 30 years 

and a board leader for the last 20. Dr. 

Morris has been integral to the life and 

growth of Martha Jefferson over his 

career and integral to the lives of his 

patients. Those relationships and his 

leadership have generated multiple 

commitments in his honor, including 

his inclusion in named areas at the new 

hospital and Outpatient Care Center. 

The Martha Jefferson Hospital 

Foundation staff encourages those 

who would like to honor a loved 

one or caregiver with a named 

fund to call the Foundation office 

at (434) 654-8258. Restricted 

funds may be established with 

a minimum gift of $10,000. 

Additional contributions can be 

made to the fund over time. All 

honor and memorial gifts are 

welcome at any size and will either 

be used where the need is greatest 

or restricted for use as designated. 


philanthropy 


17th Annual 

Martha’s Market 

cOMMuniTy ShOwS SuppORT 

FOR wOMen’S heALTh 

For three days in October, John Paul Jones 

Arena was converted into a shopper’s delight 

as The Women’s Committee of Martha 

Jefferson Hospital hosted the 17th Annual 

Martha’s Market. The event drew thousands 

of people with a common interest: putting 

their shopping dollars to work toward 

women’s health initiatives. 

Over the past 16 years, through the 

tremendous success of Martha’s Market 

and the In The Pink Tennis Tournament, The 

Women’s Committee has raised more than 

$3 million in support of programs at Martha 

Jefferson Hospital that directly benefit 

women, including breast health, technology, 

women’s midlife health and heart disease. 

The funds raised through their hard work, 

compassion and dedication touch lives in 

our community in a real and meaningful 

way. As a testament to the impact of those 

funds, the following is an excerpt from a 

letter written by a patient who received 

free mammography services, thanks to 

The Women’s Committee: 

“I would like to thank The Women’s 

Committee at Martha Jefferson Hospital 

for the very generous gift you provided 

to me and other women in funding the 

mammogram, glucose and cholesterol 

screenings free of charge in November at 

the Outpatient Care Center. 

This was very helpful to me as I have been 

without a job and health insurance for the 

past year, and have started back to college to 

be educated for a new career. I have found a 

part-time job but have no benefits, so having 

been able to have these tests done gives me 

some peace of mind in this area of my life.”

2010 SPONSORS 

MaRTHa’S MaRkET 

Presenting Sponsor 

The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation 

Event Sponsors 

CenturyLink 

Lite Rock Z-95.1 

PBM Products 

Pepsi-Cola Bottling 

Company of Central Virginia 

SMG 

SNOW’S Garden Center 

photos (L-R): Martha’s Market 

is brought to you by the 

Women’s Committee of Martha 

Jefferson Hospital; Cleo Bamford, 

Janice Kraus, Linda Nicholas, 

katya Spicuzza, Susan Tufts, 

Betsy Fernald and Diane Horan; 

Ginnie Gillen, Pam Jessup and 

David and Jayne Rathburn; 

Market shoppers enjoying the 

wares of the season; Kimball 

and Darrah Sheehan; Michael 

and Nancy Terry 


philanthropy 

In The Pink! 

8Th AnnuAL TenniS 

TOuRnAMenT RAiSeS FunDS TO 

SuppORT MARiAnne’S ROOM 

Ladies and gentlemen — all sporting 

pink apparel — took to tennis facilities 

across Charlottesville and Albemarle 

County on Saturday, Sept. 25, for the In 

The Pink Tennis Tournament. Participants 

enjoyed a day of tennis while helping 

to raise awareness of breast cancer and 

providing our community with a chance 

to support this wonderful cause. 

Each year, proceeds from In The Pink 

benefit Marianne’s Room at Martha 

The Women’s 

Committee: 

DevoteD to 

Service anD 

committeD 

to care 


Jefferson. Since its creation in 2002, 

Marianne’s Room has become an important 

resource center for women diagnosed with 

cancer. The room provides wigs, scarves, 

special “Chemo Caps” and soft post-operative 

prostheses requested by mastectomy 

patients. Support for Palliative Care, 

resource materials in our Cancer Center and 

other services are also available to assist 

women through their cancer treatment at 

Martha Jefferson Hospital. 

2010 IN THE PINk 

Grand Slam Sponsor 

Virginia National Bank 

photos (L-R): Cassandra Dittmar sports 

pink head to toe for a great cause; 

Martha Stockhausen, anne Jones and 

Barkley Laing. 

Dear Women’s Committee Members, Sponsors, Participants and our Community Supporters, 

We hope you all know the profound impact you have had on many women and their families in 

our community through your tireless determination, support and participation in our two fundraisers 

— Martha’s Market and In The Pink. Philanthropy is vital to the Caring Tradition at Martha 

Jefferson Hospital, and the following constitute a partial summary of the scope of work to which 

you contribute: 

Cancer Resource Center, including Marianne’s Room, Cancer Resource Center coordinator, 

educational materials and other programs dedicated to supporting individuals receiving 

treatment in the Cancer Care Center. 

Support for early detection through the semiannual Breast Health Screening Days, breast health 

liaison, digital mammography, computer-assisted detection (CAD), MRI and the Hadassah Check It 

Out Program. 

Enhancing quality of life for cancer patients through a fly-fishing weekend, yoga, exercise classes 

and massage therapy. 

Our Cloak of Caring, through support for Palliative Care, Breast Health Fund, Lymphedema care, 

Infusion Center chairs, blanket warmers and robes. 

It is only through your generous contributions of time, effort and money that we can provide 

the necessary support for these important programs, services and state-of-the-art technologies. 

It has been a tremendous privilege to serve our community and be part of the continued success 

of the The Women’s Committee events. 

Most Sincerely, 

Susie McConnell kathy Fender Carol Minetree 

Chair, The Women’s Committee Chair, Martha’s Market Chair, In The Pink

9 th Annual Family Day 

at Nutmeg Farm 

A DAy AT The FARM kickS OFF FALL 

Donors and hospital staff received a warm welcome from Sharon and 

alan Culbertson as they gathered at Nutmeg Farm on Sunday, Oct. 3, 

to celebrate fall and enjoy the annual Family Day tradition. 

Activities for the younger guests included hayrides, pumpkin 

decorating and bobbing for apples — and “kids” of all ages enjoyed 

live entertainment, wonderful food and good company. 

“Nutmeg Family Day is truly a way for people of all ages to celebrate 

the spirit of Martha Jefferson Hospital,” said Ray Mishler, vice president of 

the Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation. “No matter which activities 

are most appealing to you, it’s a time for everyone to come together 

and enjoy a beautiful autumn day in Charlottesville.” 

Family Day at Nutmeg Farm serves as a thank-you to those who 

have made a gift to Martha Jefferson Hospital of $100 or more during 

the past year. 

photos (L-R): Brian Vincel 

and his daughter Margaret; 

Nutmeg was held at the home 

of Sharon and alan Culbertson; 

Children and adults alike 

enjoyed hayrides; kydriana 

Randolph; Lisa Laurence 

Krasner and her son James 


eathealthylivehealthy 

Tackling Holiday Treats 

By Rita P. Smith, MS, RD, CDE 

You don’t have to skip the festivities in order to not pack on the 

pounds. Simple solutions can help you feel your best this season. 

The idea of slimming down doesn’t exactly seem 

synonymous with celebrating the holidays. In 

fact, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s 

Day each year, most people gain about five 

pounds or so. That may not sound like a lot of 

weight, but the problem is those extra inches 

don’t just magically melt away after the holiday 

feasting has ended. Nearly everyone who packs 

on holiday pounds will continue to carry the 

additional weight throughout the following year. 

And then the health picture begins to change: 

blood pressure and cholesterol inch up, blood 

glucose readings edge slightly out of range, and 

the tummy thickens — all because of a “few 

extra pounds” from holiday eats. 

To keep your weight and overall health on an 

even keel this holiday season, aim to consume 

everything in moderation and cruise into 2011 

at the same weight. Maintaining a routine of 

three meals at regular hours on most days will 

help discourage between-meal snacking. Also, 

take the time for a daily rest to refresh yourself 

for holiday activities, and try adding a 15- 

minute daily walk to offset those extra calories. 


When it comes to the food itself, with a 

couple of slight adjustments you can prepare 

seasonal recipes that are lighter in calories. 

Choosing calorie-free beverages is another way 

to keep the extra pounds at bay. Carve 

out a few minutes before the holiday crunch 

to check out your favorite end-of-the-year 

recipes and identify ways to lighten 

them up. 

See What You Can Save in Calories! 

A few easy ways to reduce calories or 

sodium include: 

• Substituting one or more ingredients, perhaps 

replacing a high-fat item with a low-fat version, 

or replacing salt with herbs and spices 

• Decreasing the amount of sugar, fat or salt in 

a recipe 

• Changing the cooking technique — for 

example, try broiling instead of frying 

Regular sour cream, ½ cup 246 calories 

Reduced-fat sour cream, ½ cup 156 calories � SAVE 90 calories! 

Fat-free sour cream, ½ cup 84 calories � SAVE 162 calories! 

Regular cream cheese, ½ cup 405 calories 

Reduced-fat cream cheese, ½ cup 277 calories � SAVE 128 calories! 

Fat-free cream cheese, ½ cup 108 calories � SAVE 297 calories! 

Granulated sugar, ½ cup 388 calories 

Granulated sugar, ¼ cup 194 calories � SAVE 194 calories! 

Vegetable oil, ½ cup 964 calories 

Natural applesauce, ½ cup 52 calories � SAVE 912 calories!

Healthy Holiday Gift Ideas 

• A health-related magazine subscription such as Cooking Light. 

• A new good-for-you cookbook. The American Heart Association 

has many choices. 

• A pedometer to encourage at least 10,000 steps per day. 

• An MP3 player for on-the-go tunes when walking. 

Healthful, Calorie-Saving Holiday Menu Ideas 

Appetizers 

• Herb-marinated olives 

• Assorted dry-roasted nuts such as walnuts, pecans and peanuts 

• Smoked salmon with whole-grain crackers 

• Spicy chilled shrimp 

• Garlic-roasted hummus with baked pita chips 

• Raw veggie tray with roasted red pepper dip (made with reduced-fat sour 

cream), featuring dippers like red cherry tomatoes, red and green bell 

peppers, roasted asparagus and crunchy green beans. 

Main Course and Sides 

• Serve turkey breast rather than the entire bird to stay on the leaner side. 

• Make like the Colonial days and feature a delicious fish dish. 

• Prepare stuffing with either whole-wheat bread or brown or wild rice, for 

more fiber. Add reduced-sodium vegetable broth or apple cider for flavor 

and moistness. Fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme, along with 

chopped walnuts or pecans, add pizzazz to any recipe. 

• Make smashed potatoes with red-skin potatoes (keep the skins on), 

fat-free half-and-half cream and minced garlic. 

• Bake sweet potato casserole with apple slices and cinnamon, rather 

than brown sugar and marshmallows. 

• Ramp up the colorful side dishes: 

Fresh dark green spinach salad with red onion slices and dried cranberries. 

Steamed baby green beans with toasted slivered almonds. 

Oven-roasted broccoli, red peppers and garlic. 

Desserts 

• Make one-crust pies using a reduced-fat graham cracker crust. 

• Make fruit pies with one-third less sugar and pumpkin pie with reducedfat 

evaporated milk and fat-free egg substitutes. 

Beverages 

• Water, water, water! Serve plain, with a twist of lemon or lime, or with a 

splash of 100-percent fruit juice. 

• Alternate drinking an alcoholic beverage with water to reduce fluid calories. 

Remember: no more than two alcoholic drinks per day for men and one per 

day for women (source: 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans). 

Rita Takes Healthy Living Online! 

Become a fan of Rita Smith, Registered Dietitian, or check 

out her blog, www.marthajefferson.org/nutrition 

do you 

sudoku? 

Sudoku is a challenging 

game that was first 

created several hundred 

years ago by mathematicians 

in Switzerland. The 

international popularity 

of Sudoku is based on a 

few simple facts — every 

puzzle has one obtainable solution, and success can be achieved by anyone 

regardless of their native language. 

Each puzzle is a 9x9 grid, with some boxes already containing numbers. 

These are your clues, and cannot be changed. To complete the puzzle, you will 

fill in the empty boxes with numbers from 1 through 9. 

To successfully complete Sudoku, you will only use numbers between 1 

and 9 ONE TIME in each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 squares. 

If any number is used more than once in a row, column or 3x3 square, the 

puzzle cannot be solved. 

Have fun — and remember: active minds have more fun. 

Want more Sudoku? Visit www.sudoku-puzzles.net for more great 

puzzles that you can print or solve online. 


calendar 

Take Advantage of Community Health Education Opportunities 

Provided by Martha Jefferson Hospital in the Fall of 2010 

[ HELP FOR DIABETES ] 

Diabetes Self-Management Training 

November 2, 9, 16, 23 

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 

November 4, 11, 18 — 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 

December 4 — 9:00 to 3:00 p.m. 

January — *call Health Connection 

for dates and times. 

Martha Jefferson Healthwise House 

509 Locust Avenue 

This American Diabetes Association (ADA) – 

recognized program provides individuals and 

families with the skills necessary to cope with 

diabetes. Registration is required. Individual 

appointments with a nurse educator or a registered 

dietitian are also available. 

Diabetes Supermarket Smarts 

November 16 — 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. 

December — *No Class 

January 17 — 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. 

Giant Food at Seminole Square 

Let our registered dietitians teach you how to shop for 

healthy foods that will keep blood sugar levels in good 

control. You’ll learn to read nutrition labels with an emphasis 

on understanding fat, carbohydrates and sugar 

content. Registration is required for this FREE class. 

[ HEALTH & WELLNESS ] 

Joint Pain: 

When is Enough, Enough? 

*Call Health Connection for dates and times. 

Martha Jefferson Education Center 

320 10th Street N.E. 

Join us for an educational talk on arthritis of the hip 

and knee. The presentation will provide an overview 

of the progression of arthritis and treatment options. 

Registration is required for this FREE class. 

Joint Camp: A Complete Guide to 

Preparing for Surgery 


Martha Jefferson Hospital 


Join us for an informative class specifically designed 

to relieve anxiety about the “unknown” of joint 

replacement surgery. The session will include an 

overview of knee and hip surgery, pain management, 

exercise and rehabilitation and preparing your 

home for a safe and healthy return. Registration is 

required, and there is a fee for the class. 


Exercise for Life 

November 15, December 13 or January 17 

1:00 to 2:00 p.m. 

Martha Jefferson Outpatient Care Center 

595 Peter Jefferson Parkway 

This class provides the “nuts and bolts” of an exercise 

program by defining the exercise prescription 

for the cardiac patient and presenting the expected 

health benefits and necessary information about 

exercise conditioning. Registration is required for 

this FREE class. 

Heart-Healthy Supermarket Smarts 

November 15 — 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. 

December — *No Class 

January 18 — 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. 

Giant Food at Seminole Square 

Learn how to shop for healthy foods that will 

reduce cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and 

manage body weight. Registration is required for 

this FREE class. 

Food For Thought 





This heart-healthy nutrition session will discuss 

protective nutrients, such as healthy fats, fiber, potassium, 

calcium and antioxidants. You’ll also learn 

tips to reduce harmful saturated fats, trans fats and 

sodium. Registration is required for this FREE class. 

Living Well: How to Prevent 

Vascular Disease 





Join us and learn about coronary artery disease 

and other forms of heart and vascular ailments. 

Topics include exercise, angioplasty, bypass surgery, 

medications and ways to reduce cardiac risk factors. 

Registration is required for this FREE class. 

Taking Control: Being happier 


1:00 to 2:00 p.m 



This class focuses on the effects of chronic stress 

on our body and our health. Techniques for stress 

management will be shared including the use of 

breathing and positive emotion. Registration is 

required for this FREE class. 

[ WOMEN’S HEALTH ] 

Post-Hysterectomy “Rehab” 


If you have had a hysterectomy in the past six 

months, recommendations are provided to help you 

regain your energy and abdominal strength. Learn 

Kegel exercises, techniques to aid in scar healing 

and how to avoid strain on pelvic floor muscles. 

Registration is required and there is a fee for the class. 

[ FAMILY CENTERED MATERNITY CARE ] 

Preparation for Childbirth 

Basics in Baby Care 

Breastfeeding Class 

Tour for Expectant Parents 

Sibling Tours 

For dates, times, fee information and to register for 

these classes call Health Connection. 

[ SuPPORT GROuPS ] 

Bariatric Support Group 

* Call Health Connection for dates and times. 

Following bariatric surgery, it is important to participate 

in activities that provide continued support, encouragement 

and education. You must have had bariatric 

surgery at Martha Jefferson hospital to participate in this 

support group. Registration is not required. 

Registration for all classes is required unless otherwise 

noted. To register, call Health Connection at (434) 654-7009 

or 1-888-652-6663.

Cancer Support Groups 

A variety of group sessions are available providing 

emotional support for patients and family members 

living with or who have a history of cancer. To inquire 

or to register for one of these FREE support groups call 

Suzanne Smith, Chaplain, (434) 654-8407. 

Diabetes Support Group 


Martha Jefferson Healthwise House 


This group is designed to provide people with 

diabetes the ongoing support needed to help them 

successfully self-manage the disease. The program 

provides motivation, encouragement and ongoing 

education. Registration is not required for this FREE 

support group. 

Heart to Heart Support Group 

January 27 — 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. 



Recovery after a serious heart event involves more 

than physical healing — coping with related 

emotional changes takes time too. The Heart to 

Heart program offers education, discussion and 

reassurance with structured meetings that include a 

presentation by a physician and time for discussion 

and questions. Registration is required for this FREE 

support group. 

Sleep Apnea Support Group 

(Pajama Party) 




For those who suffer from sleep apnea, snoring 

and other sleep-related disorders. Registration is 

required for the FREE support group. 

Welcome to Motherhood 

Held 1 st and 3 rd Thursday of each month 

10:30 a.m. to Noon 

Anne Cary House, 419 Lexington Avenue 

Join us to share the ups and downs of this challenging 

time. Plan to bring your baby and relax with new friends 

who understand what being a new mother is all about. 

Registration is not required for this FREE support group. 

[ HEALTHWISE ] 

About Bariatric Surgery: 

For individuals seeking lifelong 

weight management 





January — *call Health Connection 

for dates and times 

Martha Jefferson Education Center 

320 10th Street N.E. 

If you’re considering bariatric surgery or want to 

know more about the role it plays in lifelong weight 

management, join us for this FREE seminar. The presentation 

will address specific types of weight-loss 

surgery and whether those options might be right for 

you. Registration is required. 

Preparing an Advanced Directive 

Proactively thinking about future medical care is 

recommended for all people over the age of 18. Our 

FREE one-on-one sessions will help you consider your 

goals for medical care, emphasize the importance 

of choosing someone to speak for you if you are ever 

unable to speak for yourself and teach you how to 

make your wishes known. Contact Health Connection 

to schedule an appointment. 

Vascular Screenings 

Martha Jefferson offers three screenings for the early 

detection of vascular disease: 

• An ultrasound of the carotid artery in your neck to 

look for plaque 

• An ultrasound of your abdominal aorta to look for an 

aneurysm. 

• An ankle-brachial index to detect narrowing of the 

vessels in the legs 

Each screening is $50 or all three screenings for a total 

cost of $125. Call Health Connection to schedule an 

appointment. 

HealthSource Library 

Martha Jefferson’s HealthSource Library provides a 

collection of current medical journals, texts and online 

resources for clinical staff, physicians and community 

members. To request assistance with an online search 

or interlibrary loan need, contact the HealthSource 

Library at (434) 654-8255 or hslibrary@mjh.org. 

Free Breast Health Screening 

November 6 — 9:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. 



If you are over 40, uninsured or your 

insurance does not cover mammograms 

and cost is a concern, you may be eligible 

for this free screening. Appointments are 

limited — call to see if you qualify for this 

service made possible by the philanthropic 

efforts of The Women’s Committee of 

Martha Jefferson Hospital. The screening 

includes a mammogram, clinical breast 

exam and self-exam instruction. 


Non-Profit Org. 

U.S. Postage 

Paid 


hospital 

459 Locust avenue, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 

MJH_MJH_MagAd-2-10:Layout 1 2/10/10 2:49 PM Page 1 

Don’t leave 

this task 

undone. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Give us a call at 

(434) 654-7009 or 

(toll-free) 1-888-652-6663 

Visit our website at 

www.marthajefferson.org 

Non-Profit Org. 

U.S. Postage 

Paid 


hospital

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