SNVMC celebrates 50th anniversary
Today Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center celebrates 50 years of serving Eastern Prince William County and surrounding areas.
Dr. Carol Shapiro recalls being part of the hospital's opening day ceremonies on November 7, 1972.
"When I walked through those doors, what I remember most is the enthusiasm, the excitement," says Shapiro, one of the original members of the hospital medical staff and now Medical Director at Sentara Wound Healing Center on the campus of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. "There was no hospital except for Manassas and Alexandria or down in Fredericksburg and folks were traveling quiet a distance to get hospital care…I could feel the excitement and being part of the new initiative was unbelievable."
The original hospital building, known then as Potomac Hospital, opened with 29 beds and 61 members of the medical staff. Today Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center has 183 beds with over 500 medical staff members and continues to add services for the community.
"This hospital was built to serve the needs of our community," says Kathie Johnson, President of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. "It's a privilege to offer quality healthcare right here where people live and work so they don't have to travel for the services they need."
Over the last 50 years, services and programs have continued to expand, physician specialists, subspecialists and primary care providers have been recruited and technological advancements have been implemented, according to Johnson. "In 2009, hospital leadership together with the board oversaw the merger of our independent community hospital with the largest health system in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As one of the 12 hospitals in the Sentara Healthcare system today, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is well positioned to continue to serve and expand services to meet the needs of our community for many years to come."
Growth and innovation has been steady at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.
"At Sentara, we work day in and day out to take our community's healthcare to the next level," says Dr. Jeffrey Sinclair, General Surgeon at Sentara Surgery Specialists.
Some of the most recent highlights at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center include:
- Elucent EnVisio lumpectomy technology - Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is currently the only hospital in the state offering this technology to patients facing breast cancer. The Envisio Surgical Navigation System and SmartClip technology provides 3D stereotactic guidance to precisely target tumors and improve clinical and cosmetic outcomes for patients.
- Level III trauma center designation - the only trauma center in Prince William County.
- Opening of a newly upgraded Interventional Radiology Lab which uses radiologic imaging to conduct minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
- Cancer services are being centralized to the Century Medical Office Building on the campus of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center for the convenience of patients. In addition to exceptional oncology providers and the Sentara Cancer Network Resource Center, mobile PET and CT imaging are now offered on the hospital campus.
- To facilitate preventative care, Sentara Medical Group practices have been added with locations ranging from Alexandria to Stafford including primary care, general surgery, neurology and wound care. Sentara Therapy Centers offer pediatric and adult services for physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as chiropractic care in Woodbridge, Dumfries, Lake Ridge and Stafford.
Original source can be found here
Alerts Sign-up