Today at Fauquier Health; 2021 year in review

In healthcare, each day is filled with new discoveries and new possibilities. We embrace this spirit at Fauquier Health. We are inspired every day to deliver amazing care to our community, and we are constantly evolving and striving to find new ways to support the health and wellbeing of all the people we serve in Fauquier, Culpeper, Rappahannock and other surrounding counties.

Last year was full of unprecedented challenges. These challenges greatly impacted our hospital, our frontline healthcare workers and first responders, and those living in our communities. Together, we faced loss and sacrifice. It is during challenging times like these that it is important to focus on the positive by celebrating the accomplishments and achievements.

Even though last year we all were stretched beyond comprehensible limits, we held onto hope for a brighter future. That hope enabled us to identify strength within and find opportunity for growth. In 2020, Fauquier Health expanded the services we provide by welcoming several new physicians and providers to our hospital family including a certified nurse midwife, a neurologist, three interventional radiologists to establish full time coverage, and a new OB/GYN provider. With these new additions, our medical staff has grown to more than 200 providers strong. This vibrant community is one of extraordinary talent and passion for elevating the quality of care available to the region.

This growing medical staff has allowed us to expand important services regionally. Last year, we expanded our women’s health program through a new midwifery program, we expanded upon our surgical weight loss and bariatric program, and improved upon our ability to offer minimally-invasive robotic surgery with our new DaVinci Xi robot and dedicated Globus ExcelsiusGPS Spine robot for spine surgery. Our cardiac catheterization lab, which opened in 2019, saw a tremendous 125% growth in volume. We understand every minute matters in the case of an emergency, so having the abilities to provide lifesaving operations locally is instrumental for the health needs of our community. We have fully moved all cancer, hematology, and infusion services into the new Cancer Center facility to provide care through the latest advances in technology and combined with comfort for a patient centered approach. All of these programs continue to grow and accept new patients.

In addition to adding new programs and services, we have enhanced our efforts in the areas of patient safety and quality. Fauquier Health has achieved reaccreditation by the Commission on Cancer, Joint Commission re-accreditation for Advanced Primary Stroke Center and Lab, as well as reaccreditation for Chest Pain by the American College of Cardiology all in the year of 2020.

All of this great work could not have been accomplished without our extraordinary team. We are grateful for our providers, nurses, clinical staff and all of our hospital, practice and long-term care employees, who are on the front lines providing high-quality care for our patients with fortitude, grace and compassion.  We also appreciate the outpouring of encouragement and support we have received from our community partners and the community at large – the parades, meals, donations of PPE and other supplies have meant the world. Thank you for recognizing and supporting our healthcare heroes.

As we start a new year, we remain focused on safeguarding our community from the effects of this pandemic and expanding access to care. Fauquier Health is proud to partner with our local health department to support vaccination efforts and curb the spread of this dreadful virus in our communities. We look forward to expanding services and programs as we continue to recruit new clinicians, invest in facility and technology upgrades and partner with local organizations and community partners.

In closing, we are proud of our history of caring for our region and are proud of our many accomplishments, but it’s a new day at Fauquier Health, and we are looking ahead with our commitment to the future. It’s why we’re here, providing a range of services to help our family, friends and neighbors be their best. We have the experience and resources to meet the unique and evolving health care needs of our community, close to home.

Thank you for your continued support as we advance our mission of Making Communities while building a health system our communities can count on today and for generations to come.

Chad Melton, CEO
Steve Wojcik, Board Chairman