Surgical/trauma nurse Donna White recognized a potential problem among elderly patients, analyzed it and presented her findings at a national nursing conference. The end result: improved patient care at U.Va. With support from a fund established by Friends of the Health System, the professional nursing staff at U.Va.’s Health System is able to experience continued growth and excellence of nursing knowledge in a variety of ways, according to Cindy Westley, co-chair of the Nurses Professional Development Council. Full story.

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For an estimated 17 million asthmatic Americans, including 5 million children, the simple task of breathing can sometimes be very difficult. Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes’s a person’s lungs and airways to become inflamed and clogged. Although there is no cure, asthma can be controlled through proper medication and the avoidance of known triggers. A new breathing test at U.Va.’s Children’s Medical Center can help determine if someone with asthma is getting the right medication and doses. Full story.

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