Junior Volunteer Applications Due April 1

Students who wish to apply to be Junior Volunteers with Fauquier Health must submit applications by April 1. Some of the requirements have changed for this summer, so candidates should be sure to go to www.fauquierhealth.org/juniorvolunteers for all the details.

• Volunteer candidates must be 16 by June 2014.
• Student volunteers must maintain a C average in school.
• The online application must be completed by midnight on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at http://www.fauquierhealth.org/junior_volunteers.

·         Other requirements will be explained during the application process.

Fauquier Hospital Seeks Members for its Patient Advisory Council

Fauquier Health is currently seeking new members for its Patient Advisory Council. The council provides health system feedback regarding the experiences of patients and their families, and thoughts on new initiatives and current issues.

The group was established at Fauquier Health in 2007 and has taken communication with patients to a whole new level. Patients and caregivers attend meetings every other month and offer their impressions of the health system and the care they have received. Also, the council brainstorms new and innovative ways to improve current programs, services and the patient experience.

Fauquier Health is looking for former patients who:

• Are supportive of the mission of the council

• Have good communication skills

• Are able to use personal experiences constructively

• Are able to work productively and collaboratively with members of varying backgrounds

Council members make a two-year commitment, which allows for the membership of each subgroup to consist of veterans as well as new members simultaneously.

This is your opportunity to make a positive difference in your community hospital. To volunteer for the Patient Advisory Council, call 540-316-3909 for an application.

eChart: Putting the Power of Your Health Information in Your Hands

 If you have a computer and know how to use it, there's a good chance you use it to research topics you are interested in, communicate, and pay bills. Fauquier Hospital's eChart electronic medical records system allows you to do all that and more.

The Fauquier Hospital eChart is a free, secure, private web portal that allows you to access your hospital health information online. Once you create an account with Fauquier Hospital eChart, you can:

• Update your personal health information.
• Check your visit history, as well as review and manage your upcoming appointments.
• Update your insurance information and medications.
• Pay bills electronically.
• Get directions and contact information, and confirm which doctor you will be seeing.
• Track your dependent’s information.
• Securely share information you choose with care providers or family members.
• Archive your health record offline and save to a convenient PDF file.
• You may have the option of providing an exchange of information with your doctor’s electronic medical records system. (Not all doctors’ systems are compatible.)

To get started, you can go to http://www.fauquierhealth.org/request-echart-account and check what type of access you would like to request. You may request access as a patient; as a parent of a child under 10 years old; as a parent of a child 10-17 (Virginia law has separate rules for access, depending on the age of the child); or as the legal guardian of another patient. Married couples must create separate accounts for each person.

Upon your request, you will receive a one-time access code so that you may create an account. The website will walk you through the process. An extensive frequently asked questions section is located at http://www.fauquierhealth.org/eChart.

Bistro on the Hill Offers New Menu Items -- and a Valentine's Special

The Bistro on the Hill at Fauquier Hospital is always looking for new ways to delight its customers. These new initiatives may solidify the Bistro's reputation as a favorite neighborhood lunch spot.

• The Bistro is offering a new self-service waffle station.  The price of a waffle is $1.50; with salad bar fruit and toppings it will be $2.50.
• Every week the Bistro will feature a different chef action station.  Week  one of each month will be an Asian stir fried noodle or soup bar; week two will be an Italian pasta station; week three will feature a chowder bar; and week four, a taco and burrito bar.
• Look for some new parfaits in the Grab and Go section. New offerings include a smores parfait; a strawberry shortcake and the apple pear yogurt parfait.

For Valentine's Day, the Bistro offers a Sweetheart Dinner for Two. For $39.95, take home a dinner of Waldorf Salad; Beef Wellington or Crab-stuffed Salmon; twice-baked potatoes; creamed spinach; and a special dessert. To reserve your meal, sall Natalie Ramos at 540-316-4402 or email her at ramosn@fauquierhealth.org by February 12. Your meal will be ready to pick up on February 14 at the time you choose. 

No cooking on Valentine's Day? Now that's love.

Nominate a Special Nurse at Fauquier Hospital for a DAISY Award

Have you or a loved one been touched by the compassionate care of a special nurse at Fauquier Health? You can say "thank you" by nominating him or her for a DAISY Award for Compassionate Nursing. 

Nomination forms are at nursing stations in the hospital or online at www.fauquierhealth.org (scroll to the bottom of the home page and look for the daisy).

UVA Surgical Resident Gets a Taste of Fauquier Hospital

Dr. Elise Salerno

 
  Dr. Elise Salerno’s first week at Fauquier Hospital was memorable. A surgical resident from the University of Virginia, she is working this month in Warrenton, with general surgeons Dr. William Cloud and Dr. Kip Dorsey.
   One of the very first cases she assisted with involved an unusual kind of cancer. “It was a very serious, very rare  type of cancer. It was a textbook case, very interesting, and we had a good outcome.”
   Dr. Salerno has extensive experience in cancer cases; she spent two years in cancer research as part of her seven-year surgical training. She is in her fifth year of that training.
   An enthusiastic participant in Fauquier Hospital’s surgical residency program, Dr. Salerno appreciates the opportunity to be mentored one-on-one by an experienced surgeon. “Dr. Cloud is great. He is always willing to discuss anything I am interested in or have questions about. It’s very different from a large university hospital, where you are working at maximum capacity all the time. You can’t have the same kind of mentorship at a large institution as you can here.”
   Dr. Salerno is also enthusiastic about Fauquier Hospital, where she says there is an unusual employee loyalty. “Everyone I’ve met seems to really love their job. The patients seem happy and grateful to be here too. And the facility is absolutely beautiful.”
   She can see herself at a smaller hospital someday. “I think I’d rather be part of a community,” she said. “And as a surgeon, it’s great to be able to do all kinds of surgery, instead of being restricted to one specialty.”
   Dr. Salerno commutes from Charlottesville every day, where she has two children, a 2-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl. She explains, “My husband is not a medical person. He is a totally normal person!”
   Dr. Salerno admits that she doesn’t get much time off, but says it’s “totally worth it. I love taking care of patients. As a surgeon, it’s nice to be able to fix problems. It’s very satisfying to have a definitive treatment, and it’s great to see patients feeling so much better after a successful surgery.”
   But for January, at least, Dr. Salerno will enjoy working in a more intimate environment. “It’s great being in a place where surgeons can sit down with oncologists and discuss surgeries over lunch.”   Back at UVA, she will next concentrate on liver and biliary surgeries, then focus on colorectal surgeries. She’ll complete several more rotations before completing her hands-on training. Dr. Salerno hopes to secure a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at UVA, honing her laparoscopy skills in bariatric, gallbladder and stomach surgeries, as well as appendectomies.

Residents from The Villa Volunteer Their Time at the SPCA

Fudge, a beagle, enjoys the socialization The Villa residents are able to provide.

Fudge

Doris Bellinger connects with Turk.

Helen Timmermans has Frankie Lane’s full attention.

Nan Mabry is delighted to spend time with the shelter’s felines.

Lisa O’Bannon coaxes a couple of cats into a game.

This shelter cat seemed a little shy at first.

Residents of the The Villa at Suffield Meadows, a Warrenton assisted living facility, are volunteering their time twice a month at the Fauquier SPCA. It’s a win-win: the animals get some one-on-one time and volunteers get the fur therapy that only pets can offer.  Four or five residents are dedicated to the twice-a-month visits, when they exercise the cats and socialize the dogs. When the weather gets warmer, the volunteers will be walking the dogs outdoors.

During visits, volunteers pet, brush and talk to the dogs and cats, often sharing stories about the animals  they have loved over the years and still miss. “This little guy looks like the beagles we used to have,” said volunteer Doris Bellinger during her visit Tuesday.

It was clear that Helen Timmermans was comfortable with her task.  She got down on the floor to get on eye level with one reluctant hound named Josey Wales, and eventually won him over. “He’s a sweet dog, just a little shy,” she said.

Villa Activities Director Patty Koval said, “At The Villa, we have so many community members that volunteer their time to help our residents. We wanted to think of a way to give back to the community. Jill Miller, activities assistant, explored various volunteer opportunities for our residents to grow and contribute. Fauquier County SPCA was so enthusiastic when Jill contacted them that she looked no further. It has truly been a blessing for both the residents and the animals.”

The shelter is located at 9350 Rogues Road  in Midland. To donate or find out about adopting a pet, call 540-788-9000 or go to www.fauquierspca.com.

Click here for a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-HKniY1-ns