ATM Skimmer Devices Found on Inova Campuses
November 30th, 2012
We want to let you know about two ATM scanning devices that were found at two of our hospitals this week. Neither of these bank machines are either owned or “monitored” by Inova. They are located on hospital property but banking institutions are responsible for their maintenance and management.
On Nov. 27, a device called a “skimmer” was found on a “Healthcare Systems Federal Credit Union” (HSFCU) ATM at Inova Fairfax Hospital, located on the ground floor of the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute. A second device was found at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital outside of the cafeteria on Nov. 28. The devices were removed and reported to the Fairfax County Police.
A “skimming” device is typically used by identity thieves to capture personal information on ATM cards. The skimmer is a fake cover placed over the card slot. It reads cards inserted into the ATM machine, and stores the information contained on the magnetic strip.
At this time, the Fairfax County Police Department’s investigation is ongoing. All ATMs on Inova campuses are being checked at least once a day by our Safety and Security team.
The HSFCU will be contacting and issuing new cards to potentially impacted HSFCU members. If you are not a customer of this credit union, and have used a HSFCU ATM on an Inova campus in the past two weeks, you are urged to contact your financial institution to see if there may be any suspicious activity on your account.
If you suspect that you have been a victim of an ATM skimmer, please notify your local Police Department to file a report. If you suspect that it may have happened while on an Inova campus, please contact your Safety and Security office.
Police indicated that this type of ATM crime is on the rise. As a precaution, you should check for skimmer devices on any ATM you use. You can usually do this by gently pulling on the cover where you insert your card. If it moves or comes off, do not use the machine and report it to either security or the local authorities.
During the holiday season there is typically a rise in skimmer devices at malls, shopping centers and other facilities. If you suspect that an ATM may have a skimmer device, do not use it.
Inova and Aetna Present ‘Wellaware’: A Free Wellness Event for Seniors
November 29th, 2012
“WellAware” will feature:
- A presentation about proven ways to age successfully;
- Tai chi, qigong, Zumba Gold, stretch and tone demonstrations from Inova fitness instructors;
- Aetna LifeCentered™ booth, with information to help you achieve a healthy mind, body and spirit. It features balance and fall-prevention tips, plus information about nutrition and fitness;
- The LifeCentered™ “Wheel of Life,” featuring prizes under $15;
- A healthy snacks area;
- Hand massages; and
- Information booths where you can learn about nutrition, beauty, diabetes and cardiac health.
There is no charge to attend the event, and parking is free.
WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 29
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Waterford at Springfield
6715 Commerce St., Springfield, Va.
For press inquiries, contact Walt Cherniak, Aetna Public Relations, 410-401-9490 or cherniakjrw@aetna.com.
Inova Health System is a not-for-profit health care system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research.
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Inova Fairfax Medical Campus Expansion Highlights Environmental Sustainability
November 27th, 2012
LEED certification sought for “green building” design
Falls Church, VA — When it opens in January 2013, Inova Fairfax Hospital’s new medical/surgical tower will be the first building project in Inova history to have been designed and constructed based on criteria established by the U.S. Green Building Council as part of their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program. The “green building” project represents Inova Health System’s commitment to an environmental sustainability program that contributes to a safer, healthier environment for our patients, employees and community.
“The links between the built environment in which a patient is treated and the outcomes patients experience are becoming increasingly evident,” said Seema Wadhwa, Director, Office of Sustainability, Inova Health System. “The design of Inova Fairfax Hospital’s new tower accounts for those links to help us improve the patient experience while also preserving our environment for generations to come.”
Designed by healthcare architects Wilmot Sanz, Inc., and RMF Engineering, and constructed by Turner Construction Company, the 11-story tower’s design includes elements intended to connect patients with nature and the world outside the hospital’s walls; construction materials that preserve clean air and support our local economy; and, features that will help lower the building’s energy costs and promote conservation of the area’s resources.
Specific elements include:
- Approximately 4,000 square feet of “living roof” planted above the lobby to provide a natural habitat for birds, insects and flora and a pleasing view for patients from their room window
- Native plantings outside that resist drought and provide a natural habitat; plants inside the building that will connect patients and families to nature and promote clean air
- Low or no volatile organic compound materials inside the building for improved air quality, including paints, sealants, ceiling and floor tiles, and other building materials
- Building materials, such as millwork, concrete and precast panels, from local or regional manufacturers who are committed to environmental sustainability
- A white reflective roof to cut energy costs and lower the “heat island effect”
- Low-emissivity coatings or ceramic frits on windows to lower air conditioning costs in warm weather
- 600-gallon cistern for collecting rainwater to reduce storm water run-off and sustain living roof in times of drought
Planners also considered the project’s impact from a waste perspective. Working with Turner Construction Company and Waste Management of Northern Virginia, Inova was able to divert 80 percent of the project’s construction waste from the landfill for recycling or other uses.
“For us, sustainability is not just about being ‘green,’ it is about our professional duty as healthcare providers to promote the healthiest future possible,” said Patrick Christiansen, Chief Executive Officer, Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. “That’s why we’re building environmental sustainability from the ground up, starting with the South Patient Tower.”
The new medical/surgical tower is just the first phase in a multi-year capital improvement project on the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus designed to upgrade the 51-year-old campus’ aging infrastructure and improve the overall quality of care and level of service. It includes the construction of a 12-story medical tower to house Inova Women’s Hospital and Inova Children’s Hospital with expanded service offerings and all private patient rooms, an eight-level parking garage, and improved campus access options.
Inova is seeking LEED certification for all aspects of the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus expansion project.
Read more about Inova’s Sustainability Program, including our 2011 Sustainability Report at inova.org/sustainability.
Inova Loudoun Hospital Offering “Ask the Expert” Lecture
November 26th, 2012
Knee Pain? Innovative Treatment with Robotic Partial Knee Replacement
Leesburg, VA – As part of its free “Ask the Expert” lecture series, Inova Loudoun Hospital will host “Knee Pain? Innovative Treatment with Robotic Partial Knee Replacement” on Wednesday, December 5 at 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Do you suffer from aches and pain? Joint replacement may be the solution to get you moving again, pain free. Learn how joint replacement surgery can be less invasive, providing smoother recovery and replacing aches and pain with twists and turns.
Join Nauman Akhtar, MD, MBA, Inova Loudoun Hospital, as he discusses causes, risk factors, and symptoms of osteoarthritis and joint pain. He’ll also talk about the latest techniques in joint replacement surgery including MAKOplasty®. MAKOplasty® offers people with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis of the knee a less invasive treatment option than total knee replacement. It enables surgeons to precisely target only the diseased portion of the knee without compromising the healthy bone and tissue surrounding it.
A regionally recognized leader, Inova Loudoun Hospital is ranked as a U.S. News & World Report Best Hospital in six adult specialties including orthopedics, and is one of very few hospitals in the area who have made the investment to offer this new surgical approach.
Dr. Akhtar, Medical Director, Joint Replacement, is a joint replacement expert with additional fellowship training. He has performed hundreds of joint replacements, including complex revisions.
The lecture will be at Ida Lee Park Recreation Center, Lower Level Meeting Room, 60 Ida Lee Drive, Leesburg. Participation is free, but registration is required as seating is limited. Call 855-MY-INOVA (694-6682) or register online at inova.org/asktheexpert. To learn more about MAKOplasty®, please visit us online at www.inova.org/mako.
Inova Loudoun Hospital, serving Loudoun County for 100 years, is part of Inova Health System, a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Visit us on the web at www.inova.org/ilh.
Lights of Love 2012 Celebration at Inova Loudoun Hospital
November 26th, 2012
The Ladies Board of Inova Loudoun Hospital will celebrate the gift of loved ones at the annual Lights of Love tree lighting ceremony on Sunday, December 2, 2012 at 5:00 pm in the atrium at the Inova Loudoun hospital’s Lansdowne campus.
“We invite members of the community, hospital workers, patients, and of course, friends and family of those honored to join us,” said Becky Ottinger, chairman of the Lights of Love program. At the ceremony the Lights of Love tree will be lighted, the names of those honored or memorialized during this year will be read and those present will light candles as names are read. Music will be provided by Loudoun County High School Chamber Choir directed by Robin Duncan and refreshments then served to families and guests.
“Lights of Love is a year-round project of remembrance that raises funds for nursing scholarships for those who live and/or work in Loudoun County,” said Verla Page, president of The Ladies Board, “In 2012 The Ladies Board granted 77 nursing scholarships for a total of over $123,000.”
Contributions to Lights of Love to honor or remember special people are a way of expressing appreciation for those we love and cherish. The names of those so honored are recorded in the Book of Remembrance kept in the atrium of the hospital at Lansdowne. To place a light on the Lights of Love tree, donations can be mailed to:
Lights of Love, The Ladies Board
P.O. Box 6115
Leesburg, VA 20178
Donation forms can be found in the atrium of the hospital next to the Book of Remembrance, at Twice Is Nice thrift shop in Leesburg, or by going to the web site: www.LadiesBoard.org and clicking on Lights of Love. For additional information please call 703-771-2985.
Press inquiries, please contact: Donna Lutz 703-723-3909
About the Ladies Board: The Ladies Board of Inova Loudoun Hospital is a Leesburg based non-profit organization with the mission to promote good will between the community and the hospital and to raise funds for nursing education, patient services, and special projects. The Ladies Board sponsors the Lights of Love remembrance program and operates the Twice Is Nice thrift shop, the Hospital Gift Shop, and the annual Hospital Rummage Sale.
Patrick Christiansen Named Chief Executive Officer of Inova Fairfax Medical Campus
November 19th, 2012
FALLS CHURCH, VA – Patrick Christiansen, PhD, Senior Vice President, Inova Health System, has been named Chief Executive Officer of Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. As CEO he will lead the campus’ four hospitals—Inova Fairfax Hospital, Inova Women’s Hospital, Inova Children’s Hospital and Inova Heart and Vascular Institute—and will be part of the collaborative team responsible for strategic decisions for Inova Health System. In addition to his role as CEO, Dr. Christiansen will serve as Executive Vice President, Inova, where he has responsibility for additional service lines within Inova.
“Patrick has demonstrated success in leading one of our nation’s largest hospitals as the Chief Operating Officer of Inova Fairfax Medical Campus,” said Mark Stauder, President and COO, Inova. “I am confident that he will see continued success as he transitions to campus’ Chief Executive Officer.”
Dr. Christiansen has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Inova Fairfax Medical Campus since 2010, and previously served as the Administrator of the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute. In recent years, Dr. Christiansen has had operational oversight of the hospitals within the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, as well as the campus’ major expansion project, which includes the 11-story South Patient Tower and the 665,000 square foot Inova Women’s Hospital and Inova Children’s Hospital.
Prior to joining to Inova, Christiansen served as Vice President of Operations at St. John’s Mercy Health Care in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and served as Vice President at St. Edwards Mercy Health Network in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Christiansen holds a Doctorate in philosophy and a Master’s degree in psychology from the University of Arkansas. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Arkansas Tech University.
Inova Health System is a not-for-profit health care system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research.
Inova Loudoun Hospital’s quality commitment to the community
November 15th, 2012
Dear Neighbors in Loudoun County,
More than an ideal, “quality” has become a buzzword in healthcare. The nationwide interest in quality measurement and evaluation is welcome news to us at Inova Loudoun Hospital. Whether treating disease or promoting wellness, we have dedicated our lives to giving the very best care possible to our patients.
Inova Loudoun Hospital is a community-based hospital — not only do we serve the residents of Loudoun County, but we are part of the community as well. The vast majority of our physicians, nurses, staff, and leadership including our Board of Directors, call this area home. We have a keen interest in ensuring that Inova Loudoun Hospital provides, and continues to provide, world-class healthcare.
To that end, Inova Loudoun Hospital recently released our “Compact with the Community.” This document formalizes our commitment to quality and expresses the further steps we have voluntarily taken on to keep the community informed about our quality results and our continued effort toward improvement.
As part of that effort to be accountable to our community, Inova Loudoun Hospital has released its first quality report. This report covers four important quality indicators: national “core measures” of hospital quality, rates of infection and other hospital acquired conditions, unplanned hospital readmissions, and patient satisfaction. We plan to issue update reports at regular intervals, to keep community members apprised of our progress.
In this report, you will also find information about a new quality initiative – the Patient Experience Committee. It is our hope that engaging in candid, face-to-face discussions with real patients and their family members will provide a new level of insight into patient care at Inova Loudoun Hospital. You can find these reports at our www.inova.org/ilh.
We look forward to working with the Loudoun County community as we set our sights on even higher levels of quality at Inova Loudoun Hospital.
Sincerely yours,
Martha Calihan, MD
Chair, Board of Directors
Inova Loudoun Hospital
Inova Comprehensive Cancer and Research Institute Announced
November 15th, 2012
Center will be the Metropolitan D.C. Area’s Largest Cancer Research and Development Destination
FALLS CHURCH, VA – The Inova Governance Board has approved the establishment of the Inova Comprehensive Cancer and Research Institute (“ICCRI”). The ICCRI will coordinate current cancer services provided across all five Inova hospitals and will present a new and unique opportunity for the development of a national comprehensive cancer program in relation to treatment and research. Once constructed, the ICCRI will be a seven-story, freestanding cancer facility on the Inova Fairfax Hospital campus. Inova Fairfax Hospital was recently named the number #1 healthcare provider in the metropolitan D.C. area by U.S. News and World Report.
“We have a mission that the patient comes first at Inova. The ICCRI’s care will focus on prevention and prediction. By building the largest cancer facility in Northern Virginia and the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, we will care for more patients and, most importantly, give them the best quality of care,” observed Knox Singleton, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Inova. “We are incorporating state-of-the-art imaging, treatment technologies and disease-specific physician expertise to deal with common, rare and unusual cancers provided in a patient-friendly, convenient freestanding cancer center.”
According to Susan Carroll, Vice-President of Oncology Services, establishing the ICCRI is exciting and rewarding. “We have the opportunity to provide patients and their families with comprehensive oncology services, from diagnosis to survivorship,” Carroll stated. “Coupled with cancer-specific research, the development plan will expand our clinical and supportive oncology services including Life with Cancer, survivorship programs, patient navigation and genetic counseling.”
The ICCRI will work in conjunction with the Inova Translational Medicine Institute (“ITMI”) and the clinical staff to provide unique, patient-targeted therapies. “Individual genomic analysis will be an integral part of patient care,” commented Dr. John Niederhuber, CEO of the ICCRI and ITMI. “Genetic testing will be used to diagnose, treat and prevent disease. Our patients and physicians will have access to the most advanced diagnostic technology and therapeutic approaches based on genomic-driven individualized treatment.”
Construction for the ICCRI is set for 2014. For more information, please contact Allison Kenty at 703-504-3840.
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Inova is a not-for-profit health care system located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, serving over two million people with over 1,700 licensed beds based in Northern Virginia. Inova consists of five hospitals including the area’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care unit. Inova encompasses many health services including the nationally and internationally recognized Inova Heart and Vascular Institute (IHVI), Inova Translational Medicine Institute (ITMI) on genomics, Inova Neuroscience Institute and Inova Children’s Hospital. Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. More information and statistics about Inova is at www.inova.org.
Inova Loudoun Hospital Foundation Gives Thanks for Recent Gift
November 15th, 2012
Leesburg, VA – This Thanksgiving season the Inova Loudoun Hospital Foundation is giving thanks. The Foundation has just received an extraordinary $1.5 million gift from Mike and Teresa Wheeler for the Cornwall Cares Campaign to name the emergency department at the Cornwall campus in downtown Leesburg in honor of Teresa’s parents, Richard and Joann Lynch.
“We were very touched by the care Teresa’s father, Richard Lynch, received at Inova Loudoun Hospital. Healthcare is an important value in our family and we wanted to be part of the Cornwall project that will ensure the availability of services to those of us in western Loudoun,” said Mike. Teresa’s family has a long history of healthcare interest; her mother, Joann, was a nurse at Inova Fairfax Hospital when it opened in 1961 and a longtime volunteer for SOME (So Others May Eat).
In addition to the $1.5 million gift, the Wheelers are challenging the community to contribute gifts up to $500,000 that they will match dollar for dollar.
“I have 100 percent faith in our community to achieve this challenge and urge everyone to participate,” commented Mike.
The gratitude and giving doesn’t stop with the $1.5 million gift and potential $1 million from the community and the Wheelers’ matching gift. The Wheelers’ good friends, Brenda and Mark Moore, have generously pledged $500,000 to the Cornwall renovation in honor of their friendship with the Wheelers. The potential total gifts could be $3 million.
The Cornwall Cares Campaign goal is $8.5 million of which to date, the Foundation has raised $3.4 million, including this recent gift.
The Cornwall Campus renovation plans include construction of a new state-of-the-art emergency department with private rooms and trauma rooms that will increase the emergency department, along with the lab and radiology units, to 12,823 square feet from 9,539 square feet. A new lab, outpatient imaging enhancements, including an additional CT scanner, and a new brick façade on the 1974 building are all included in the renovation. Other improvements include materials management, patient transport, security and central plant upgrades. The project began in 2011 and is expected to be completed by spring 2013.
For more information, or to make a donation, contact the Foundation at 703-858-8803 or ILHFoundation@Inova.org.
Inova Loudoun Hospital, serving Loudoun County for 100 years, is part of Inova, a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Visit us on the web at www.inova.org/ilh. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InovaLoudounHospital.
The Inova Community Responds to Post-Sandy Challenges
November 12th, 2012
Inova is now raising funds to support the recovery and re-building efforts required in communities’ hardest-hit by Hurricane Sandy. Inova is adopting the Visiting Nurse Association Health Group headquaterd in Red Bank, New Jersey. The Visiting Nurse Association Health Group, New Jersey’s leading nonprofit provider of home health, hospice and community based care providing services to 4,000 people every day throughout the State, was hit hard by this storm but they continue to provide assistance for their many patients and employees who have experienced catastrophic losses from the storm.
Despite the challenges of power outages, road obstructions, and a second Nor’easter storm, VNA Health Group nurses, therapists, aides and employees have been travelling to homes, staffing area shelters, and providing critical health care services to fragile newborns, disabled, frail elderly, chronically and terminally ill patients and others in need in the aftermath of the Storm.
Learn more and donate at: http://www.inova.org/get-involved/foundation/hurricane-sandy
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