Support of Inova, PWC hospital merger

Jan Rayl
Published: June 4, 2008

I love Manassas; it has been home to me since 1964. I have worked as a nurse in this area for 32 years. I also have a heart condition.

Over the past two years I was treated for my heart condition in the ER at Prince William Hospital on four occasions. 

I am proud to say in the immediate emergent care, Prince William did an excellent job.  When it came time for follow-up and to prevent the problem from reoccurring my local heart doctor recognized that I needed a specialist and sent me to Fairfax. 

I went there for a year and then I was thrilled when my doctor said with the INOVA/Prince William merger, we have decided to open a Manassas office. 

With the price of gas — needless to say, I have been going to the Manassas office since it opened.

My point is the doctors will come if Prince William is part of INOVA. I am also proud to say I work in Manassas as an INOVA Visiting Nurse. Many of my patients have come from INOVA facilities. I work with many patients from INOVA Fairfax that have had surgeries such as heart bypass and transplants that our local hospital cannot do. 

Another factor is that both hospital systems are non-profit. From this standpoint, there is no philosophical change in the way health care will be delivered. The goal is excellent health care, not like the for-profit hospitals with the goal to make money.

In Manassas, some of us who have been here awhile yearn for the good ole days, when you walked into Cokes pharmacy and they knew your name, when Rohr’s had everything you needed and many things you did not. 

Well, times continue to change and sometimes that is difficult.  This change is one that meets the needs of our changing community.  With more people come more health issues. We need to be able to meet the needs of the community and INOVA will be able to do just that. I hope others will voice their support as well.

JAN RAYL

Manassas