UVA Heart and Vascular Center Fontaine

01/30/2026

For a decade, Population Health has supported patients from pediatrics to geriatrics. This important arm of UVA Health exists to improve patient access, progression, and health outcomes while also strengthening performance in readmissions, length of stay, capacity, value-based care, and building community trust.

"The belief that every person deserves acceptance, dignity, and care simply because they are human," says Population Health administrator Novella Thompson. "As leaders, we carry that principle forward by how we design systems, support our teams, and serve our communities. It continues to shape our culture and guide our work today."

🧡 Learn more about Population Health's 10-year journey at https://bit.ly/466KHxm

01/29/2026

Steven Zeichner, MD, PhD, and his team have created a platform that could produce new vaccines ready for testing in just 3 weeks compared to the current 100-day goal.

The proof-of-concept study, published in the journal Vaccines, demonstrates that the platform can produce vaccines that trigger robust immune responses through AI-assisted design and simple bacterial manufacturing.

01/29/2026

Many people around the world begin their day with a glass of warm or hot water every morning. You might have seen it on social media: people touting the benefits of drinking warm water, especially in the morning, as helping with everything from weight loss to removing toxins.

🍵 But are these claims true? We spoke with Mary Lou Perry, MS, RDN, CDCES, a registered dietitian and nutrition expert at UVA Health, about water and your health.

01/28/2026

Laura P. Thielemann, MPA, who has more than 10 years of experience leading heart programs at academic health systems, has been named administrator for UVA Health’s Heart and Vascular Service Line. She will assume her new role April 6.

As administrator, Thielemann will work in close partnership with the physician leaders of the service line and will have direct responsibility for clinical operations and performance – including quality of care, growth and optimization to enhance patient access. She will also spearhead the integration of heart and vascular care at UVA Health University Medical Center with UVA Community Health in Culpeper and Northern Virginia, as well as with UVA’s partners at Riverside Health in eastern Virginia.

Thielemann will succeed Karen Forsman, who will retire this winter after 40 years of service at UVA Health.

01/27/2026

Based on improving weather and travel conditions, University Medical Center will resume normal operations tomorrow, 1/28. However, some clinics will still operate under modified hours, with most opening after 9 a.m.

❄️ Check our status board: https://bit.ly/49UvgJP

01/27/2026

Many clinics in and around University Medical Center in Charlottesville will be closed on Tuesday, January 27. Weather and road conditions will continue to be monitored with the intent of reopening these clinics as soon as it is safe to do so.

🌨️ Check our status board: https://bit.ly/49UvgJP

01/26/2026

With power outages possible due to severe winter weather, UVA Health’s Blue Ridge Poison Center is urging people to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning caused by portable generators and other alternative heating methods.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible gas formed as you burn fuel in portable power generators. Breathing CO may cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, dizziness, weakness, convulsions, loss of consciousness and death. Very high concentrations of CO can cause loss of consciousness in only a few breaths.

CO poisoning is entirely preventable. The Blue Ridge Poison Center encourages anyone who loses power to take these key safety steps:

🌳 Place portable generators outdoors, at least 20 feet away from homes.
🚪 Never use portable generators in enclosed spaces such as garages, basements, porches, attics or crawl spaces.
⚙️ Don’t use gasoline-powered tools (snow blowers, chain saws) in enclosed spaces.
🔥 Don't use a gas oven, charcoal grill, or camping stove to heat homes.
🚨 Install carbon monoxide alarms.
🤢 CO poisoning often is mistaken for the flu or other illnesses. If you suspect CO poisoning, or if your carbon monoxide alarm sounds, immediately move people and pets to fresh air and call 911.

01/26/2026

01/26/2026

"Betsy is phenomenal at understanding what families need, even when they cannot quite express it. She is genuine and non-judgmental. She has an amazing ability to handle tricky situations and communicate hard things in compassionate ways which makes sense to families."

🐝 Our BEE (Being Excellent Everyday) Award is an award dedicated to celebrating the team members who work alongside our nurses delivering expert, compassionate care.

Today, we're proud to honor Elizabeth 'Betsy' Phipps, MSW, LCSW, Ambulatory Social Work, who was nominated by her colleagues for going above and beyond during her 28-year (and counting!) career with UVA Health.

01/26/2026

Many of our locations are on modified operating hours on Monday, Jan. 26.

❄️ Before your appointment, check our status board: https://bit.ly/49UvgJP

01/24/2026

From January 18 to 24, UVA Health proudly marked National CRNA Week. This annual observance honors the 75,000+ certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and nurse anesthesiology residents (NARs, formerly SRNAs) practicing across the United States.

This year, National CRNA Week is an especially meaningful celebration for us, as we welcome five new graduate CRNAs whose journeys have come full circle: Savannah Richey, Danielle Donovan, Alexandra Hogg, Jena Conway, and Anna Neumeister.

All five women began their careers at UVA Health as ICU nurses, attended the nurse anesthesia program at Mary Baldwin University, and have returned to UVA Health as practicing CRNAs. We're incredibly proud to have them (and all of our CRNAs) as team members. 💙🧡

01/23/2026

UVA Health researcher Uta Erdbrügger, MD, has helped solve a longstanding medical mystery: why do more than half of patients with chronic kidney disease die from heart problems.

The answer lies in toxic particles, called extracellular vesicles, produced by diseased kidneys that damage the heart.

This discovery could lead to new blood tests to identify at-risk patients earlier and develop targeted treatments to prevent heart failure in the 35+ million Americans living with kidney disease.