Patient Care
Veteran nurse Mary Loyd doubles as a student in new BSN program.
UMW Professor Documents Local Hospital History
The storied past of Mary Washington Healthcare has been preserved online, thanks to efforts of University of Mary Washington Professor Jess Rigelhaupt.
The associate professor of history and American studies received a $25,000 grant from Mary Washington Healthcare to record oral history interviews and develop a website that covers the history of the 115-year old organization.
The website mwhchistory.com, which launched this month, currently includes more than 35 hours of interviews with longtime administrators, board members, physicians, and nurses with a wealth of knowledge about the local hospital system for the past 30 years. The project is ongoing and will record over 80 hours of interviews with over 40 people when it is completed.
Click here to view the embedded video.
“We began as an eight-room hospital, and have evolved into a not-for-profit regional system of two hospitals and 28 healthcare facilities and wellness services,” said recently retired President and CEO of Mary Washington Healthcare Fred M. Rankin III, who was interviewed for the project. “Hearing personal accounts from many who have been part of Mary Washington Healthcare’s journey through the last 20-plus years is an important part of telling the story.”
For the past two years, Rigelhaupt worked with UMW students to record interviews and edit video footage all with the goal of providing a more traditional history of the organization through the art of storytelling.
“An important goal is to have a highly accessible repository that documents the growth and expansion of Mary Washington Healthcare through the voices of the people who contributed to it,” said Rigelhaupt. “To record how they experienced what they saw, what they did and how they reflect back on it and how they’ve made meaning out of and understand the growth of the organization and the challenges that were faced.”
The largest private employer in Fredericksburg, Mary Washington Healthcare has certainly seen its fair share of growth, especially since the new hospital opened in 1993. The website includes firsthand accounts of change from a variety of employees, including Diane Brothers, who began working as a nurse at the hospital in 1986 and is now a nursing supervisor and clinical ethics specialist, and Xavier R. Richardson, who joined MWHC in 1997 and currently serves as the executive vice president of Corporate Development and Community Affairs.
“The Mary Washington Healthcare oral history website, hosted and presented by the University of Mary Washington, is a natural partnership which provides historical information, and new insights for public policy, healthcare, and regional development,” said Michael McDermott, M.D., president and CEO, Mary Washington Healthcare.
Rigelhaupt agrees.
“The project represents collaboration between the campus and the community,” he said. “As an institution for research and knowledge production, the University and this research project worked with and produced new knowledge about a pillar of the community.”
The largest private employer in Fredericksburg, Mary Washington Healthcare has certainly seen its fair share of growth, especially since the new hospital opened in 1993. The website includes firsthand accounts of change from a variety of employees, including Diane Brothers, who began working as a nurse at the hospital in 1986 and is now a nursing supervisor and clinical ethics specialist, and Xavier R. Richardson, who joined MWHC in 1997 and currently serves as the executive vice president of Corporate Development and Community Affairs.
“The Mary Washington Healthcare oral history website, hosted and presented by the University of Mary Washington, is a natural partnership which provides historical information, and new insights for public policy, healthcare, and regional development,” said Michael McDermott, M.D., president and CEO, Mary Washington Healthcare.
Rigelhaupt agrees.
“The project represents collaboration between the campus and the community,” he said. “As an institution for research and knowledge production, the University and this research project worked with and produced new knowledge about a pillar of the community.”
UMW, Germanna, Mary Washington Healthcare Partner to Improve Nursing Education
A unique partnership in nursing education among the University of Mary Washington, Germanna Community College and Mary Washington Healthcare will bolster healthcare services in the region.
As an integral step, UMW’s President Richard V. Hurley and Germanna’s President David A. Sam signed three transfer and co-enrollment agreements for nursing education. The articulation agreements were signed on August 11 at the University’s Stafford campus.
“The University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College recognize the need for registered nurses to achieve advanced learning through an improved education system that promotes a seamless academic progression,” said Hurley. “We want to make sure that our students are ready to be nurses and that we provide the caliber of nursing education that the healthcare industry needs.”
Sam added, “Germanna is pleased at this opportunity for nursing students. It is yet another stride forward in the ongoing partnership between GCC and UMW, a partnership that benefits students, our community, and the Commonwealth.”
This fall, UMW launches its Bachelor of Science in Nursing-Completion Program, started with a $25,000 grant from Mary Washington Hospital’s Community Benefit Fund. The program is designed for registered nurses who have graduated with an accredited associate’s degree in nursing or from a diploma nursing program.
The new articulation agreements:
“The University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College recognize the need for registered nurses to achieve advanced learning through an improved education system that promotes a seamless academic progression,” said Hurley. “We want to make sure that our students are ready to be nurses and that we provide the caliber of nursing education that the healthcare industry needs.”
Sam added, “Germanna is pleased at this opportunity for nursing students. It is yet another stride forward in the ongoing partnership between GCC and UMW, a partnership that benefits students, our community, and the Commonwealth.”
This fall, UMW launches its Bachelor of Science in Nursing-Completion Program, started with a $25,000 grant from Mary Washington Hospital’s Community Benefit Fund. The program is designed for registered nurses who have graduated with an accredited associate’s degree in nursing or from a diploma nursing program.
The new articulation agreements:
- Guarantee admission to UMW’s BSN-completion program for Germanna graduates who have an associate’s degree in nursing, have maintained at least a 3.0 grade point average and meet criteria established by UMW. Under the BSN-completion program direct transfer plan, also known as the “3 + 1” BSN plan, students attend Germanna for three years and spend one year at UMW. The guaranteed admission program is effective beginning with the fall 2014 semester.
- Allow nursing students who want a four-year residential experience to live on the Fredericksburg campus while taking courses at both Germanna and Mary Washington. Through the BSN Academic Partnership plan, also known as the “1 + 2 + 1” BSN plan, students complete required liberal arts and nursing prerequisite courses at both UMW and Germanna during the first year; attend the community college during the second and third years to complete an associate’s degree in nursing; then return to UMW for course work during the fourth year to complete the BSN-completion program. This program will begin in 2015 pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
- Permit Germanna nursing students to enroll in the BSN-completion program while working toward an associate’s degree in nursing. In addition, the students may take liberal arts courses at UMW. The BSN Concurrent Enrollment plan begins in 2015, pending SACSCOC approval.
UMW Receives Grant to Establish Nursing Program
Mary Washington Hospital’s Community Benefit Fund has awarded the University of Mary Washington a $25,000 grant to create a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion Program at the university.
The program, tentatively planned for fall 2014, will be designed for registered nurses who have graduated with an accredited associate’s degree or diploma nursing program. The grant supports the hiring of a consultant to help plan the curriculum. Approval for the program will come from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
“The university is delighted to be the recipient of the Mary Washington Hospital grant,” said President Richard Hurley. “The funding will be instrumental in developing this essential program to address the need for a highly educated nursing workforce and to improve the quality of healthcare in the region and the commonwealth.”
Marianna Bedway, chief nursing officer and senior vice president for Mary Washington Healthcare, said creation of an RN-BSN completion program will enhance and encourage further education of registered nurses in the region. Currently, only one-third of nurses in Virginia hold a baccalaureate degree and 11 percent have a master’s degree or higher.
“Mary Washington Healthcare provides some of the highest quality care in the country, and our nurses play a critical role in delivering that care. In order to respond to the demands of an evolving healthcare system and continue to meet the changing needs of patients, nurses must achieve higher levels of education,” she said.
According to the grant proposal, Virginia’s population is expected to climb by a million within the next 20 years, faster than the projected growth of registered nurses. By 2017, approximately 10,000 more registered nurses will be needed in the commonwealth, with an additional 30,000 needed by 2028. The need for additional nurses in the greater Fredericksburg area is expected to increase by 23 percent.
“There is great value in having baccalaureate-prepared nurses at Mary Washington Healthcare, and in this community. The program will afford nurses a unique opportunity to meet current standards of nursing, while enhancing the overall education experience within a liberal arts curriculum. We are excited to partner with the University of Mary Washington in support of this program,” said Bedway.
The UMW program is aimed at nurses within the Fredericksburg area planning district. The closest similar program is nearly 50 miles away at George Mason University.
“We anticipate that our BSN completion program will attract nurses in this region as well as graduates of local community colleges,” said Richard Finkelstein, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who will oversee implementation of the program at UMW. The university will hire a director who will act as the academic administrator.
Because the program is a completion curriculum, courses will not require UMW to create new labs or to purchase nursing-related equipment.
“This degree primarily engages students in courses that connect them to liberal arts perspectives on issues related to health care delivery,” said Finkelstein.
The program, tentatively planned for fall 2014, will be designed for registered nurses who have graduated with an accredited associate’s degree or diploma nursing program. The grant supports the hiring of a consultant to help plan the curriculum. Approval for the program will come from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
“The university is delighted to be the recipient of the Mary Washington Hospital grant,” said President Richard Hurley. “The funding will be instrumental in developing this essential program to address the need for a highly educated nursing workforce and to improve the quality of healthcare in the region and the commonwealth.”
Marianna Bedway, chief nursing officer and senior vice president for Mary Washington Healthcare, said creation of an RN-BSN completion program will enhance and encourage further education of registered nurses in the region. Currently, only one-third of nurses in Virginia hold a baccalaureate degree and 11 percent have a master’s degree or higher.
“Mary Washington Healthcare provides some of the highest quality care in the country, and our nurses play a critical role in delivering that care. In order to respond to the demands of an evolving healthcare system and continue to meet the changing needs of patients, nurses must achieve higher levels of education,” she said.
According to the grant proposal, Virginia’s population is expected to climb by a million within the next 20 years, faster than the projected growth of registered nurses. By 2017, approximately 10,000 more registered nurses will be needed in the commonwealth, with an additional 30,000 needed by 2028. The need for additional nurses in the greater Fredericksburg area is expected to increase by 23 percent.
“There is great value in having baccalaureate-prepared nurses at Mary Washington Healthcare, and in this community. The program will afford nurses a unique opportunity to meet current standards of nursing, while enhancing the overall education experience within a liberal arts curriculum. We are excited to partner with the University of Mary Washington in support of this program,” said Bedway.
The UMW program is aimed at nurses within the Fredericksburg area planning district. The closest similar program is nearly 50 miles away at George Mason University.
“We anticipate that our BSN completion program will attract nurses in this region as well as graduates of local community colleges,” said Richard Finkelstein, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who will oversee implementation of the program at UMW. The university will hire a director who will act as the academic administrator.
Because the program is a completion curriculum, courses will not require UMW to create new labs or to purchase nursing-related equipment.
“This degree primarily engages students in courses that connect them to liberal arts perspectives on issues related to health care delivery,” said Finkelstein.
Anthem and Mary Washington Healthcare — Updates
The following message is from Human Resources:
Update for All Anthem Policy Holders
(This notice does not apply to Kaiser Permanente Members)
It is official: as of January 1, 2012, Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) has terminated its provider network agreements with Anthem. Mary Washington Hospital, including the hospital’s emergency room, Stafford Hospital, including the hospital’s emergency room, the Fredericksburg Ambulatory Surgery Center, and Snowden at Fredericksburg are no longer in-network providers for Anthem.
The complete list of Mary Washington Healthcare facilities and their Anthem status is located at http://www.marywashingtonhealthcare.com/images/stories/graphics/facilitieslist.pdf. This does not impact the MWHC physician offices, the Mary Washington Freestanding Emergency Department at Lee’s Hill, or the Sleep and Wake Disorders Center- Fredericksburg.
Since agreements weren’t reached, Mary Washington Hospital, Stafford Hospital, the Fredericksburg Ambulatory Surgery Center, and Snowden at Fredericksburg are now considered out-of-network providers under Anthem’s Health plan. Click here for a list of alternative Anthem in-network providers for the Fredericksburg Area.
For employees with out of network coverage: Employees who elected the “out-of-network” buy up coverage option of the health plan will be covered if they choose to be treated by the MWHC out-of-network facilities. Normally, when receiving services at an out-of-network provider, you would have a higher out-of-pocket responsibility; however, to avoid any monetary disruption to the Anthem members with out-of-network benefits in the community, Mary Washington Healthcare has committed to honor the in-network benefits. MWHC will not charge the employee for any costs beyond what their in-network responsibility would have been, thus MWHC will honor in-network deductibles, co pays and co insurance. Simply stated, you can continue to receive services at the MWHC facilities that are out-of-network with Anthem without incurring any additional out-of-pocket expenses.
How payments are processed for out of network providers: Please be advised that MWHC will continue to submit claims to Anthem and will bill the patient directly. Because Anthem does not make direct payments to any out-of-network providers, there is a good chance that Anthem will send the payment to the policy holder to pay the bill. In these cases, please be sure that MWHC receives the payment.
For employees without the out–of–network coverage: You will need to first contact Anthem at 1-800-552-2682 to request an exception of coverage for services at one of these out-of-network facilities. Attached is a list of alternative Anthem in-network providers for the Fredericksburg Area.
For employees who want to change plans or elect out-of-network coverage: Employees will have the opportunity to change plans or elect out-of-network coverage during the annual Health Benefits Open Enrollment this spring, unless there is a qualifying mid-year event under DHRM policy. To see current costs, you may visit http://www.dhrm.state.va.us/hbenefits/openenroll11/Premiums2011.pdf Cost is subject to change each year. Changes made during open enrollment will be effective July 1.
If you have forgotten which coverage you have: To confirm whether you elected out-of-network coverage, you may…
- log into EmployeeDirect to review your health benefits election at https://edirect.virginia.gov/EDL/Start.aspx. You will need your employee ID number (which is located on your health card), your date of birth, and create a password; or
- contact Anthem (1-800-552-2682); or
- contact our Benefits Office (X1210 or X1215).
Mary Washington Healthcare has updated their website with FAQs at the following link to assist you in this transition: http://www.marywashingtonhealthcare.com/awards-a-accreditations/878-attention-anthem-patients. You may also contact the MWHC Anthem hotline number at 540-741-1010 or click here for a PDF version. Anthem’s FAQ’s are available at https://anthemgroup.postclickmarketing.com/Global/FileLib/disruptions/MW-FAQs.pdf. The Anthem hotline number is 1-866-263-0361.
REMINDER: In an emergency situation, please call 911 and you will be taken to the closest, most appropriate emergency department.