We’re 25!

We’re 25!
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Celebrates A Quarter-Century Of World-Class Care

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital has changed a lot since it opened in 1987. The hospital, which replaced the Doctors’ Commonwealth Hospital facility in Fairfax, has grown in size, technology and expertise. It has also gathered many honors and awards along the way.


	Better Than Ever Pictured above is Inova Fair Oaks Hospital today.

But as the saying goes, while some things change over time, others remain the same. In our case, it’s a commitment to the health of our community. Over the years, this commitment has inspired our hospital team to remain loyal to our Shared Beliefs of compassion, respect, excellence, dedication, innovation and trust.

World-Class Care

1987 Inova Fair Oaks Hospital opens its doors on June 6. The hospital replaced Commonwealth Hospital in Fairfax, VA


1988 MRI service begins. The Maternal and Infant Health Center opens. 1990 Seven-bed pediatric unit opens.

1991 Outpatient radiology and emergency room X-ray facilities are added. First annual Fair Oaks Golf Classic raises $35,000 for an emergency room designed for children.

2001 President George W. Bush visits Inova Fair Oaks Hospital on July 9.

2002 Hospital’s first major expansion project begins and is completed in 2003. 2005 New inpatient surgical unit opens on the fifth floor specializing in weight-loss surgery, spine surgery and joint replacement surgery.

2006 Inova Fair Oaks Hospital receives the prestigious U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award for Virginia (SPQA) as a model organization that has demonstrated excellence and maturity in its business approaches, deployment and results. 2009 Medical Office Building 3620 opens.

2010 Inova Fair Oaks Hospital is recognized for providing outstanding patient care. 2012 Inova Fair Oaks Hospital commemorates its 25th anniversary.

Over the years, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital has continued to expand the breadth of its clinical programs and services. Today, our expertise includes minimally invasive surgery and innovative surgical procedures using robotic equipment like MAKO^® for knee and hip surgery and the da Vinci^® Surgical System for gynecologic and urology procedures.

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital’s programs are recognized for their excellence. In 2006, we were awarded The United States Senate Productivity and Quality Award (SPQA) for Performance Excellence — the only healthcare organization in Virginia to receive this honor. Our Spine and Joint Replacement Surgery programs have earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for healthcare quality. We are designated as a Center of Excellence for weight-loss surgery by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and we were one of the first breast care programs in the DC metro area to receive accreditation as a nationally recognized breast care provider by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC).

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital also is Magnet^®-recognized for nursing excellence and outstanding patient care. In 2010, we received the Premier Award for Quality for excellence in patient care.

A Sense of Community

G. Michael Lynch, MD, started at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital 25 years ago and today serves as its Chief Medical Officer. “It’s really gone from a community hospital to an advanced care hospital that does cutting-edge surgery in a variety of areas including orthopedics and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery,” says Dr. Lynch. “The friendly feeling you can often only find in a community hospital has remained the same since we opened our doors 25 years ago. It’s truly the people who make our hospital unique — the doctors, the nurses and all the staff.”

Daniel Rooney, DO, an ear, nose and throat specialist and facial plastic surgeon, agrees. “This is a very friendly hospital for patients,” says Dr. Rooney, who’s been with Inova Fair Oaks Hospital since the first patient arrived. “Inova Fair Oaks Hospital has a personality.”

And for Karen Kamiyama, RN, it’s the friendships she has formed with doctors and other nurses that have kept her here for 25 years. “For me, it’s like a second family,” says Kamiyama, who works part-time as a patient placement coordinator and part-time as an ICU nurse.

Carey Marder, MD, a cardiologist and past President of the Fair Oaks Medical Staff, expresses a similar sentiment. “For a doctor, you want to be provided with a high-quality facility, high-quality nurses and a supportive administration. I think that’s what makes this hospital special,” says Marder, who has been with the Inova Fair Oaks Hospital family for 25 years.

Team Spirit

When Hurricane Isabel hit in 2003, Kevin Smith, Director of Engineering and Security, recalls getting a call from the hospital at 3 a.m.

The water supply had been knocked out by the hurricane and the hospital needed emergency resources. Working in unison, Smith’s team contacted a company to bring in tankers of water, portable bathrooms, bags of ice and bottled water. “There were a lot of quick decisions that had to be made, but we all pulled together and all got it done,” says Smith, who has worked at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital since its opening.

Thinking Back

Margaret Shafer started at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital 25 years ago working in medical records and today manages the department. “The advancements in medical records have improved patient safety,” she says. “Today, the hospital is moving to electronic medical records, which helps keep patient information more secure.” Robert Castle, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist, remembers when the plans for the hospital were being discussed. “The hospital has grown with the community and it’s grown with the changes in medicine,” he says.

Brent Ain, MD, Co-Medical Director of Joint Replacement Services, concurs. “The strength and the uniqueness of the hospital is its ability to continue to provide personal, compassionate, quality care despite the dramatic changes over the past 25 years in the healthcare delivery system that have affected both patients and healthcare providers alike,” he says. “These qualities have been maintained as a result of an ongoing commitment by both the administration and medical staff to attain our goals and provide optimal care.”

“There have been umpteen additions,” marvels Leonard Rosen, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist who remembers Inova Fair Oaks Hospital when it was built. “Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery has mushroomed over the last several years.” But even with all the advancements, “we still have a community feeling,” he notes. “It’s just a great camaraderie and a great place to practice medicine.”

	Four Hundred Strong The Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Auxiliary has a rich history of serving the hospital and its patients. The 400-member volunteer group has been raising funds since the hospital’s beginning. “The Auxiliary is the hospital’s largest donor and we are very proud of that,” says Hazel Rathbun, who joined the Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Auxiliary 25 years ago and served as its President and Fundraising Chair. Today, she continues to volunteer in the Emergency Department. Gift shop manager Nancy Schneider, a volunteer since the opening in 1987, calls the hospital “my home away from home.” For Schneider, the chance to give back to the community is what has kept her at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital over the years. For 94-year-old Ruth Kent, who served as a MASH nurse in World War II, volunteering at the information desk and the thrift shop is a rewarding experience. Recalling her 34 years of dedicated volunteer service, Kent says, “Even though the hospital has expanded, the friendly atmosphere is why I stayed with it.”