The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1951-10-20
AOay With L.V.N.A. |
A Red Feather Agency
By A TRIBUNE Staff Reporter

o"Sh III iS4S Wnen the Health Committee
Improvement Council established visiting
nurse agency.
TINS latest health unit made a total of
3,I67 visits in 1850 in an area which in
cluded the city proper and 20 of the COM
munltles in Albemarle County. This is
rather impressive field performance rec
ord, anyway you look at it, and a Tribune
reporter decided to go along with VIVA
on typical day just to see how it was
done.
We picked last Wednesday for the mis-
sion without knowing that the heat had
not been turned on for the season in the
Old Midway School office building and re-
ported for duty around 500 am. We
found Miss Eugena Lewis, who is clerk
stenographer in the Health Department,
busy about her office routine and most
courteous.
But it must be added, in fairness to OBJ
Jective reporting, that not even the warm
and friendly greetings of Miss Lewis kept
us from having recurring visions of frosty
mornings in Vermont and snow billiards.
IN New York City as we sat at Midway,
where the furnace was out of fix
AT $3.50, on the dot, Mrs France
Southall and Mrs. Imogene B,S,nn. thr-vis--
iting nurses on the VIVA staff, went into
their office and began the morning con-
ference. This is daily routine which en-
ables each nurse to discuss her field prob
lens and to compare notes on the various
cases pending throughout the territory.
One of the purposes of the VIVA pro-
gram is to provide bedside nursing care
In tho ha,,aa art tis,,a hoc;s . ,,os
community chest agency, provides visiting
nurse service for five different types Of
patients, on all economic levels, including
the patient who is at home under the care
CT doctor and not in need of full-time
private nurse, ill patients needing home
nursing care, convalescent patients, aged
or chronically ill patients and the mother
and her new baby, who may wish profess
sonal nursing care and instruction on the
care, of her child.
The service is free for those who can
not pay the full fee of $2.35 per visit.
However, patients who are able to pay
portion of the fee are expected to do so.
The local staff of VIVA normally in
cludes three nurses, but when we called
at the office last week there was va
cancy and the field visits were being made
by Mrs. Southall and Mrs. Bum.
After the brief conference between the
nurses the kits are packed and o e
sheets are made up by each nurse SO that
the office may make field contacts during
the day if and when this is necessary.
Just before leaving the office on We'd
Eesday morning, we had a chance to see
the Loan Closet This Loan Closet is
large 0 m ON the second floor where
crutches, bedpans wheel chairs and other
nursing aids may be borrowed and we al
so learned that linen is frequently given
to patients in need of this service.
On this particular morning Mrs. Bum
had to go to the Loan Closet to pick up
crutch for one of her patients and af-
ter much looking for the right length, she
found the suitable article and passed it
on to the Tribune reporter.
So on this day of which we write, \
Tribune reporter possibly made all-time
journalistic history by actually starting
| out on an assignment ON A CRUTCHl
| The first visit took us miles out into
| Albemarle County and to the home of
very sick lady who must have regular
| treatments for serious ailment. Months
| ago, when it was suggested that certain
members of the family be instructed on
| how to give the necessary injections, this
lady patient rebeled and had an extra
heart attack when firm relative insist
ed on giving the injection.
| She beamed greetings at us when we
stepped in last week and it was touching
to note how very happy and satisfied the
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