In 2011, 8 new students successfully completed the program, earning their high school diplomas as well as vocational skills.

Project Search is a national program focused on helping young people with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD describes people who are challenged with normal social interactions and interests. People with ASD often have trouble finding employment and being self sufficient. Nationally, as few as 40% of young people with ASD finish high school and find a job. Nationally, Project Search Students are successful more than 80% of the time.

The mission of Project Search In Richmond Virginia is to help young people with ASD gain professional and vocational skills with the end goal of finding meaningful employment.

In Richmond, Project Search is supported academically and structurally by Virginia Commonwealth University’s department of rehabilitation services, the Commonwealth of Virginia and local school districts.

Bon Secours Virginia Health System – specifically St. Mary’s Hospital – serves as the vocational sponsor. Accepted students agree to leave the school system and join the Project Search curriculum. In the Project, they spend their days at St. Mary’s, splitting their time equally between classroom work and internships in various departments.

In 2010, Bon Secours participated in the first year of Richmond’s Project Search program. You can watch that graduation video here.

Please join us in congratulating the 2011 class of Project Search!

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Dr. Roberts, currently accepting new patients, is located at St. Francis Family Medicine Center. He attended Mary Washington College for his undergraduate degree. Dr. Roberts received his medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia and completed a Family Practice residency and Sports Medicine Fellowship at Duke University Medical Center, where he worked in the Sports Medicine Department and Urgent Care. Dr. Roberts is board certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine.

For additional questions or to schedule an appointment, call 804-739-6142.

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“Bon Secours is something different,” said Morales who is an hourly worker at St. Francis Medical Center. “It’s amazing. I really enjoy working for the hospital.”

Morales, a native of Bolivia who has been in the U.S. for 21 years, works in the St. Francis café and helps with the delivery of patient meals. Her mother, Elsa Barrientos, works in St. Francis housekeeping/environmental services and encouraged Morales to leave employment at Willow Oaks Country Club and join Bon Secours.

“Working here is different,” said Morales, who is a single mother to a 3-year-old daughter. “Bon Secours is giving me the opportunity to reach my own personal goals.”

Enrolled in Bon Secours’ School at Work, Morales is sharpening her skills through the program that helps entry- level employees prepare for more advanced studies and a career in health care. After completing School at Work, Morales wants to further her education and one day become a social worker.

“I want to teach my daughter that I can be a single mom and work and get an education and be a good example for her,” Morales said. “Bon Secours is giving me the chance to grow up as a person. I can get an education for me that will also help my daughter.”

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As part of this sponsorship, Bon Secours has donated the planting of two trees and staffed an exhibit at the event. Health system representatives passed out apples — with the message “an apple a day is the Bon Secours way” — encouraging wellness and environmental responsibility.

“Ecological stewardship is an important part of the mission of Bon Secours,” said Jason W. Smith, Ph.D., a Bon Secours Healthy Communities Liaison. “As a system, we recognize that healthy people and healthy communities cannot be separated from the health of all creation. Bon Secours’ support of Arbor Day is one example of how we work with others in the community to promote awareness of the well-documented connection between ecology and health.”

At the event, activities included educational discussions on trees, gardening advice, information on the connection between wildlife and native plants, and music and entertainment.

“Events like Arbor Day give Bon Secours an opportunity to share information about green initiatives within our facilities and in the community at large,” Smith said.

Due to the health system’s commitment to environmental stewardship, Bon Secours Richmond has received the Partner for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization for environmentally focused health care institutions.

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Ms. Lumpkin, currently accepting new patients, is located at Commonwealth Internal Medicine Associates. She received her undergraduate degree from Old Dominion University located in Norfolk, Va., and her Physician Assistant degree at the Jefferson College of Health Sciences located in Roanoke, Va. Ms. Lumpkin maintains current certification with the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and is licensed as a Physician Assistant in the state of Virginia. Prior to joining Bon Secours Medical Group, Ms. Lumpkin has been working as a licensed physician assistant for the past 6 years.

For addition questions or to schedule an appointment, call 804-560-8838.

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Bon Secours has the pleasure of welcoming General Surgery at St. Francis to the Bon Secours Medical Group!

Bon Secours General Surgery at St. Francis, currently accepting new patients, is located on the campus of St. Francis Medical Center. The practice specialize in general surgery and provides the highest quality of surgical care to their patients and services to our colleagues.

To schedule an appointment or for additional questions, call 804-423-8467.

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As part of our celebration of these critical caregivers, our ladies and gentlemen from Richmond Community Hospital offer this video thank you on behalf of all of Bon Secours Virginia.

Have you said thanks to an EMS worker this week? Leave us a comment and share your thoughts and well wishes for Richmond’s first responders.

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Bon Secours has the pleasure of welcoming Surgical Dermatology Center to the Bon Secours Medical Group!

Bon Secours Surgical Dermatology Center, currently accepting new patients, is located at 5207 Hickory Park Drive, Suite A, Glen Allen, VA.  Julia K. Padgett, M.D. provides the most advanced and effective treatment for skin cancer.  As a fellowship-trained Mohs Micrographic surgeon, Dr. Padgett knows the importance of education and early detection in the treatment of skin cancer.  By partnering with area dermatologists and physicians, Dr. Padgett is able to provide the most advanced and effective treatment for skin cancer to her patients.

For more information or to schedule a appointment, call 804-977-8938.

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The answer came when Peterson moved into a part-time role at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing and proposed the creation of a full-time job share for the Director of Admissions & Marketing position.

“They’ve chosen to work with us and let us use our professional skills while also honoring our role as mothers. I think that shows a lot about the College of Nursing,” said Peterson.

College of Nursing Provost and Vice President Melanie H. Green approved the job share.

“The College is proud to promote a healthy lifestyle balance for our employees,” said Green, Ph.D., RN, CNE. “The job sharing arrangement has been a win-win for everyone.

The College and the health system benefit from the talents of two skilled, dedicated team members, and they feel supported in their roles as mothers. It’s wonderful that Bon Secours offers many such options for working women, and, as a result, is recognized year after year for workplace flexibility.”

Peterson, who takes on a larger role with admissions, and Frago, who handles more of the marketing duties, both work about 20 hours a week, with a mix of hours being in the office, at home and on the road promoting the college.

Frago, who began in 2010, had worked full time in marketing for two large companies but needed more flexibility to care for her two sons, both of whom have cochlear implants and require three hours of speech therapy each week. Frago is now able to spend more one-on-one time with them to promote their speech and language development.

“It helps me tremendously,” she said. “Every day I feel so lucky.”

Peterson said Bon Secours has supported her life as a working mother in other ways, too. Using Bon Secours’ adoption benefit, she was able to defray some of the expense of adopting her daughter, Maria, who she brought home at 13 months old.

“That gave me lots of time with Maria,” Peterson said. “[The job share] allows me to keep my professional skills honed and serve the mission at the same time … I feel so blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to work here and to have this time with our children.”

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