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Norfolk’s physicians and civic leaders donated $5,000 to purchase this house on the corner of Holt and Reilly streets, which became the Retreat for the Sick’s first home in 1888.
Alice Mabel Bacon on her horse, Dixie, in 1890. Dixie pulled the wagon used as an ambulance by the hospital and became its namesake. Credit: Collection of the Hampton University Archives, Hampton, VA
Four young women enrolled in the first nursing class at the Retreat for the Sick. They are pictured here at their graduation in 1895. Credit: Norfolk Public Library
Norfolk Protestant Hospital capital stock dated May 1, 1899.
Dr. Leigh (center) performing an operation demonstration circa 1895. Credit: Sargeant Memorial Collection, Norfolk Public Library
The Martha Jefferson Sanatorium circa 1916. In 1917, it was renamed Martha Jefferson Hospital. Credit: Martha Jefferson Hospital
Norfolk Protestant Hospital’s new building, completed in 1903. It took three years to rebuild after the 1906 fire.
Over 80 local businessmen and women gathered to organize Rockingham Memorial Hospital with the funds William Glodomore Leake provided. The hospital is pictured here in 1923 Credit: Rockingham Memorial Hospital
The new Dixie Hospital building included a new nurses’ home, which increased enrollment at the Hampton Training School for Nurses.
This photograph depicts the new pediatrics department at Norfolk Protestant Hospital, which featured 16 beds.
This 1933 photograph shows staff members gathered outside Martha Jefferson Hospital’s new building. Credit: Martha Jefferson Hospital
Nursing students gather for a lesson from Leigh Memorial Hospital's director of nursing, Mildred Bradshaw, in February 1946. Credit: Sargeant Memorial Collection, Norfolk Public Library
Amedeo Obici, founder of Louise Obici Memorial Hospital, and his wife Louise. Amedeo’s will specified the hospital as his and Louise’s permanent resting place—they have been interred together there since its opening.
Louise Obici, the namesake of Louise Obici Memorial Hospital in Suffolk, Virginia.
Community contributions accounted for $3.5 million of the $5.5 million it cost to build Norfolk General’s new wing. E. T. Gresham, president of the building committee, called the new wing “a tribute to the generosity of the community.”
Four hundred people gathered to celebrate the dedication of the new General Hospital of Virginia Beach in June 1965.
This image shows Potomac Hospital’s emergency department around the time the hospital opened in 1972.
An image from the first meeting of the Medical Center Hospitals’ board of directors. Glenn Mitchell (front left) became the new executive director.
This article provides details about the Ambulatory Surgical Center’s opening in 1976.
Norfolk General launched the radiation oncology center in 1976. It housed the state’s first linear accelerator, seen here, which could dispense both electron and X-ray radiation.
Elizabeth Carr, America’s first IVF baby, on the cover of LIFE Magazine in 1982. Credit: Life Magazine
In 1982, Williamsburg’s Virginia Gazette hailed the coming of Nightingale as the “best medical news of the year.”
In 1981, Rockingham Memorial opened one of the first hospice programs in Virginia.
Alliance Health System CEO Glenn Mitchell signs up as the first Optima Health subscriber in 1984.
Sentara board members and executives pose in front of the new corporate logo, adopted in 1987.
This 1988 map of Sentara’s facilities reflects the organization’s growth.
Sentara performed the region’s first heart transplant at Sentara Norfolk General in 1989.
Senator Hunter Andrews (far right) joins Sentara leaders at the groundbreaking for CarePlex in December 1993.
Sentara Medical Group brought together many of the best physicians in the Hampton Roads area.
Tidewater Health Care’s highly successful Virginia Beach hospital became Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital due to the 1998 merger.
Sentara sold its subsidiary ambulance company, Medical Transport, in 2021.
Using eICU®, one specialist could attend to patients at multiple hospitals.
Sentara was named in the top 10 integrated healthcare networks for 15 consecutive years by IMS Health.
In 2019, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Virginia Hospital Association recognized Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center as a model for preventing patient infections after marking 15 years with no cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Staff gather at the ceremony marking the merger of Obici Hospital and Sentara.
First Lady Laura Bush visited Sentara Norfolk General Hospital to discuss women’s heart health in 2003.
The cover of the 2004 issue of Network, Sentara’s internal employee publication, featured staff members alongside the American Hospital Association’s Quest for Quality Award.
Cardiac surgeons at work in the new Sentara Heart Hospital, which opened in 2006.
Sentara Princess Anne boasts comprehensive service for patients, including over 100 physicians and services in the hospital’s surrounding medical campus.
Magnet hospitals must support exemplary nursing practice and demonstrate quality outcomes, new knowledge, and innovations.
On May 21, 2008, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey presented Ahlbrandt and Midgett with the AMBER Alert Citizen Award at the National Missing Children’s Day Ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Mobile Sentara eCare® units, such as this one at Sentara Leigh Hospital, allow doctors and nurses to examine patient records anytime, anywhere.
Sentara College of Health Sciences now offers a Master of Science in Nursing, in addition to the BSN program and various certificate and associate degree programs.
In 2012, Sentara Potomac Hospital was renamed Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.
This 52,000-square-foot medical building offers convenient and comprehensive outpatient medical services.
Bernd speaking to RMH employees at the ceremony marking the merger of RMH Healthcare and Sentara.
The new $300-million RMH Healthcare hospital, which opened in 2010.
The new patient rooms at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital each featured a bedside computer, allowing easy access to electronic health records.
Patients were transferred to the new Sentara Princess Anne Hospital on August 4, 2011.
Doctors performing the first paired kidney exchange at Norfolk General Hospital in 2011.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius (center) toured the Sentara eICU® operations center in 2011.
Optima Health has a long history of innovative programs, customer service, and dedication to disease prevention and wellness.
In addition to the 2012 Coronary Intervention Excellence Award, RMH Healthcare was also ranked number one in Virginia for coronary interventional procedures for five years.
At the annual Martha’s Market, local businesses donate 15 percent of sales to women’s health and breast cancer prevention programs at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital.
In 2013, Sentara donated over 3,000 computers for installation at Norfolk’s Southside Boys and Girls Club.
The Sentara brand was officially introduced in the Harrisonburg area in 2013, when RMH Healthcare’s hospital was renamed Sentara RMH Medical Center.
In 2012, Sentara awarded $875,000 in grants to benefit local health programs, including Union Mission Ministries, which provides support for the homeless.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps speed the recovery of patients with major wounds, decompression sickness, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Sentara to Home service included a retail space within the hospital for the convenience of patients and family members.
Multiple Sentara Nursing Centers received awards and recognition for their high quality of care in 2012, including Sentara Windermere, pictured here.
A patient works on physical therapy exercises at one of Sentara’s neurological rehabilitation centers.
Sentara’s disaster readiness protocols ensure that each of the system’s hospitals remains ready to respond to natural disasters, major accidents, and terrorist acts.
Sentara’s announcement of its Total Artificial Heart (TAH) program made it all the way to Times Square in New York City. Sentara’s first TAH patient received a transplant after several weeks of having the implant.
Sentara Princess Anne Hospital has continued to add new services since it opened in 2011.
Of the 2013 clinical trial on copper, Sentara CEO Howard Kern stated, “Our experiment with copper products and the clinical trial just published reflects the Sentara commitment to innovation. We are relentless in the pursuit of improved clinical outcomes and an exceptional patient experience.”
Joan Brock and Meril Amdursky at the Sentara Hospice House garden, which opened in 2013.
Halifax Regional Health System joined Sentara in 2013.
Sentara’s Medical Transport units helped transport critically ill patients and secure donated organs throughout Virginia
In this video, Sentara Life Care president Bruce Robertson and NuScriptRX CEO Dan Haron discuss Sentara’s hopes for bringing NuScriptRX to other assisted living centers in the community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XBWLStZacs
At the time it opened in 2014, Sentara’s autonomic testing lab was one of only seven in the country.
In 2022, Sentara broke ground on the new Sentara Albemarle Medical Center, which is set to open in 2024.
In 2021, Sentara donated $150,000 to support housing assistance and suicide prevention programs through the Virginia Veterans Service Foundation.
These three nurses from Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital received RN
The CardioMEMS wireless heart monitor can detect signs of heart failure several weeks before it occurs.
Nine Sentara hospitals earned an “A” grade for safety from the Leapfrog Group in 2015.
After merging with Sentara in 2013, Halifax Regional Hospital adopted the Sentara name in 2015
This 2016 image shows Sentara Leigh Hospital after renovations, begun in 2008, were complete.
Martha Jefferson Hospital opened a new Sports Medicine Center in 2018, where “every patient is treated like a professional athlete.”
Howard Kern served as Sentara’s president and CEO from 2016 to 2022.
A scan produced by the low-dose CT screening procedure, which uses a computer linked to an X-ray machine to create detailed images.
A participant in Sentara Princess Anne Hospital’s Ornish Reversal program is monitored during exercise.
In 2016, Sentara received a grant to increase access to health insurance for pregnant women and uninsured children.
Young mom Morgan Phillips underwent a double hip replacement at the Orthopedic Hospital at Sentara Leigh. The surgeries gave Phillips her life back after years of debilitating pain.
U.S. News & World Report named Sentara Norfolk General Hospital the number one hospital in Hampton Roads in 2016.
In 2017, the Sentara MJH Foundation raised money to support the Center for Clinical Education at Martha Jefferson Hospital.
A nurse from Optima's managed care program, Optima Health Community Care, helps a patient use a walker outside her home.
Sentara Heart Hospital’s nurses have been recognized with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses’ “Silver Beacon Award” multiple times.
The Haden Nursing Institute at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital supports nurses through scholarships, fellowships, and certification programs.
Out of over 2,000 hospitals and health systems studied by IBM Watson Health in 2018, Sentara was named one of the nation’s “Top 15 Health Systems.”
In 2018, four Sentara hospitals received patient safety excellence awards from Healthgrades.
In 2018, Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital became the first in the nation to install a fully automated blood bank system.
The Albemarle Hospital Foundation’s Community Care Clinic offers free primary care and prescriptions to the region’s uninsured population.
Sentara Foundation – Hampton Roads provided a major grant to the Sentara Cardiovascular Research Institute in 2018.
In 2018, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital launched new programs to aid individuals experiencing mental health or substance misuse concerns.
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services recognized Sentara for its efforts to hire female veterans in 2019.
In 2019, Sentara raised money for a new Nightingale air ambulance. The new aircraft is faster, larger, and has advanced features including night vision and autopilot.
In 2019, the RMH Foundation donated over $600,000 to Rockingham County and Harrisonburg Rescue Squads to purchase state-of-the-art remote heart monitoring and transmission devices.
In 2019, Sentara and Optima each contributed $50 million to address social determinants of health in their communities.
Newsweek ranked Sentara Norfolk General Hospital among the “World’s Best Hospitals” in 2019.
Sentara Home Care Services has long relied on telehealth technology to aid patients. In 2019, the Home Care Services team began using tablets to remotely monitor patients.
Sentara’s health plans division continues to expand. In 2019, Optima Health became the majority owner of the Virginia Premier health plan, which serves nearly 800,000 members in Virginia.
Sentara leaders joined Governor Ralph Northam and Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer for the opening ceremony of the VB Strong Center in 2019.
An ER nurse takes a patient’s temperature with protective face and hand coverings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sentara employees package food at the Southeastern Virginia Food Bank to help families struggling with food insecurity during the pandemic.
A trauma nurse at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital works with a patient.
In 2020, all 12 Sentara hospitals were designated leaders in implementing policies and practices that promote inclusion of the LGBTQ community.
Sentara Albemarle Medical Center, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, and Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital were recognized in Newsweek’s 2020 “List of Best Maternity Hospitals.”
A Sentara employee conducts a COVID screening at one of Sentara’s drive-through testing locations.
Sentara began distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to employees with the highest risk of exposure in December 2020.
Sentara CEO Howard Kern, Old Dominion University President Dr. Brian Hemphill, and Eastern Virginia Medical School President Dr. Alfred Abuhamad sign a pledge to develop a school of public health.
By the end of 2021, Sentara had administered over 200,000 COVID-19 vaccines to the community.
In 2021, Sentara was named one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems by IBM Watson Health for the second time.
Sentara has made it a priority to address racial inequities that limit health and wellness. In 2021, Sentara administered 43 percent of community vaccines to minorities.
Sentara donated $150,000 to programs supporting veterans in 2021. At the time, veterans comprised six percent of Sentara’s nearly 30,000-member workforce.
In 2022, Sentara donated $3.5 million in medical supplies to charities addressing war and natural disasters in foreign countries. Partnering with Operation Blessing, Sentara provided relief for Ukrainian refugees.
The Carrillo Kern Center for Integrative Therapies offers holistic treatments to patients, including art therapies like floral design.
In 2022, 11 Sentara hospitals earned LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer status in the Healthcare Equality Index survey.
Dennis Matheis became president and CEO of Sentara in 2022, having previously served as a Sentara executive vice president and president of Sentara Health Plans.
The Sentara Mobile Care bus launched in 2022 to help alleviate the common healthcare barriers of transportation and time constraints.
Bell Hospital circa 1925, the year it opened in Williamsburg, Virginia.
A nurse sits with a patient on the sun porch at Martha Jefferson Hospital’s new building, opened in 1929.
Ambulances prepare to transport patients to the new General Hospital of Virginia Beach.
Physicians at work in an operating room at the new Dixie Hospital, opened in 1959.
Crowds gather outside the new General Hospital of Virginia Beach building in 1961.
The new Williamsburg Community Hospital opened in 1961 and featured 61 rooms.
Cardiac surgeons perform open-heart surgery in 1955.
In 1973, Dixie Hospital was renamed Hampton General Hospital to better identify it with the community.
The new Leigh Memorial Hospital was dedicated on May 5, 1978.
Sentara acquired Bayside Hospital in Virginia Beach in 1991.
The Potomac Hospital School of Anesthesia for Nurses held its first graduation in 1977.
By the 1980s, Alliance Health System had over 20 different programs and facilities.
Physicians treat a patient at Norfolk General Hospital’s Shock Trauma Center in the 1980s.
The system adopted the name Sentara in 1987.
The Sentara Health Foundation, established in 1998, has raised funds for a replacement Nightingale Air Ambulance and many other initiatives.
The new Sentara CarePlex Hospital opened in 2002.
U.S. News & World Report named eight Sentara hospitals among the nation’s best for providing maternity care.
The Sentara Neurosciences Institute, opened in 2011, offers comprehensive and advanced care for diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
A Sentara volunteer learns about the Tobacco Cessation Program, launched to help make all Sentara facilites tobacco-free in 2009.
Sentara Home Care continued to expand in the 2000s.
Sentara was designated an Employer of Choice® in 2008.
Two Sentara employees received the AMBER Alert Citizen Award in 2008 for their role in recovering an abducted infant.
David Bernd presents Sentara’s goals for the 1990s, centered on continuous quality improvement.
Sentara earned the distinction of becoming the first accredited Integrated Network Cancer Program in Virginia in 2009.
The Orthopaedic Hospital at Sentara CarePlex became the first dedicated orthopedic hospital in Virginia when it opened in 2010.
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital installed cutting-edge robotic surgery technologies in 2010.
All Sentara Hampton Roads Hospitals earned top scores for safety in the inaugural Hospital Safety Score rankings in 2012.
All seven Sentara Hampton Roads Hospitals earned “A” grades for safety in the inaugural Hospital Safety Score rankings in 2012.
Martha Jefferson’s neuroscience teams stands in front the hospital’s new Neuroscience Center, opened in 2013.
U.S. News & World Report ranked Sentara Norfolk General Hospital the number-one hospital in Virginia in 2013.
The Sentara RMH School of Histotechnology is a unique program that provides hands on experience in a hospital setting.
Sentara expanded to North Carolina in 2014 when the system became the operator of Sentara Albemarle Medical Center.
Sentara joined Virginia Values Veterans in 2014, a program that helps employers recruit and hire veterans.
Multiple Sentara hospitals added new telemedicine options in 2016.
The ISO 9001 Quality Management certification reflects Sentara’s commitment to delivering safe and effective care to all patients.
The Sentara Regional Transfer Center, launched in 2016, facilitates patient transfers between Sentara Hampton Roads hospitals.
Through a federal grant awarded in 2017, Sentara CarePlex provided Narcan administration training for local police.
The Sentara Family Medicine staff at Sentara Edinburgh, a new healthcare campus opened in Chesapeake, Virginia in 2017.
The Haden Nursing Institute at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital supports nurses through scholarships, fellowships, and certification programs.
Sentara College of Health Sciences added several new programs in 2018 to meet the needs of clinical staff.
Sentara volunteers treated 294 patients following Hurricane Florence in 2018.
Sentara opened five new urgent care centers in 2018 alone, bringing the Virginia total to 15.
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital opened five new floors in 2018.
Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center added neurology services in 2018.
A nurse assists a patient through Sentara Medical Group’s nurse advice line.
The vascular team at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital makes use of innovative procedures like clot vacuuming.
Sentara CarePlex launched a new maternity program in 2017.
Sentara and Optima launched mobile apps in 2019.
This state-of-the-art linear accelerator was installed at Sentara RMH Medical Center in 2019 to help treat cancer patients.
Sentara partnered with Old Dominion University to develop a new method for monitoring network activities and enhancing privacy and security.
In 2019, the Sentara BelleHarbour outpatient campus added a second building.
Howard Kern and Joan Brock celebrate the opening of the Sentara Brock Cancer Center in 2020.
In 2020, Forbes named Sentara one of the best health system employers for women.
In 2021, Sentara Heart Hospital performed Virginia’s first heart transplant after circulatory death.
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital launched a new program to support moms diagnosed with hypertension in 2021.
Public Housing in Newport News
Sentara celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2013.
Sentara, Old Dominion University, and Eastern Virginia Medical School committed to exploring a partnership to strengthen educational research in 2022.
As COVID-19 hospitalizations reached record highs in January 2022, Sentara postponed surgeries for a three-week period.
Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center achieved Trauma III designation in 2021, allowing the facility to treat seriously injured patients.
A patient in cardiac rehab at Sentara RMH Medical Center.
Six Sentara medical group practices received Rural Health Clinic Certification in 2021.
The Lanford family reunites with the Nightingale crew that saved Chelsea Lanford and her unborn son’s life after a terrible car accident.
Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center received Level I ‘Gold’ accreditation in 2022 for the quality of its geriatric emergency care.
In 2022, the VB Strong Center received additional funding to continue its services through 2024.
The Sentara Martha Jefferson Outpatient Care Center was one of several new Sentara Medical Group practices to open in 2022.
In 2022, Sentara partnered with Infinite Computer Solutions to create OptaFi.
Forbes recognized Sentara as the “Best Employer” in Virginia in 2022.
In 2022, the Sentara College of Health Sciences won “Best of Coastal Virginia” in three categories in Coastal Virginia Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
Sentara acquired the Florida-based health plan AvMed in 2022, further expanding its health insurance division.
Sentara’s Healthcare Performance Improvement consulting firm has helped hundreds of hospitals improve patient safety.
The Sentara Promise relfects the system’s commitment to patient safety.
Videos
New Technology Improves ICU Care
Sentara staff introduce eICU®, an innovative system that combines computer software, video feeds, and real-time patient information to help hospitals better manage ICUs. Sentara became the first in the nation to adopt the new system.
Sentara Named Top Integrated Healthcare Network
Sentara staff celebrate being named the nation’s top Integrated Healthcare Network. Sentara was named the number one IHN three times—in 2001, 2010, and 2011.
Sentara Wins Employer of Choice® Award
Sentara staff share what it means to work at Sentara as part of a growing, innovative, and dedicated healthcare team.
One of the Nation’s ”Most Wired Health Systems”
Sentara staff illustrate how Sentara Norfolk General Hospital uses electronic medical records to improve patient care. Sentara has received several awards for its efforts to improve care through technology, including being named one of the nation’s “Most Wired” health systems multiple times.
Reaching Patients at Home
In this video, a patient shares her experience with Sentara MDLIVE, a program that began in 2012 and allows patients to consult with doctors from home.
Sentara Celebrates 125 Years of Service
Sentara staff celebrate being named the nation’s top Integrated Healthcare Network. Sentara was named the number one IHN three times—in 2001, 2010, and 2011.
System-Wide Innovations
Sentara staff discuss the world’s largest clinical trial of copper-infused products to prevent hospital acquired infections at two Sentara hospitals in 2013.
CEO David Bernd Recognized for Achievements
Upon Sentara CEO Dave Bernd’s retirement in 2016, current and former colleagues gathered to share their memories and thanks for Bernd’s 44 years of service.
Sentara Establishes new roles for Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Health
Sentara’s Chief Diversity Officer explains how Sentara is partnering with the community to make positive changes.
Sentara’s Director of Health Equity shares how Sentara strives to build trust in the community.
Sentara Administers First COVID-19 Vaccines
Sentara staff administer its first COVID-19 vaccine to employees. Employee vaccination clinics were set up within 24 hours of FDA approval of the vaccine.
Sentara Provides Care Through Ongoing Pandemic
Sentara CEO Howard Kern thanks employees for their commitment and dedication to improving health every day, especially during COVID-19.
Dennis Matheis Becomes Sentara President and CEO
Sentara welcomes new President CEO Dennis Matheis.
Sentara Launches Community Care Programs
Sentara staff and community members celebrate the launch of Sentara Community Care.
Nightingale Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary
Nightingale celebrates 40 years of life-saving trips.