To the Editor:
In my mind, there is no uncertainty as to why Virginia Hospital Center (VHC) is one of the top 100 hospitals in the country. I have had two recent experiences with my elderly mother who was a patient there — inpatient back in the winter and outpatient in the Emergency Room on July 26, 2015. During her inpatient stay, she was critically ill. She was treated with the utmost kindness and compassion, and everyone who was part of her highly skilled multi-disciplinary treatment team genuinely cared about her well-being.
Though my mother is a rather unique lady for her age and has her full faculties, there was never any hint of ageism that entered into the way in which she was dealt with. Thanks to all who cared for her with due diligence, she recovered to celebrate her 97th birthday in March of this year.
Her most recent visit on July 26 was to the emergency room for a head injury from a fall. Once again, the treatment she received from VHC was impressive. From the start of when the security guard expediently found a wheelchair and facilitated where I could quickly park my car amidst a crowded lot to the CT tech who was the epitome of professionalism in all respects, it just got better and better.
Once she was seen and tended to by the physician, physician assistant and nurse, it was apparent, again, that every employee at VHC truly cares about their patients. The caliber of the staff is immediately apparent, and the staff has the vital people skills required of any service-oriented organization. Most importantly, they are shining examples of loving what they do which contributes to them being so successful in their performance.
Though on both occasions, my mother’s visit to VHC was worrisome and stressful for me as her daughter who was profoundly concerned about her, the warm reception, genuine sense of caring, kind outreach, and skilled professionals were comforting every step of the way. The Arlington community, specifically, and the Washington Metropolitan region, broadly, is so very fortunate to have this medical institution in their midst. For top quality care and highly skilled multi-disciplinary personnel, one could not ask for more. I can only affirm that they deserve to be in the top 100 hospitals of the country. As the cool cats would say, “They rock.”
Karen L. Bune
Arlington