| |
 |
In the News
| |
|
| |
Empower Yourself
A cancer diagnosis is one of the most difficult subjects to confront. It’s scary and loaded with uncertainty. Thankfully, Inova Loudoun Hospital is armed with care and services to help everyone make the best treatment decisions.
As you’ll read in this issue’s cover story, each patient at Inova Breast Care Institute has the opportunity to meet every member of her breast cancer team. This group includes the breast surgeon, radiation and medical oncologists and breast care navigator. The team of clinicians also meets bi-weekly to discuss the patient in detail. The purpose of this coordinated approach is to give patients the information she needs to elect a treatment plan that works for her.
Along with its innovative care, Inova Loudoun Hospital offers cancer treatments that are second-to-none. Its minimally invasive robotic surgery for prostate cancer allows doctors to perform procedures with the highest level of precision and accuracy.
These are timely topics since September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Take this time to empower yourself; learn about cancer prevention and treatment. To find out more about breast cancer awareness events happening around Inova, click here. |
| |
|
|
 |
| |
 |
The Prevent Defense
Flu Shot Protects
Against Seasonal Flu
Fall and winter are a time for holidays, family gatherings and good times. Unfortunately, they also are the seasons for the dreaded flu virus.
More than simply a painful cold, the flu is a serious illness that each year sends more than 200,000 people to the hospital and kills between 3,000 and 49,000 people in the United States alone. It is characterized by symptoms that include fever, sore throat, stuffy nose and muscle aches.
The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot each season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends vaccinations for everyone 6 months and older. The vaccine releases antibodies into your immune system that provide protection against infection from the flu virus.
Inova’s highly trained nurses can help protect you and your children with the flu shot. When you come to one of our clinics, you know you can trust the person providing your care. Only nurses fully employed (not contracted) by Inova provide our flu shots. That means our nurses are highly qualified, selected, screened and trained. And unlike some other providers, we can vaccinate children as young as 6 months. We also offer a nasal flu vaccine known as FluMist® if you or your child struggles with shots.
Fight the Flu
Inova Loudoun Hospital is holding on-site family flu shot clinics from September through December. For more information on the clinics, go here.
|
Breathe Easier
Snoring May Be More Serious Than You Think
| |
|
|
| |
 |
| Michael Mellis, MD |
Join Michael Mellis, MD, for a lecture, “It’s Time to Get Your Life Back — How Snoring and Sleep Affect Your Quality of Life.” It will be held Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Inova Loudoun Hospital, Conference Rooms A/B. Call 1-855-My-Inova (1-855-694-6682) or click here to register for this FREE program. |
|
|
Snoring is usually considered an annoyance rather than a health concern. But snoring can actually be linked to serious health problems.
Those who snore loudly and regularly may have obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes broken sleep patterns. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 18 million American adults suffer from this disorder.
Sleep apnea can cause repetitive pauses in breathing that last from five to 10 seconds, making snorers choke or gasp in their sleep. These pauses can occur between 30 to 100 times during the night, increasing the likelihood of daytime fatigue, automobile accidents and depression.
Additional concerns associated with sleep apnea include high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and insulin resistance. If you snore often, talk to your doctor about getting tested and treated for sleep apnea. Treatment will help you and your partner get a better night’s sleep while improving your health.
|
Awards and Recognition
Hospital Garners Honors, Including National Ranking
 U.S. News & World Report ranked Inova Loudoun Hospital No. 11 in Virginia and recognized it among the Best Hospitals in Northern Virginia, according to its Best Hospitals 2012–13. It also rated the hospital No. 8 in the Washington, DC, metro area.
The national magazine, which released its rankings on July 17, recognized Inova Loudoun Hospital as high-performing in gastroenterology, geriatrics, nephrology, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology.
Here are two more honors:
Nursing and Rehabilitation Center — Silver Award
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living selected Inova Loudoun Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as a 2012 recipient of the Silver – Achievement in Quality award. To receive a silver, the facility had to demonstrate systematic advancements in quality, plans for continual improvement and sustainable organizational goals, according to the two long-term care organizations.
Best Fed Beginnings Initiative
Inova Loudoun Hospital will participate in Best Fed Beginnings, a national effort to significantly improve breastfeeding rates in states where rates are currently the lowest. The National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality is leading the effort through a cooperative funding agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and will be working closely with Baby-Friendly USA Inc. Inova Loudoun Hospital will participate with 89 other hospitals and was selected from 235 applicants. The groups will work together in a 22-month learning collaboration.
|
|
Integrative Medicine
Combining Traditions to Enhance Health
Integrative, holistic medicine incorporates both conventional, Western medicine and non-conventional modalities to offer patients a healthcare approach that addresses the needs of the whole person —
body, mind and spirit.
Some of the modalities that might be used by an integrative physician include acupuncture, nutritional supplements, herbs, Reiki, massage and mind-body therapies.
| |
|
|
| |
|
Join Martha Calihan, MD, for “Integrative, Holistic Medicine: What’s It All About? What Does It Do? Why Use It?” The lecture will be held on Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Inova Loudoun Hospital, Conference Rooms A/B. To register, call 1-855-My-Inova (1-855-694-6682) or go here to register for this FREE program. |
|
|
An integrative medicine approach
to health and wellness focuses
on using all the tools available,
from multiple traditions, to
enhance health and well-being.
Be Whole
Inova Loudoun Hospital offers
an extensive collection of support groups and classes through its Life with CancerTM program, several of which fall into the holistic medicine category. To learn more or register for a program, call
703-858-8857.
| |
New inova.org — More Than Just a Facelift
The new inova.org website launched on Aug. 1, but it wasn’t just a simple change in appearance. Here’s why:
- We improved the site to help our Web visitors get the health and wellness information they need faster and easier.
- Looking to get or stay healthy? With the new website, Inova launched the “Wellness OnDemand” page — one-stop access to health and fitness tips, classes, videos, newsletters and other wellness information.
- Need to talk to someone? Now you can find our contact information easier. Call us, email us or chat with us online.
- Checking our site from your smartphone? Whether you have a large or a small screen, you can now more easily see and interact with our website.
Take us for a test drive. The future of health is now online.
|
|
|
Get in Shape!
A New Alternative to Traditional Senior Care
 Inova HealthSource is now offering fitness classes at Inova Loudoun Hospital. Please click here for more information on the following classes:
Cardio Strength Training
Get your heart rate up while strengthening your muscles! This cardio class incorporates light weight training for maximum benefits. All fitness levels welcome.
Yoga
Practice total-body strengthening and stretching through basic relaxation and breathing techniques. Learn to relax the mind and body for daily stress relief. All fitness levels welcome.
|
|
|
