The CurrenT
Wednesday, MarCh 11, 2015
Aging, Health & Wellness
17
2015
Parkinson’s diagnosis turns local woman into national research advocate
After she retired, the symptoms continued, but at first her doctor dismissed them, saying she was probably just adjusting to not workhen winter weather ing anymore. hits the District, it But it got harder for Davies and often reveals two her friends to ignore. Little issues kinds of people: became more apparent, like the one those who huddle inside to wait until it passes, or those who venture arm that remained stationary when she walked. That quirk grew to the outside to explore the frozen landpoint where she would sometimes scape. Patricia Davies is one of the involuntarily hold her hand like a adventurers. claw. And when she was grocery During the ice storm on March 1, instead of sitting by the fire in her shopping, she found it hard to coorcomfortable Forest Hills home with dinate putting items in her basket or her Yorkshire terrier Patrick and her change in her wallet. Then she had difficulty writing. calico cat Sophie, Davies ventured Her friends wondered if perhaps she’d had a mild stroke. Davies did what many people do with their medical symptoms: She Googled them. One of the possibilities was Parkinson’s. She went back to her doctor and, after seeing a neurologist who ruled out other possible illnesses, got the official diagnosis. As many as 1 million Americans live with Parkinson’s disease, more than the combined number of Photo courtesy of Pat Davies people diagnosed with Forest Hills resident Pat Davies keeps active multiple sclerosis, and exercises to manage Parkinson’s disease. muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to the Parkinson’s out with camera in hand to photoDisease Foundation in New York. graph the nearby flora and fauna Approximately 60,000 Americans encased in ice. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s each “It was all so photogenic, but it year, and that doesn’t include the was disappearing so fast,” she said. estimated thousands of cases that go Davies posted a few photos on undetected, the organization said. her neighborhood website, Forest The average age of onset is 60, and Hills Connection. One commenter there is no cure. wrote, “Leave it to you, Pat, to find Davies takes medication every beauty everywhere, even that four hours to control her symptoms. annoying ice storm!” but she hasn’t let the disease slow Davies also sees opportunity in her down. At 67, she’s become a other types of challenging situafierce advocate for Parkinson’s tions. patients, and she also holds leaderShe was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2009. That was two ship positions at several local nonprofits dedicated to other causes. years after she retired from the “I want to take on as much as I World Bank and International Monetary Fund, where she managed and possibly can while I can,” she said. “I feel like the clock is running out. planned the annual board of goverI don’t know how much longer I’ll nors and ministerial-level meetings be able to do things.” — a job that took her to many While Davies is considered a countries during her 16-year tenure. Davies, who grew up in England high-functioning patient, she knows that might not always be the case. but has lived in Northwest D.C. She’s beginning to develop involunsince 1991, felt the early signs of tary movements, called dyskinesia the disease when she was still — typically a side effect of the working, but at the time she didn’t medication and sometimes associatknow what it could be. “I knew something was wrong. I ed with actor Michael J. Fox, who sometimes felt cognitively impaired developed Parkinson’s at age 30 and went on to become a strong — my brain was fuzzy and I advocate for research. Her speech is couldn’t quite connect my softer than it once was, and somethoughts,” she recalled. By DEIRDRE BANNON Current Correspondent
W
times her words are slightly slurred. “Keeping active is my way of dealing with it,” she said. “I don’t
sit at home and think, ‘Oh no, I have Parkinson’s.’ I do talk about it; I tell new people I meet fairly
quickly. I think it’s part of my responsibility to educate people on See Parkinson’s/Page 25
GAINING WEIGHT? FEELING RUN-DOWN? LOW SEX DRIVE? NOT YOUR NORMAL SELF? What many assume is “normal aging” could be a hormonal imbalance. THE MEDICAL EXPERTS AT NAVA CAN HELP.
Your NAVA Wellness Diagnostic will begin with a thorough assessment, followed by sophisticated and comprehensive blood testing. We analyze 65 separate bio-chemical lab markers—almost twice as many as a routine physical. A NAVA doctor will also analyze your thyroid, adrenals, vitamins and hormone levels, and screen for key food sensitivities—then discuss the results with you in detail. NAVA medical professionals will then craft a personalized plan to help you revitalize your life.
GET YOUR LIFE BACK IN BALANCE. SCHEDULE YOUR WELLNESS ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSTIC TODAY 301-795-0815 NavaCenter.com TO LEARN MORE
SERVICES
5 WISCONSIN CIRCLE CHEV Y CHASE, MD
Bio-identical Hormone Optimization • Massage Therapy Weight Loss • Chiropractic • Nutritional Consultation • Acupuncture Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy • IV Micronutrient Therapy • Life Coaching 150137_ASCD_6.08x10.75_TNW.indd 1
2/19/15 11:08 AM
18 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015
THE CURRENT
Aging, Health & Wellness
2015
‘Innovation hub’ aims to be national model By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer
F
ollowing a recent premature birth at Sibley Memorial Hospital, the mother and her new baby each needed specialized care in different parts of the building — leaving them unable to see or spend time with each other. In searching for a way to improve this frequent problem, hospital workers set up a pair of iPad tablets in the rooms and initiated a video call between the mother and child. “Mom had the ability to see her baby and have that virtual interaction,” Sibley president Chip Davis said in an interview. “Everybody in the room started to cry because it was such a powerful thing, and [the] mom kept the iPad until the battery ran out three hours later.” The iPad experiment was the brainchild of Sibley’s nascent “innovation hub” — a program at the hospital that helps staff come up with quick ways to make improvements. Davis created the hub about
six months ago, and he told The Current it could help make Sibley “a national model for community hospitals in innovation.” The innovation hub is housed in an open 3,500-square-foot room in the hospital that held patients’ paper records before Sibley switched to electronic filing. Movable furniture and whiteboards make it easy for the staff to take over all or part of the room for impromptu brainstorming. Bright colors and features like a fish tank and jukebox are designed to encourage relaxed, almost irreverent attitudes toward the status quo. “It sends a message that it’s OK to think outside the box — sometimes it’s OK to be playful,” said hub director Nick Dawson. “We need to be reverent and respect the dignity of our patients and our community, but it’s also OK to have a little bit of fun when you’re trying to come up with creative ways to alleviate pain and suffering.” Dawson is one of three full-time staff members from varied backgrounds at the innovation hub, along with a rotating cadre of three
hospital staffers who work there for a couple of months at a time. Their job is to assist doctors, nurses, administrators and anyone else who asks for help with a given issue. In addition to the iPads, Dawson said the hub has been working to improve education and the patient experience during the discharge process, and to improve wayfinding around the hospital complex. For discharge, Sibley is trying out a “room service-style card” that allows patients to note what sort of questions they need answered, so experts can discuss them before the patient leaves the hospital. And for wayfinding, the innovators found that some patients want a person to guide them through the hospital and others want tools to help them handle it on their own. Dawson said a way to improve the former situation would be to give staffers distinguishing clothing so patients know who to ask for directions; for the other type of visitor, Sibley is looking into electronic kiosks and mobile apps. “We always think about the
Photo courtesy of Sibley Memorial Hospital
The Sibley Memorial Hospital program occupies an open 3,500-squarefoot room and is staffed by three full-time employees. smallest project,” he said. “Don’t boil the ocean; let’s try to improve one particular thing. … We can’t fix discharge in four weeks, but we can try to do it a little bit better.” According to Davis, this sort of fresh thinking can be just what the health care industry needs. Medical professionals are accustomed to using the scientific method, with careful experimentation and clinical trials before a change is deemed acceptable. “The problem with that is it’s
I N T H E you’ll find true C I R C L E peace of mind.
very time-intensive,” Davis said. “In order to do something like that in a pure scientific format, it can take months or years to reach consensus on a problem or a solution. What we’re trying to do is prototype ideas that same day, or in very short order, not demonstrate its efficacy in 10,000 people over a fiveyear study.” Another piece of the innovation hub’s methodology is its focus on questions rather than outcomes, See Innovation/Page 25
NO WORRIES ABOUT THE FUTURE
You want to stay close to the people and things you most enjoy, even if needs change. And you want to feel at home. You can, at Thomas Circle, downtown’s only senior living community offering all levels of care. In our City Club Memory Care Neighborhood, experiences are designed to awaken the senses and feel familiar, like home— SAVINGS UP TO exactly what senior living should be. True peace of mind; for your whole life. Only in the Circle.
MY FRIENDS ARE ALL RIGHT HERE
3,000
$
CALL US OR VISIT
202-626-5761 ThomasCircle.com
1330 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20005 NP/CURRENTS/3-15
IT FEELS SO GOOD TO BE HOME
MY DAUGHTER CAN VISIT ME OFTEN
THE CURRENT
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015 19
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE ON AGING NEWS
Spotlight on Community Living Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Serving D.C. residents who are age 18+ with a disability or age 60+ and their caregivers
Executive Director’s Message John M. Thompson, Ph.D., CPM, FAAMA, D.C. Office on Aging Last month I testified at the Agency Performance Oversight Hearing before the Committee on Housing and Community Development chaired by Councilmember At-Large Anita Bonds. Highlights of our accomplishments over the past year include our efforts protecting the financial interests of seniors, increasing access to home and community-based services, improving operations, combatting social isolation, and connecting with more customers. DCOA collaborated with AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE) to advocate for legislation to prevent seniors from losing their homes through foreclosure due to relatively small sums of unpaid real property taxes. Based on LCE’s analysis of the tax sale lists provided by the Office of Tax and Revenue, the number of tax sales of properties coded as “senior” fell from 26 in 2013 to just 9 in 2014, a reduction of 65%. DCOA is collaborating with the District’s Elder Abuse Prevention Committee and the U.S.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to implement “Money Smart for Older Adults” to educate seniors on how to recognize and prevent financial exploitation. Money Smart for Older Adults is an interactive module that has been well received at DCOA’s senior wellness centers and we encourage you to sign up today. In October 2014, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) awarded DCOA a competitive $1 million, threeyear federal grant to further develop a dementia-capable system of long-term services and supports (LTSS) for persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and their caregivers. With this funding, DCOA plans to expand access to services for customers living alone with ADRD, offer money management services for persons with mild cases of ADRD, expand a respite care program in underserved Wards 7 and 8, and create a behavioral symptom management training program to enhance professionals’ understanding of ADRD.
COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR MARCH EVENTS 11th U 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Hayes Senior Wellness Center, 500 K St. NE, will present a Community Health, Wellness and Informational Fair. Contact Andre Lane or Sherrell Briscoe at 202-727-0357.
12th U 10 a.m.–noon Join the Ward 4 Mini Commission on Aging at its monthly meeting held at the Fourth District Police Precinct, 6001 Georgia Ave. NW.
12th U 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. The D.C. Office on Aging and the Office of Unified Communications will conduct a Smart911 Presentation and Reg-
istration event at the Deanwood Recreation Center KEEN Senior Program, 1350 49th St. NE. For more information or to schedule a presentation, call 202-724-5622.
12th U 11:30 a.m. Gettysburg (Fort Lincoln 1) will hold a town hall meeting at 2855 Bladensburg Rd. NE. For more information, contact Thelma Hines at 202-529-8701 extension 222
16th U Noon–3 p.m. The D.C. Office on Aging will provide information on its resources and services at Washington Hospital Center, Physician’s Office Building, 106 Irving St. NW
According to Dr. Roger A. Mitchell, Jr. in 2013, 70% of accidental deaths among District residents ages 65 years and older were due to falls, which makes it the leading cause of death among older adults for the fourth year in a row. DCOA launched the Falls Prevention Program in July 2014 which included seminars and television commercials that aired between July 2014 and September 2014. In conjunction with the education campaign, occupational therapists perform in-home falls risk screenings and share recommendations on how to eliminate fall hazards. Through a partnership with The National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH), DCOA launched What a Waste™, a new initiative to combat senior hunger by reducing and recapturing food waste in the District. At three senior wellness centers they are identifying waste that can be reduced, and waste that cannot be eliminated to convert into compost. The compost will fertilize onsite herb and vegetable gardens. In
17th, 31st U Noon The D.C. Caregivers Online Chat at Noon is held bi-weekly to provide caregivers with assistance through an online forum. Log on for advice, resources and tips to assist you with your caregiving responsibilities. If you are not available at 12 p.m., check back at your convenience and hit replay to see the entire chat. Join the discussion at www.dcoa.dc.gov/page/caregiverchat. For more information, contact Linda Irizarry at 202-535-1442 or linda.irizarry@dc.gov.
18th U 10 a.m. The D.C. Office on Aging (DCOA) Ambassador Program is a free, interactive, member-based program designed to reach out to older adults and their caregivers to help them learn about the services and resources available to them through DCOA. If you are interested in expanding your network and educating older adults about the services
Vol 3, No 5
December, DCOA composted 438 pounds of food, which is equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions created from driving a car 435 miles. Bread roll waste was reduced by 57% in two months after the food vendor changed the type of roll and how often it was served. Milk replaced yogurt during some meals because many seniors were lactose intolerant or they found it unappetizing. Seniors receive the proper amounts of calcium and Vitamin D. Finally, DCOA worked with sites to improve the meal order process to eliminate waste. On December 1, 2014, the Connector Card Program replaced the Call-N-Ride program to increase options for seniors accessing public transportation without restrictions. Seniors pay a sliding fee based on their income and DCOA subsidizes expenses up to $100 per card per month on a Connector Visa Card. The card can be used on public transportation that accepts this method of payment in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area. In partnership with D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) and Jumpstart, DCOA is connecting seniors with early childhood
students or reading, one-onone tutorials, and facilitate special activities. Seniors have an opportunity to give back while combatting social isolation. The children gain wisdom and acquire life skills from the seniors, while sharing their joy, energy, and enthusiasm about learning. The teachers receive additional assistance in the classroom that enhances the students’ overall learning experience. DCOA has released a free long-term care planning guide to help residents understand long-term care, the importance of long-term care planning, and the resources available to District residents. More than 31,000 copies have been distributed across the city to senior centers, hospitals, doctors’ offices, District libraries and recreation centers, and churches. The agency budget hearing is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 11:00 AM at the historic John A. Wilson Building in Room 120. I look forward to seeing you at that hearing! To learn more about DCOA’s programs or obtain the long-term care planning guide, visit www.dcoa.dc.gov or call 202-724-5622.
and resources available to them, join the next Ambassador Training Workshop to learn about all of the programs and services that DCOA offers to the community and how you can become an Ambassador. All workshops include an overview of Office on Aging programs and services, information on how to access resources, and guidance on your role as an advocate. Call 202-7245622 to register today.
is located at 4125 Albemarle St. NW. To reserve a seat, call Patricia Dubroof at 202-895-9407.
21st U 1–3 p.m.
The D.C. Office on Aging will provide information on its resources and services at Zion Baptist Church 4850 Blagden Avenue, NW.
Come to a program called Golden Era at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 5101 14th St. NW. To learn more, call 202-726-2220.
23rd U 7 p.m. Iona Senior Services presents a play reading in partnership with the Playwright’s Forum. In Kitchen Sink by Paula Stone, after a lifetime of cooking, a woman sells the contents of her kitchen in a yard sale. Admission is $5. Iona
25th U 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center, 3500 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE, will present a Community Health, Wellness and Informational Fair. For more information, call 202-563-7225.
26th U 10–11 a.m.
31st U 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Chevy Chase Community Center will hold a Community Health, Wellness and Informational Fair. The center is located at 5601 Connecticut Ave, NW. Contact Chevy Chase Community Center staff at 202-282-2204.
G O V E R N M E N T O F T H E D I S T R I C T O F C O L U M B I A — M U R I E L B O W S E R , M AY O R
20 Wednesday, March 11, 2015
2015
The currenT
Aging, Health & Wellness
Researchers include two D.C. ‘villages’ in national aging-in-place study By KATIE PEARCE Current Staff Writer
A
s the “village� movement becomes a mainstream option for aging at home, advocates are looking for more hard data on the national phenomenon. An ongoing study — involving two D.C. villages — seeks to fill that void. The Foggy Bottom West End Village and the Northwest Neighbors Village are two of 23 programs nationwide serving as representative samples in the 18-month study by the University of California at Berkeley. The goal is to take a closer look at the state of American “aging in place� villages, with the backdrop of public policy and funding in mind.
The study comes at a time when the village movement is growing more sophisticated, after starting out over a decade ago in Boston’s Beacon Hill. At that time, it was a grass-roots concept: connecting seniors to volunteer services from their own homes, so they could avoid retirement communities or assisted-living facilities. Now, though, there are more than 200 such villages established or forming across the country, including 40-plus in the D.C. metro area. But the information that’s out there on villages is still fairly spotty, according to Andrew Scharlach, a Berkeley professor who directs the school’s Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services. Though the center has steered several past studies on villages,
Do you know someone who needs
MEDICAL COMPRESSION STOCKINGS? Jobst, Mediven, Sigvaris, KnitRite, Juzo, Allegro and More! THOUSANDS OF PAIRS IN STOCK
ALL COMPRESSION LEVELS, COLORS, SIZES, STYLES
20% TO
60% BELOW RETAIL
they’ve focused mostly on California. The best countrywide picture right now is the listing of nearly 140 villages registered with the Village to Village Network, a national umbrella organization that’s partnered with Berkeley for the current research. But Scharlach said that listing doesn’t provide anything close to a full portrait. The public needs more information on how villages operate, particularly the most successful ones, and who they serve. “What percentage of village members are women? What percentage of village members have various types of health insurance? What percentage are using transportation services?� Scharlach said, rattling off examples of the information needed. Bob McDonald, executive director of the Foggy Bottom West End Village, said his group is conducting two types of extensive surveys for the Berkeley research — one for newly joining members, the other for existing members. Both are voluntary. The latter survey asks members about the services they tend to use within the village framework — for example, transportation, shopping, light housework or gardening. Members are also asked to evaluate their own health and social activities both within and outside the village, McDonald said. Because the Berkeley study aims
to look at outcomes over time, the Foggy Bottom village will do another round of surveys in about a year. “They want to look at the impact of belonging to a village on the lives of the members of a village over time ‌ their independence, their social contacts, their satisfaction with their lives, their ability to stay in their own homes,â€? McDonald said. Big picture, that equates to a better understanding of villages as they start to play a more advanced role “in the larger realm of aging services, both at the national level and local level,â€? Scharlach said. Ultimately, the data could help with federal and local policy changes, new funding structures and potential formal partnerships, such as with insurance companies. One specific goal for the future, Scharlach said, is to develop a formal national registry of U.S. villages, creating a central database “to be used by consumers as well as by villages themselves.â€? Right now, “if you were to ask, how many village members are there in the United States? We have a good approximation ‌ but the truth is, nobody has that information,â€? he said. A recent Berkeley study that focused on five California villages found that the model brings a “number of positive impacts that may reduce social isolation,
improve well-being, and increase confidence aging in place.� However, the study also concluded that villages tend to have “fewer positive impacts for members in poor health, prompting questions about the longterm effectiveness� of the concept for that population. The current national study is funded by the Retirement Research Foundation, and it will eventually bring in additional funding from the Archstone Foundation. The villages were chosen “to be as representative as possible,� Scharlach said, in terms of geography, size, ages and other factors. The Foggy Bottom West End Village launched in October 2013, and it has since grown by 43 percent to 143 members, according to director McDonald. The other D.C. participant in the study, Northwest Neighbors, is in its sixth year. Nearby, an Alexandria, Va., village is also participating, according to McDonald. McDonald said the study should help with the big picture of the village movement, as well as improvements to his local organization. “By just conducting this type of research, we’ll get a lot more information about people’s satisfaction with the village and what they’re looking for,� he said. “It will help us not only to improve the impact of the village on people’s lives, but to tweak our programs and serve people.�
Come Join Us...
ha Let ve ’s lun ch !
on all name brands
NOW SELLING ATHLETIC & RUNNING COMPRESSION GARMENTS
WALK-IN Mon-Fri, 10AM – 5PM CUSTOM FITTINGS BY APPOINTMENT Call 202-895-6945 OR ORDER ONLINE www.BrightLifeDirect.com Free shipping and most orders ship the same day.
6925 Willow Street NW, Suite D | Washington, DC 20012 Two blocks from Takoma Park Metro Station and directly across the street from the CVS at Carroll and Willow
Great times. Good friends. People who care. Distinctive retirement living. " ! % % ! ! " !& ! % " "
! " % www.chevychasehouse.com
Call us at: 202-686-5504
ASSISTED LIVING FOR INDEPENDENT PEOPLE Publication: The Current | Ad size: 6.08 in x 5.25 in (1/4 wide) | Date: 09-09
THE CURRENT
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015
Aging, Health & Wellness
21
2015
D.C. Council legislation would mandate heart testing to protect newborns By BETH COPE Current Staff Writer
O
livia Easley’s story is enough to make any parent panic. Her daughter Veronica was “seemingly perfect” at her April 2009 birth, scoring solid numbers on the Apgar test and sailing through her first pediatrician visits. But by six weeks, things turned: Veronica spit up often, and she seemed to be in pain when she nursed. Over the phone, the pediatrician’s office said it could be digestive, so Olivia tweaked her diet. But after a few days, concerned by the lack of progress, she scheduled an appointment. The next morning she found Veronica unconscious in her crib. She never woke up. “Initially we thought it was SIDS,” Olivia recounted in testimony before the D.C. Council last month, referring to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. “But the next day I got a call from the medical examiner that she had an undetected heart defect.” Olivia found it “particularly devastating” when she learned that Veronica’s defect could have been fixed — that emergency surgery would have likely saved her, and left her with a stellar long-term prognosis. And then she found out a diagnosis would have been easy: A simple test called pulse oximetry can detect most serious heart defects in newborns. “And I was furious.” Olivia — along with the other witnesses at the Feb. 2 hearing — was at the Wilson Building to support the Healthy Hearts of Babies Act of 2015, legislation that would mandate the use of pulse oximetry testing on newborns at all D.C. hospitals. In fact, all seven D.C. hospitals that deliver babies are already using pulse oximetry, a simple, noninva-
sive test that quickly reveals the oxygen saturation level of a patient’s blood, which can be an important sign of heart problems. But they’re doing so voluntarily, and proponents of the measure want to see it made mandatory, partly to ensure that it’s done for all newborns. “We don’t think that every baby is getting screened,” said Dr. Gerard Martin of Children’s National Medical Center. “There are some days in which they just don’t get to every baby because they’re too busy — and it’s not a law.” Kicking off last month’s hearing, bill author Yvette Alexander said many babies born with a critical congenital heart defect, or CCHD, look perfectly healthy. But if they’re sent home without treatment, they could die. The Ward 7 representative on the council said a recent study in California found that “over 50 percent of infants with missed CCHD diagnosis died within 13.5 days on average.” Martin of Children’s National has been working to promote newborn screening for critical congenital heart defects for years, since earning an endowed professorship at Children’s in 2007 that allowed him to conduct research on the issue. He said congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect in babies, and about 10,000 babies are born each year with a critical case — meaning it requires quick action to correct. But he said proper screening, and the resulting treatment, can make a huge difference. Congenital heart defects, or those present from birth, can sometimes be detected through fetal ultrasound and newborn examination. But those two methods find only about 70 percent of babies with defects, leaving 30 percent undetected. “With pulse oximetry we believe that that 30 percent goes down to 1
REDUCE pain RESTORE mobility REBUILD strength and balance
Tenleytown-AU Metro
Swedish/Deep Tissue Acupressure Acupuncture Cranial Sacral Therapy Myofascial Release Trigger Point Release Neuromuscular Therapy Therapeutic Exercise Muscle Energy Technique Strain/Counter-‐Strain Visceral Manipulation Lymphatic Drainage
Insurance/Medicare/Medicaid
15% off first service
202-966-2033 4000 Albemarle St. NW Suite 501
to 2 percent being missed,” Martin said. And the test is simple, noninvasive and cheap, he and others said.
Parent Meredith Atkinson described the pulse oximetry machine as employing a “BandAid-like device [that’s] wrapped
Formerly
the
around an infant’s foot for about a minute.” Her 10-year-old daughter MiraSee Hearts/Page 25
methodist home
dC
oF
An enduring tradition of care... ... by people committed to our residents.
Jennifer Director of Nursing 11 years
Werki Certified Nursing Assistant 7 years
Sandy CEO 22 years
Jonathan Charge Nurse 8 years
We believe exceptional senior care comes from people who are committed to their work and the residents they serve. Which is why we are proud of our many co-workers who for 10, 15, even 20 years or more have represented our inclusive philosophy and sustained our tradition of excellent care.
To learn more, please visit our website or call. 4901 Connecticut Ave, NW Washington, DC 20008 (202) 966-7623 www.foresthillsdc.org
A ssisted L iving
|
M eMory C Are
www.physicalmassage.com
Not for Profit
Forest Hills Employees Ad - Current - Werki.indd 1
|
r ehAbiLitAtion
|
s kiLLed n ursing
Continuum of Care
2/12/15 7:41 PM
22 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015
2015
THE CURRENT
Aging, Health & Wellness
Ward 3’s Cheh preaches — and practices — healthy lifestyle By GRAHAM VYSE Current Staff Writer
O
ne of Mary Cheh’s lingering resentments is the fact that she never played Little League. It’s not that she didn’t have the desire or ability. In fact, she was quite an athletic kid growing up in woodsy Colonia, N.J. But in an era before Title IX, sporting opportunities for girls were limited, so the young woman who would later become Ward 3’s D.C. Council member had no choice but to sit on the sidelines. The worst part, Cheh reminisced during a recent interview at the Wilson Building, was that her brother ended up being an awful baseball
player, making her confident that she could have done better. “He couldn’t hit to save his life,” Cheh said. “I could actually hit the ball when we played in the backyard.” Cheh may not play much baseball these days, but the council member, who will turn 65 this summer, still famously rides her bike to work in warm weather, and she’s quick to extol the virtue of that kind of exercise. In addition to keeping her from becoming sedentary, she said, “It’s great fun. I love going really fast down the hills and whatnot.” Leading by example when it comes to healthy living would be one thing, but Cheh has also made public health a prominent part of
Comfort. Companionship. Peace of Mind.
her legislative agenda since joining the D.C. Council in 2007. Her landmark Healthy Schools Act, signed by former Mayor Adrian Fenty in 2010, ushered in school nutrition and exercise standards that were among the most ambitious in the country. Looking back, Cheh feels particularly proud that the law made school breakfast available to every student and created school gardening programs across the District, some of which now contribute vegetables to school lunches. “We have become estranged from the earth, and this is reintroducing our young people to the earth and natural foods,” she said. Cheh acknowledges that the implementation of her law has been uneven in some respects, saying that “we’ve had trouble implementing the full physical education requirements, particularly at the
high school level.” But she feels as strongly as ever about its overall importance. “If we’re feeding kids lunch, it’s on us to feed them a proper lunch. It’s on us to educate them about nutrition. It’s on us to make sure they have adequate physical education throughout the day,” she said. One formative experience Cheh still talks about related to these issues was the day she accompanied Mayor Fenty to visit some dilapidated housing in Ward 7. The council member recalls poking her head through the open door of a tiny apartment and seeing three small children sitting in their living room. “It was about 11 in the morning on a beautiful spring day, with the sun out,” she said. “And here were these kids, still in their underwear or pajamas, set up in front of the television with a big bottle of Coke
Current file photo
Cheh regularly bikes to work at the Wilson Building.
and a big bag of chips. … I was thinking, there’s something wrong here.” Cheh has also seen evidence of America’s growing obesity crisis inside D.C. schools. She worries See Cheh/Page 25
JOIN AND SAVE $79 PAY ZERO ENROLLMENT FEES*
Grand Oaks Assisted Living offers the comfort and amenities of a gracious Georgian-style residence with beautiful light-filled apartments, a full range of services and activities and round-the-clock personal care. With the Sibley assurance of quality and the care of the Johns Hopkins team, Grand Oaks provides its residence and their families the greatest luxury of all—peace of mind.
GET RESULTS!
Call Today to schedule a tour! An Assisted Living Residence
*SEE MEMBERSHIP FOR DETAILS. OFFER ENDS 3/31/15.
202-349-3400
Sibley Memorial Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine
5901 MacArthur Bldv., NW | Washington, DC 20016 GrandOaksDC.org
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1997 202.234.5678 315 G Street SE, Washington, DC
RESULTSTHEGYM.COM
EVERY BODY WANTS
RESULTS.
The CurrenT
Wednesday, MarCh 11, 2015
Aging, Health & Wellness
23
2015
Volunteer squad supplements medical coverage By DEIRDRE BANNON Current Correspondent
W
hen someone has an emergency, the automatic response is to call 911. But those who live in parts of Upper Northwest have another option: calling the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad, which could have an available ambulance closer than any operated by the District’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. The volunteer emergency medical response team provides life-saving services to neighborhoods in Upper Northwest, where it was founded in 1937 to supplement the District’s emergency operations. In later years, it expanded to cover bordering areas in parts of Montgomery County. Its storied roots began with area resident Don Dunnington, who recognized the dire need for ambulance service in the Chevy Chase neighborhood because at the time, city services weren’t able to respond to the area quickly enough. “There was a true void we were filling at that point,” said rescue squad Chief Edward Sherburne. First operating with a used ambulance from a tiny garage at 38th Street and Military Road, the squad is now headquartered in a fully equipped fire station at Old Georgetown Road and Battery Lane in Bethesda. It has a fleet of six state-of-the-art ambulances and medic units as well as a fire engine and sleeping and living quarters for its trained volunteer members and a handful of paid staff. “B-CC is a huge asset for the
community,” said Anne Renshaw, a former chair of the Chevy Chase advisory neighborhood commission who now serves as president of the D.C. Federation of Citizens Associations and vice chair of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee. “It’s comforting to know that B-CC is just over the line of our border and can and will respond to medical emergencies within its call area.” In D.C., the rescue squad covers most of Ward 3 and part of Ward 4 west of Rock Creek Park. Its District boundaries are the “5000 block of MacArthur Blvd., 2600 block of Foxhall Road, 2300 block of 44th St., 2800 block of New Mexico Ave., 2900 block of Wisconsin Ave., 2900 block of 34th St., 3100 block of Connecticut Ave., and Beach Drive,” according to a memorandum of understanding between the squad and the D.C. fire department. Anyone with an emergency in the squad’s coverage area can call its emergency line at 301-652-1000. Because of its agreement with the District, the squad will immediately notify the city’s emergency dispatcher, who may decide to send additional rescue personnel and vehicles, depending on the situation. That dispatcher cannot, however, call off the rescue squad once it has been contacted — only the person in distress or his or her family members can do that. In most cases, the rescue squad will take patients to the hospital of their choice, whereas D.C.’s emergency medical personnel will take patients to the closest hospital or the one best equipped to handle the particular medical situation.
Photos courtesy of Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad
Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad volunteers have weekly training to prepare for medical emergencies. The only circumstances in which the squad couldn’t take patients to their preferred hospital would be if that facility is closed to ambulances due to patient load or problems, or if a person’s medical situation requires the squad to follow a certain protocol. In trauma or cardiac cases, for instance, patients need to go to hospitals equipped to handle those situations. The rescue squad currently has 177 volunteers who undergo training that meets federal, state and city requirements. Some members choose to become certified emergency medical technicians or gain additional training in fire and rescue services. Volunteers come from all walks of life and professions, from attorneys to college professors to government employees, and include a healthy balance of men and
Come in for a consultation, and see if you need an estate plan, or if it is time for an update.
For over 100 years Ingleside at Rock Creek has served the senior community of Washington, D.C. Today it enjoys a well deserved reputation as a diverse community of remarkable people— educators from the highest levels in academia, writers, musicians and successful entrepreneurs, all with a common view of elegant retirement living within the District. Here you’ll discover an engaging and inclusive community of friends and neighbors in a tranquil setting—yet in the midst of the cultural, artistic and entertainment opportunities in one of the greatest cities in the world.
NANCY L. FELDMAN
Call 202-407-9685 today for a personalized tour.
Attorney at Law
Admitted in DC, MD, and VA www.lawyers.com/nancyfeldman
burne, who became a volunteer in 1976 while he was a teenager growing up in Woodley Park. By going through drills and mock emergency situations, volunteers learn to think on their feet calmly and clearly when fast action is needed. Last year, the squad responded to 644 calls from the District, according to Sherburne, which was about 7 percent of its total calls. It responded to more than 8,800 calls from its service area in Montgomery County, which is significantly larger than the area it covers in Upper Northwest. Of those calls originating in the District, 139 required a response from an advanced life services unit and paramedics — the highest level of emergency response for the most See Squad/Page 28
Culture Club.
ESTATE PLANNING AND FAMILY LAW
How long has it been since you reviewed your Will, living trust, medical directive, power of attorney, and beneficiary designations? A lot has changed in the last few years for example, estate taxes; responsibilities of executors, trustees, and attorneys-in-fact; and written access to online accounts (“digital assets”).
women, said Sherburne. Volunteers commit to a 12-hour shift once a week from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and each shift has at least 12 members but often 15 to 20 on duty, including some who are in training. Because most volunteers work during the day, the rescue squad also employs for the day shift certified emergency medical technicians, paramedics and firefighters. Regular training is a critical part of the rescue squad’s ethos. Each week, volunteers undergo an hour or two of training exercises, sometimes more, particularly for newer members, Sherburne said. “If there’s anything you believe after you’ve been here as long as I have is it’s a good command philosophy to be occasionally surprised and rarely amazed” by what you encounter in the field, said Sher-
3050 Military Road, NW Washington, DC 20015 202-407-9685 • www.ircdc.org
Telephone: (202) 965-0654 nlfeldmanlaw@earthlink.net irc CurrenWinter Culture club ad.indd 1
12/5/2014 3:31:15 PM
24 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015
THE CURRENT
Aging, Health & Wellness
2015
Yoga enthusiasts find new careers in sharing their passion By KAT LUCERO
Current Correspondent
J
ohn Thurman was injured during the 9/11 attack at the Pentagon. While he was recovering, a friend introduced the physically active Army veteran to yoga to help with the healing process. Since then, Thurman has been hooked — so hooked that he became a full-time yoga teacher. “The physical practice itself helps create mind clarity,” he said. “It brings a lot of things together — balance, stability, inversions. … There are a lot of benefits.” Thurman is among the many yoga teachers in D.C. who have left traditional office jobs for a work life
in studios and fitness centers. While their reasons vary, the pursuit of wellness ties them together. To become a “registered yoga teacher” or RYT, one has to earn at least 200 hours of training through a program accredited by the trade association Yoga Alliance. Some courses are intensive, lasting a few weeks, while others are spread out over a span of several months. Additional credentials are required to teach children or pregnant women, and teachers can also continue their education through more advanced programs. Tuition for these training programs runs between $2,000 and $5,000. In addition to physical instruction, the curriculum in these courses includes reading materials, medita-
WHAT MATTERS MOST TO
you?
“They’ve enabled me to live independently.” The caring experts at Community Hospice are helping with what matters most to Marjorie at the end of her life – remaining at home.
tion and journal writing. Trainees learn yoga’s history and its various traditions, such as vinyasa, hatha and ashtanga, though some focus on a particular tradition. Newer styles have also emerged. Mimi Rieger, a popular local yoga teacher, developed a “power yoga” training program that blends the various traditions that have influenced her style. She said she designed this method as a way to help trainees discover their own approach to teaching the practice. At Kali Yoga Studio in Columbia Heights, Rieger has been offering a 10-weekend curriculum that is “designed for working professionals,” according to her website. It also accommodates yogis who want to broaden their knowledge of the practice but do not wish to teach. Active in dance and martial arts, Rieger has been practicing yoga for nearly two decades. She earned her teaching certification in 2003 from D.C.’s Ashtanga Yoga Center (which has since closed), followed by more credentials in other styles and advanced levels, including the experienced registered yoga teacher (ERY). After working in a wide range of jobs in real estate and event planning, Rieger launched her own yoga business. As for Thurman, he completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program led by Rieger in January 2014 while still working full time at the
Pentagon. At first, he tried teaching just lunch-hour classes on-site, because he didn’t want to immediately “jump at the deep end of the pool.” Last fall, Thurman made that leap. His weekly schedule now consists of classes at the YMCA Anthony Bowen, Equinox and VIDA gyms, and he says it is “a joy to help students develop themselves and overcome issues.” Plus, it’s a “nice to break free from the Monday to Friday office hours,” he said. “There’s a lot of joy in setting your own schedule.” But it’s not a path he recommends for everyone — especially for young people, as the profession doesn’t guarantee a steady stream of income. Still, with over 30 years of professional work experience, Thurman said he has the financial capacity to take that hefty pay cut. In fact, using his management skills from the Army and Pentagon, he’s helping Rieger build a yoga consulting service that aims to help
Photos courtesy of Mimi Rieger
Mimi Rieger launched her yoga business after holding jobs in real estate and event planning.
instructors with their entrepreneurial endeavors in the trade. There are also individuals who pursue yoga teacher training to incorporate it into in their current jobs. A program director at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Cancer Center who has been practicing yoga for around five years, Andrea Johnson recently finished a sixmonth teacher training program at Flow Yoga Studio to further explore the discipline that she said would help her work with cancer survivors. Johnson is currently teaching part-time at the university’s Yates Fitness Center, including working with the men’s basketball team. She also offers classes to faculty, staff and students.
HEAR WELL. LIVE WELL.
Regular visits from nurses, aides and a chaplain have meant Marjorie can live alone, but never feel lonely.
Sibley’s audiology experts can help!
How can we help you? WhatMattersToMe.org
866-234-7742
©2015 The Washington Home & Community Hospices
Marjorie
, with Community Hospice support team. Left to right: Renee, nurse; Aubrey, chaplain; Lutanya, aide.
Services include: • Diagnostic audiological evaluations • Hearing aid consultations, fittings, adjustments, repairs and services • Assistive listening devices • Custom made earmolds and earplugs/hearing protection • Hearing aid batteries, wax guards and dri-aid kits available for purchase • The latest digital technology
Mary Ann Dworak, M.A., and Lauren K. Dickstein, Au.D., CCC-A
Sibley’s hospital-based audiologists have over 30 years of combined experience and are experts in their field.
Call 202-537-4010 to make an appointment today!
Sibley Memorial Hospital | 5255 Loughboro Road, N.W. Washington, D.C. | www.sibley.org
The CurrenT
Wednesday, MarCh 11, 2015
25
CHEH: Council member remains committed to government’s role promoting healthy living
From Page 22
about the number of overweight children she sees at school assemblies and remains convinced that government must play a role in solving this problem. The council member isn’t ready to endorse a ban on large sodas like the one former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg pursued, but she was disappointed when most of her D.C.
Council colleagues wouldn’t back an excise tax on soft drinks. Cheh is a strong supporter of mandatory calorie listings, and she also appears amenable to tougher health warning labels for certain foods and drinks. “I don’t see any problem with requiring information and transparency,” she said. In the short term, though, Cheh’s attention will be elsewhere. She has been brainstorming a new initiative called “D.C. Beautiful,”
which she compares to Lady Bird Johnson’s effort to remove billboards from the nation’s highways. “I want to systematically go through all parts of the District and make sure all of our public spaces are beautiful,” the council member said. “I think people are psychologically weighed down when they have to pass through dirty streets or crumbling sidewalks. We should have flowers growing. We should
have nice bus stops.” Still, no one should get the impression that Cheh has abandoned her public health crusading forever. In fact, when pressed, she didn’t deny that the idea for an excise tax on soda continues to appeal to her. “Maybe I’ll revive that,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “I don’t know. I only have so much capital here, and my staff is going to kill me.”
HEARTS: Legislation would mandate infant testing INNOVATION: Sibley project From Page 21
bel, who had an oxygen saturation level of about 81 percent shortly after birth, said she calls the machine “Rudolph, because it has a bright red light that looks like Rudolph’s nose.” Mirabel gets her levels tested often via pulse oximetry, and she said it “doesn’t even hurt to wear.” Alexander’s legislation isn’t controversial. Pulse oximetry testing has broad support in the health community, among both nonprofits and government agencies, and 44 states have adopted either legislation or regulations mandating testing, including Maryland and Virginia. But several expert witnesses before the D.C. Council advocated changing the bill to simply mandate testing, rather than specifying pulse oximetry, so as not to hamstring local hospitals in case a better method develops in the future. A staffer for Alexander said the council member is open to making that change. The staffer said the bill is currently being prepped
for markup, though that next step won’t occur until after budget and oversight season ends, in May or June. The legislation has four co-sponsors thus far, including Ward 6 member Charles Allen, who praised the effort during the February hearing. “I would wager you’ll have the full council supporting this,” he said. Allen also noted that as the parent of a 2-year-old, he could relate to the fear parents can feel in the delivery room, when there’s so much happening and they don’t know what it all means. Several parents testifying told of watching their hours-old newborns undergo emergency open-heart surgery that saved their lives — after pulse oximetry testing revealed a defect. Parent Katie Mooshian told Alexander and Allen that her son Charlie was “beautifully pink” when born, making it hard for caregivers to see that he was suffering from low blood-oxygen levels caused by a heart defect. “Essentially he was born with half a heart,” she said. “If we had gone home, Charlie would have died.”
PARKINSON’S: Resident advocates for patients From Page 17
Parkinson’s. It’s good to tell people you can be active and live positively with Parkinson’s, but I know that as the disease progresses, it’s not so easy.” Davies’ roster of commitments is dizzying. She’s a research advocate for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and secretary of the board of the World Parkinson Coalition in New York. She serves on two committees for the World Parkinson Congress. She’s also a member of a support group run by the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area. And currently Davies is working to develop a wearable medication reminder, something akin to the Fitbit that would vibrate to discreetly remind patients when it’s time for medication. With apps, you have to have your phone on you and hear it, Davies said, and she doesn’t like the obvious-looking alert devices worn around the neck. “This would be simple, functional, cheap, and it would vibrate when you need to take a pill — and it could double as a medical alert bracelet,” she said. But Parkinson’s work is only part of Davies’ life. She’s also president of the board at the Georgetown Ministry Center, a nonprofit that serves the chronically homeless, and she works with a group that coordinates dinners for the homeless at Mount Zion United Methodist Church and Georgetown Presbyterian Church. She recently became an elder at the latter.
She’s also a member of the Van Ness Vision Committee, created by the Forest Hills advisory neighborhood commission to improve the area. “I like all of my Parkinson’s disease activities, but then I can feel that I want to get out and do something else,” Davies said. “When I’m doing photography and other activities that have nothing to do with Parkinson’s, I can sometimes forget I have it.” But Davies isn’t a Pollyanna about her disease. “I’m not glad I got Parkinson’s,” Davies said. “But I have met some amazing, inspirational people, and it has forced me to do more than I otherwise would have done.” When she was first diagnosed, she decided to adopt a small dog, which would force her to walk regularly, as exercise is an important part of managing Parkinson’s. Her application for a 1-year-old dog was rejected: Because of her disease she was not considered a “good longterm prospect,” which bothered Davies because she knew she was perfectly capable of caring for a pet. She eventually got matched with an older dog, her beloved Patrick, which she now says was meant to be anyway. She even made a short film about how Patrick and Sophie rescued her, not the other way around, and it received an honorable mention in the World Parkinson Congress’ competition to raise awareness of the disease. In her role as an advocate for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, she trained to work with researchers
developing treatments for Parkinson’s to make sure the patient’s perspective is part of the process. On the flip side, Davies also encourages patients to participate in trials so the disease can be better understood. “Pat is a consummate professional,” said Ronnie Todaro, vice president of national programs for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. “She’s articulate, intelligent, passionate and compassionate — those personality traits make her shine.” “She’s always thinking creatively,” added foundation spokesperson Melissa Barry. For the organization’s “caregiver month,” Davies, who lives alone and has no family, asked, “What about people who don’t have caregivers?” She has written several articles to help support people like her who might need ideas for resources and safety nets. “She’s proactive that way,” Barry said. She has also channeled her artistic side. Recently one of Davies’ photographs was selected from more than 400 to be in the foundation’s “Creativity and Parkinson’s” 2015 calendar. The image is from a trip she took to Vietnam, showing two women artisans selling handmade tapestries on the roadside of a rural village north of Hanoi. Davies continually encourages others to remain engaged in activities, rather than staying home and feeling sorry for themselves. “You have to fight it — maybe they will find a cure or better medicine,” she said. “If you keep positive, you can live positively with Parkinson’s.”
From Page 18
Dawson said. His team enters an issue asking broad “why” questions, he said, rather than planning a particular way of doing things from the start. A typical process at the innovation hub is discovering that a problem exists, conducting quick interviews with patients and hospital workers to learn about the issue and find inspiration for a solution, and then quickly trying out various options. Dawson emphasized, though, that this approach isn’t designed for actual medical care. “We would never suggest that a doctor just try to invent a new surgical tool and try it on a patient one morning,” he said. However, he said, the doctor could perhaps try out a new way of explaining an existing procedure to a patient. Davis said many of today’s practices are driven by force of habit with no clear origin, but doctors accustomed to the scientific method can be reluctant to change without empirical evidence. Yet he’s also aware that many patients wish aspects of their hospital visits went more smoothly. “You would not step back from those interactions and say that health care is the most efficient operation you’ve ever engaged with,” he said, adding, “Many of processes have been built out of generations of processes, and what we frequently find is that there is
opportunity to go back and reexamine these processes ... or perhaps just blow it all up and start all over again.” Davis said this sort of thinking is particularly important at Sibley because it’s in the process of devel-
❝We don’t want to move old mistakes into a new hospital.❞ — Chip Davis oping a new hospital building, which is scheduled to open in spring 2016. “We don’t want to move old mistakes into a new hospital,” he said. He also said that Sibley is in an especially good position to experiment with innovations due to national health care policy reforms, as its location makes it accessible to political Washington — in terms of both visitors invited to look at its practices and even patients from the community. It’s also important that Sibley isn’t a large research institution like its Johns Hopkins parent, Dawson said. The overwhelming majority of American hospitals are community hospitals: “That’s where care happens; that’s where most people have their baby, where most people touch health care,” he said. “So if we can’t get better at that ourselves, I’m not sure who would do a better job.”
MAC MARKET & DELI
• Sandwiches made to order with Boar’s Head Brand meats & cheeses • DC Lottery • Pantry staples & paper products. • Great selection of beer, wine & liquor
202-364-5904
5185 MacArthur Blvd Mon – Fri 6am-10pm Sat. 7am-10pm Sun. 8am-8pm Follow Us On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MacMarketDeli
28 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015
THE CURRENT
Northwest Real Estate SQUAD: Volunteer force supplements D.C.’s emergency medical response in Upper Northwest
From Page 23
critical patients. In addition to helping residents, the rescue squad aims to assist the District with its overall emergency service coverage. “We’re helping the whole city by taking the pressure off” D.C. units, Sherburne said. “If we take a call at Wisconsin and Porter Street, then the D.C. unit doesn’t have to cover it. Then if D.C. gets a call and it has to go cover another emergency, they can do it — they’re available.” The D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department can also call on the rescue squad if it needs extra support, as the agency did in June 2009 when two Metrorail
trains collided between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations. (The squad was not called to help with the most recent major Metro incident in January, near L’Enfant Plaza.) The squad’s goal is to offer emergency services that “complement” those provided by the city, Sherburne said. While emergency communication between the District and the squad have sometimes been challenging or hampered by technology, the radios the squad and the District use now are completely compatible, the chief added. Although the squad is nearly an all-volunteer force, including Sherburne, a full-time federal government employee, it needs to raise funds each year to cover its budget of about $2 million. One of the biggest line
SCOTT POLK
DISPATCHES
SPECIALIZING IN FOXHALL AND PALISADES HOMES FOXHALL VILLAGE 1542 44TH STrEET, NW
From Page 14
Welcome to this very special, 5 bedroom, plus den Village TH. It is a unique home, from its covered arched entry way to its larger floor plan. This rare home offers a spacious living room with a sunny bay front, fireplace, gracious dining room -AND -a powder room on the first floor. Updated kitchen has a bright breakfast nook that overlooks the private flagstone patio/garden. The larger floor area allows for a master bedroom suite with eastern and western light, plus an additional 3 bedrooms and hall bath on the 2nd floor. 2nd floor porch catches afternoon sun. Third floor, with additional bedroom and den, has wonderful arched ceilings, bright dormer windows, and Georgia red pine floors. Lower level is semi-finished and provides a large open area for fitness, TV room, and a large wine cave. Garage, plus parking pad for off street parking. Foxhall Village is a quiet historic community that is walking distance to Georgetown. Offered at $1,099,000.
Scott Polk 202-256-5460 scott.polk@longandfoster.com
®
Long and Foster Georgetown 202-944-8400
items is the fleet of emergency vehicles, each of which needs to be replaced every other year at a cost of about $250,000. The squad does not receive tax support from local, state or federal sources. Most of its funds come from private donations, including from residents in Upper Northwest. “D.C. has been very good to us — about 60 percent of our donations come from residents,” Sherburne said. Volunteers annually go door to door in the service area asking residents for donations. Other funds come from grants and bequests, Christmas tree sales and banquet hall rentals, among other sources. The future of the rescue squad serving Upper Northwest is largely dependent on the
We are doing a stick dance, Morris dancing, in music and it is a great amusement. Lastly, in science, we are doing chemistry. There have been some fantastic experiments, but sadly we have not made any explosions. This year has been a wonderful year. — Clark Donovan, fifth-grader
Our Lady of Victory School
March 3 was Grandparents Day at my school. At Mass we celebrated the Feast Day of Katharine Drexel, a saint who created schools and who inspires my grandpa. Saint Katharine showed us that if you see a problem, big or small, you have the power to do something about it. I learned that from the homily
OLV’s new pastor gave. His name is Father Dave — do you know that he was in the U.S. Air Force? After Mass, I couldn’t wait to go to the book fair. Not only does it have books, it also has doughnuts. I love books and I’m learning how to read. My grandparents bought me a lot of books — my favorite is “Lego Ninjago: The Tournament of Elements.” It comes with an action figure! After the book fair, I went to my classroom where my teacher read “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss. The best part of the story is when Thing 1 and Thing 2 show up. We drew pictures of the Cat in the Hat — do you know that he wears a bow tie? I love my school because the teachers are so nice, especially Miss Flannery. I have made great friends, many whose parents come from all over the world. Even the principal Mrs. Martinez is from England. I was thankful that my grandparents could both be there with me and they could get to know my school. — Marcelo R., kindergartner
St. Albans School
202-320-6469 erich@ecrealtor.net www.ecrealtor.net COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE 1606 17TH ST NW, WASHIONGTON DC 20009 202-387-6180
• • • •
Proven Marketing Strategies Expert Staging Consultations Effective Internet Marketing Skillful Negotiations
relationship it has with the District’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, Renshaw said, and the agreement the two entities have about how services will be provided, which was last updated in 2001. “We want to have a very sound marriage between D.C. FEMS and B-CC,” said Renshaw, who would like to see the agreement reviewed. She’s confident that can happen under newly appointed D.C. Fire Chief Gregory Dean. “I want to make sure B-CC is well-utilized by D.C. FEMS,” she added. “I feel very strongly about B-CC — it’s a strong organization, and I want its presence to remain a big part of emergency medical services response in this area.”
The tradition of mens sana in corpore sano — a sound mind in a sound body — is paramount to the tutelage of a “Saint Albans man.” Every boy is required to partake in athletics in order to hone both physical and mental strength. The lower school athletic department prides itself on fueling the growth of selfconfidence and easing the studentathletes into interscholastic competition. As winter draws to a close, our eyes turn to the spring sports available to lower school students: track and field, voyageur, tennis, baseball and lacrosse. Track and field, the most popular sport, is led by assistant coaches Boswell and Johnson and head coach Rob Wolfe. Coach Wolfe has had a distinguished running career, having raced in no less than 44 marathons. Coach Boswell also trains lower school wrestlers and specializes in core strength. Voyageur, a “coordinate outdoor experiential education program,” focuses mainly on rock climbing
and kayaking. It is an elective sport at Saint Albans, but it is required at our sister institution, the National Cathedral School. The program director is Mr. Velosky, assisted by Mr. Sanderson. The tennis team is led by coaches MacIntyre, Najdi and Miles. Coach Karim Najdi, head coach for both the varsity and lower school teams, is a professional tennis player, while Coach MacIntyre was the Patriot League Conference Player of the Year at Colgate University. The eighth-grade baseball coaches Swaggert and Johnson excel in promoting teamwork and instilling a love of the game in their players. — Zeyad el-Shami, Form II (eighth-grader)
St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School
Every year at St. Patrick’s, we have a cake raffle. It is one of my favorite days of school. The cake raffle is organized by sixth grade and raises about $10,000 for a class gift to St. Patrick’s and a charity of the students’ choice. On cake raffle day, grades four, five and six all meet in the Nave and we sit down quietly. The sixthgrade hosts line up at the front of the room. As each sixth-grade student comes to the front of the line, he or she picks up a cake and Ms. Sack, our art teacher, hands him or her a card with a name on it. (She has the hardest job of all, because she has to randomly pick a name out of a box. She has to keep track of the people who have and have not won cakes.) Then, the sixthgrade student brings the cake to another teacher who is announcing the winners. If that teacher announces your name, you are really lucky! You stand up, and the sixth-grade student holding your cake walks down the aisle to give you a little peek of what it looks like. Then they hand it to another teacher who delivers it to your classroom. This year, I won cupcakes that looked like fish. They were really good. I cannot wait for the cake raffle next year! — Katie Troup, fourth-grader