Digest -- U.Va. Top News Daily

Photo by Dan Addison

Development assistant Elle Blevins helps build a Habitat for Humanity home Sept. 21. She was one of more than 740 U.Va. employees who volunteered during the Day of Caring.

U.Va. Volunteers Join Forces to Brighten the Lives of Many
More than 740 U.Va. employees — up from 645 last year — teamed up to participate in community projects for the United Way Richard E. Laurence Day of Caring on Sept. 21. Volunteers spent time with senior citizens, read to elementary school children, made major repairs to area homes, painted, landscaped and took part in neighborhood clean-up projects. A Greater Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity project drew record participation in U.Va.’s School of Nursing, with 37 faculty and staff, including Nursing School development assistant Elle Blevins (left), working on the construction of a home for a fellow staffer, housekeeper Angie Carter. Nursing school participants also donned purple ribbons in remembrance of Ginger McCain, a fellow employee who was tragically killed in a car accident on Sept. 19. (Oct. 6)

AMA Recognizes U.Va. Health System’s Patient Communications Program
R. Edward Howell, vice president and CEO of U.Va.’s Medical Center, was presented an award from The American Medical Association on Sept. 14 in recognition of the U.Va. Health System’s development of exemplary initiatives to improve communication between health care professionals and patients. “Language barriers, low health literacy levels and cultural differences can affect the quality of care that patients receive and we are committed to the very best quality care available anywhere,” Howell said. U.Va. was one of eight hospitals in the United States, and the only hospital in Virginia and the Washington, D.C. area, to win the award. (Oct. 17)