Reston Hospital Center has officially expanded its intensive care unit for its youngest patients.
Earlier this month, the hospital at 1850 Town Center Parkway celebrated the expansion of its Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) — which serves seriously ill babies.
The expansion boosts the space’s capacity from 16 to 29 beds with seven private and three semi-private rooms. The expansion also includes new equipment, furniture, a family waiting area and nurses’ station.
As part of the project, the hospital installed a live-streaming, encrypted video system that allows families to see their child.
“This NICU expansion is a meaningful step in Reston Hospital’s overall growth plan and in our continued commitment to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the Northern Virginia region,” John Deardorff, the hospital’s chief executive officer, said.
Reston Hospital, which works with Children’s National Hospital in D.C. to provide services, has been enhancing its facilities for pregnant patients and new parents in recent years. The hospital unveiled renovated labor and delivery rooms last year, and this past fall, it launched a mental health program for perinatal and postpartum women.
“Our team takes a family-centered care approach to really get to know the families and their challenges, preferences and wishes,” Reston Hospital Director of Women’s and Children’s Services Nancy Duryee said.
The new NICU space also includes a wall of hope, which highlights the stories of babies and families.
“The NICU can be a very stressful, scary time for parents and we want them to see other families who have been here and have made it ot the other side,” Dawn Brittingham, the NICU manager, said. “Even though it is in the NICU, they can feel hopeful.”
(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) A new mental health program is taking shape for women who have recently given birth at Reston Hospital Center.
The perinatal and postpartum program at the hospital will help women adjust to motherhood or develop an attachment to their baby while maintaining their current level of function.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the program is planned for tomorrow (Thursday) prior to the official grand opening on Sept. 25.
“This perinatal/postpartum mental health program stands as a testament to HCA Healthcare, Dominion Hospital and Reston Hospital’s commitment to comprehensive healthcare that addresses the unique needs of women,” Dominion Hospital CEO Ben Brown said. “It’s an initiative that recognizes the importance of women’s mental health and seeks to provide a nurturing environment for healing, growth, and empowerment.”
Women will be treated by a team of clinicians who specialize in perinatal mental health through the voluntary treatment program. It is open to women 18 years or older who are pregnant, have given birth or are one year postpartum.
The program will be open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in suite 561 of pavilion two at RHC (1850 Town Center Parkway)
Postpartum depression effects roughly 15% of women, according to Reston Hospital Center. It is often treated by therapy or medicine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also recently approved Zurzuvae, a postpartum depression medication that claims to reduce symptoms by as early as day three.
“The significance of this program extends beyond individual well-being,” Brown said. “Research has consistently shown that investing in women’s mental health radiates positive effects throughout families, workplaces, and entire communities. By nurturing the mental wellness of women, we contribute to creating a ripple effect of strength and positivity that reverberates far beyond the walls of any single facility.”
In response to burgeoning needs, Reston Hospital Center is poised to expand a key facility that serves its youngest patients.
The center will expand the capacity of its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) this year from 16 to 29 patient beds. The expansion is also intended to provide more privacy for patients and their families.
The expansion includes seven private rooms and three semi-private rooms, according to the hospital.
“The NICU expansion is happening due to capacity needs in the community and to create a more private patient experience,” Jess Norman, a Reston Hospital spokesperson, wrote in a statement to FFXnow.
The expansion is slated to finish off sometime in November or December of this year, Norman said.
In addition to more beds, the expansion includes new equipment, furniture, a family waiting area, and nurses’ station.
Children’s National Hospital in D.C. cares for patients in the NICU at Reston Hospital. Its program is composed of neonatologists and hospitalists in the nursery and delivery room.
Reston Hospital Center collected the most drugs during the Fairfax County Police Department’s annual national prescription drug take back day on Saturday (April 22).
The hospital’s location, one of eight drop-off sites, collected a whopping 226 pounds — far more than the 127 pounds collected by the second-place sites: West Springfield and Fair Oaks.
The FCPD partners with the Drug Enforcement Administration every year to collect expired and unused over-the-counter and prescription drugs from community members through drop-off sites across the county. This year, a total of 761 pounds were collected.
A breakdown of collections by each drop-off site is available below:
- Sully: 83 pounds
- Mount Vernon: 35 pounds
- McLean: 42 pounds
- Mason: 80 pounds
- Franconia: 41 pounds
- West Springfield: 127 pounds
- Fair Oaks: 127 pounds
“This important initiative addresses vital safety and public health issues,” the FCPD said. “Unused or expired over the counter or prescription medicine left unsecured can be prone to misuse and may contribute to overdoses and accidental poisonings.”
Drug take-back boxes are available around the year at each police station. Accepted items include prescription medication (schedule II-V controlled and non-controlled), prescription ointments, over-the-counter medications, and medications for pets.
Prohibited items include needles (sharps), liquids of any kind, illegal drugs, non-prescription ointments and lotions, aerosol cans, and inhalers, according to the police department.
Reston Hospital Center opened the doors to its newly expanded inpatient rehabilitation facility yesterday (Thursday).
The upgrade includes an increase of 12 rooms, a second private gym, upgraded dining areas, and additional rehabilitation equipment. According to Reston Hospital Center, the equipment allows the hospital to integrate 40 new therapies and onboard 30 staff members.
The facility now has 30 beds and provides services for individuals to transfer from the emergency room to inpatient hospital units.
“This Inpatient Rehab expansion is a significant step in Reston Hospital’s overall growth plan and in our sustained commitment to offer advanced, high-quality healthcare services to our patients,” Reston Hospital Center CEO John Deardorff said.
Here’s more from HCA Virginia Health System, the hospital’s parent company, on the changes:
Each patient receives an individualized rehabilitation plan specific to their needs. All therapy sessions occur one-on-one and each patient receives a minimum of three hours of therapy five days per week provided by a licensed physical, occupational, and/or speech therapist. An integrated therapy system has been added as a multidisciplinary tool that combines all three therapy disciplines (PT/OT/ST) to assist with improving cognition, vision, balance, and motor skills.
The Inpatient Rehabilitation Center also offers neurological rehabilitation, orthopedic rehabilitation, prosthetic training, and family training to ease reentry into the community.
“We focus on everyday activities with patients and help them navigate real-life situations. We will visit the gift shop or hospital cafe to practice money management, specifically for patients following stroke or brain injury, or visit the library with a patient who enjoys checking out books,” said Sarah Marshall, director of rehabilitation services.
Rehabilitation can also involve coordinating with the hospital’s pet therapy volunteers to allow patients to practice dog walking during sessions for functional dynamic balance and gait training. In the private gym, an aerial track system that can accommodate two patients working on simultaneous dynamic balance activities complements the existing gait and balance system.
The facility also includes booth seating in the dining room to provide areas for patients to train and educate if a patient were to dine at a restaurant.
“We have an extraordinary team of registered nurses, patient care technicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, case managers, and on-site physicians to enhance care for all patients,” Marshall said. “We are equipped to mimic a patient’s lifestyle and hobbies, including field trips to the grocery store, Reston Town Center, and restaurants as well as providing onsite therapy and training to the patient and family/caregivers for a confident transition back into the community.”
A ribbon cutting was held on Wednesday (March 1).
Rabies Confirmed in Biting Coyote — The Fairfax County Health Department confirmed yesterday (Monday) that a coyote that bit four people and two dogs over the weekend in the Lake Accotink area was infected with rabies. Anyone who touched or was bitten or scratched by the animal should call the county health department’s rabies program at 703-246-2433, TTY 711. [FCHD]
Confederate Soldier’s Tombstone Defaced — The letters ‘CS,’ ‘NVA,’ and a Star of David were spraypainted on the tombstone of Armistead T. Thompson in the Thompson Family Cemetery by the Pan Am Shopping Center in Merrifield. Fairfax County police received a report last Tuesday (May 31) and said the property management is working to remove it, though as of Sunday (June 5), the graffiti was still there. [Patch]
Homicide Investigation in Reston Continues — “Detectives and officers are canvassing in the area of Springs Apartments & Hunters Woods Plaza in Reston after Rene Alberto Pineda Sanchez was found deceased on May 31. Call detectives at 703-246-7800, option 2 w/any info.” [FCPD/Twitter]
Inova Opens Northern Virginia’s First LGBTQ-Focused Clinic — “Inova’s Pride Clinic will be open to anyone who needs services. It will begin small as a primary care practice for patients of all ages and then grow to include specialties…The Inova Pride Clinic ribbon-cutting will be Wednesday, June 8 at 10 a.m. in Falls Church at 500 North Washington St., Suite 200.” [WTOP]
Tysons Emergency Is Now Open — “HCA Virginia held a grand opening ceremony on Friday, June 3, 2022 for its new freestanding emergency room in Northern Virginia…The state-of-the-art ER will be staffed with board-certified emergency medicine physicians and nurses, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, just like an emergency room that is housed within the walls of a hospital.” [HCA Virginia]
County Puts Food Inspection Reports Online — “The public can now access retail food establishment inspection reports more quickly and easily, as part of an update to the county’s new online PLUS platform…Environmental health staff inspect restaurants and other retail food service establishments to make sure employees follow safe food handling practices, covering sanitation, food storage and preparation, and have adequate kitchen facilities.” [FCHD]
Wolf Trap Nonprofit Awarded by Governor — A provider of short-term, overnight care for children with intellectual disabilities, Jill’s House was honored on May 26 with the second ‘Spirit of Virginia Award’ given by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin since they took office in January. The organization has served more than 1,000 families since it opened in 2010. [Sun Gazette]
Annandale Park Gets Clean-up — “A big thank you to community volunteers who came out to Backlick Park this past weekend and held a spring clean-up. This successful venture was a wonderful way to mark World Environment Day and the National Great Outdoors Month.” [FCPA/Twitter]
Chantilly Neighborhood Watch on the Lookout for Thievery — “Rob, 53, was already a neighborhood watcher in his Brookfield community…before the ransacking incident two years ago but he said it made him increasingly aware neighborhood watch is a needed position to mitigate this from happening to one of his neighbors.” [Fairfax County Times]
It’s Tuesday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 74 and low of 62. Sunrise at 5:45 am and sunset at 8:34 pm. [Weather.gov]
Updated on 6/8/2022 — Tysons Emergency is now in service after a grand opening on Friday, June 3.
Earlier: There’s nothing like a two-year-long pandemic to drive home the importance of access to quality health care services.
Reston Hospital Center was planning a new emergency department in Tysons before COVID-19 showed up, but the pandemic heightened the sense of urgency around the project, particularly as hospitals continue to see increased demand, Tysons Emergency Medical Director Saad Amin says.
“With Covid having come around, it’s been a real important endeavor that HCA [Virginia] and Reston Hospital have been trying to get done,” Amin said, referring to the company that owns the hospital. “We’re very excited to have this open to the community.”
Tysons Emergency hasn’t opened just yet, but it’s expected to by the end of May. HCA hosted an open house and power lunches this past Thursday and Friday (May 19-20) to introduce community members to the nearly 14,000-square-foot facility.
Located at 8240 Leesburg Pike, just east of the Route 123 and Route 7 interchange, the standalone emergency room features 10 private exam rooms, including one where the furniture is bolted down for cases that raise behavioral health concerns.
Other amenities include on-site lab testing, imaging technology, a resuscitation room, a triage room near the waiting area, and a decontamination room with doors that can control the air flow and separate occupants from the rest of the ER.
Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the facility is expected to accommodate about 22 patients on a typical day, according to the staff. The main ER has a TV with real-time data tracking the number of patients and wait times for both Tysons and Reston Hospital.
Serving both adults and children, Tysons Emergency will start with one physician and a support nursing staff on site at all times, but the staffing will increase as more patients come in, Saad says.
Like a standard emergency room, it will be equipped to address life-threatening, critical situations, such as heart attacks and drug overdoses, as well as more routine issues, like a stubbed toe or animal bites.
“We can handle anything that comes in through that door, and we’ll get them to the correct level of care afterwards,” Saad said.
Patients who need to be admitted for a more long-term condition will be transferred by ambulance to Reston Hospital (1850 Town Center Parkway), at no cost. There is also complimentary valet parking with 60 spaces available, saving visitors from the stress of finding a spot themselves, according to Tysons ER Director Kimberly Riley-O’Bannon.
As Tysons’ population has grown, so has the need for medical and emergency services to support those residents.
In February, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine opened a primary care office just to the north in McLean, and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department added a new Scotts Run fire station last fall to serve Tysons East. Plans to relocate and add capacity to Fire Station 29 are now in the works.
Riley-O’Bannon says Tysons Emergency staff have met with all of the fire stations in a 20-mile radius to familiarize them with the new facility, which is expected to shorten travel times for first responders.
“The hope is they’ll come here and be able to drop off their patients and get back out into the community,” Riley-O’Bannon said. “That’s a big selling point for them, so they’re very anxious for us to open.”
