Extraordinary Leadership for Remarkable Results Riverside Day of Giving

Far Left: RemarkaBall 2022

Top left: Sheriff Gabe Morgan, Chairman of the Riverside Health System Board

Bottom Left: 2020 and 2021 honorees at RemarkaBall 2022

• Recovering from a stroke is arduous, but an innovative tool is now available to ease the way.

The wearable Neofect RAPAEL Smart Glove combines AR and physical sensation for stroke patients who have a loss of function in their upper extremities. This leading-edge technology has a proven track record of highly successful outcomes. Gifts made during the Day of Giving for this project have allowed the Riverside Neurological and Spine Institute to purchase additional gloves to serve more patients.

• Annual Reflections of Endless Love ornaments allow community members to honor or memorialize a loved one while supporting hospice care today.

This tribute opportunity is named for the poem by Emily Warburton that states, “we are each of us a snowflake, no two of us the same, reflections of the endless loving source from which we came.”

Our thanks to all who partnered with Riverside to bolster our already-impressive commitment to keeping our communities safe and healthy and who found it in their hearts to support our patients on our Day of Giving.

Celebrating Our Heroes

Save the Date: Day of Giving 2023 on December 7th

Our inaugural RemarkaBall gala in March of 2022 was unforgettable in so many ways. The assembled crowd, the impact stories shared, the wonderful food and ooh, the dresses!

We were so pleased to honor our remarkable providers and citizens of the year for 2020 and 2021. These powerhouse supporters encourage greatness for our patients and have supported Riverside and its Foundation to ensure the best in treatment and comforting care. We were proud to celebrate our heroes:

2020 Provider of the Year – Gary S. Kavit, M.D.

2020 Citizen of the Year – Patricia R. St. Clair

2021 Provider of the Year –Peninsula Pathology Associates

2021 Citizens of the Year – Faye Petro Gargiulo and J. Frank Sanderson, Jr., M.D.

This black-tie gala set the stage for Hampton Roads communities to come together to celebrate gratitude. After too many years where we could not safely gather, it was a special treat at RemarkaBall to be able to celebrate in person with the people we respect so much. You can see from the photos here that we were not alone in making the most of a gala evening. For a deep dive into more images and videos, use the QR code on this page to see what you missed!

2023 RemarkaBall

The 2023 RemarkaBall was held just as this report was being printed. We were so proud to celebrate the providers and citizens who have made a critical difference by supporting the Riverside Foundation and by bolstering health care in our communities. Being honored for their vital support are 2022 Citizen of the Year G. Royden Goodson III 2022 Provider of the Year Robert Harding, M.D. As well as special recognition of the life and legacy of George Stanley Mitchell, Jr., M.D.

We hope you were able to join us for this most recent RemarkaBall, but if not, you can learn about the honorees by using the QR code on this page. And keep your calendar clear for the third annual RemarkaBall in March of 2024!

Scan this code with your phone to learn the fascinating stories of support shared about our distinguished honorees.

Scan this code with your phone to get a peek into last year’s fun.

Royden Goodson

In last year’s Remarkable report, Riverside announced that G. Royden Goodson III made a leadership gift to establish the Martha W. Goodson Center in honor of his wife, Martha, and their journey as a couple through her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

As devastating as this disease is to his family, Royden chooses to stay positive and hopeful by honoring his wife through this gift. His success in his professional career and his experiences as Martha’s care partner put him in a position to help others by providing access to the education, support and resources that his gift has helped to develop and that he continues to use regularly. Royden’s and Riverside’s aligned goals are to transform the journey for patients who are experiencing cognitive decline as well as the care partners who support the patients. Resources like the memory care navigator who helps patients and their care partners to find resources to help solve the daily challenges dementia brings (look on page 28 for data on the navigator’s success). And resources like Riverside’s memory cafes which offer patients and their care partners chance to socialize with others who are traveling a similar journey.

His gift was inspired in part by Mr. Steve Spain’s gift to establish the George T. Spain Memory Care Navigator Program, and Royden hopes his gift will inspire others to pay it forward. He says, “my passion is supporting people living with dementia, but Riverside’s vision is larger than that…. My gift is a way to not only say ‘thank you,’ but also to lead the effort to keep this going for the next generation. I am grateful for the support that Martha and I have had. cannot think of a better way to honor my wife than by providing this gift, and hope it will inspire others to join in the journey with us.”

It is the rare and distinguished person who can, in times of turmoil, reach beyond their own experience to the larger needs of their fellow man. With the 2022 Citizen of the Year award, we thank Royden for his foresight and his transformational support to fuel Riverside’s mission to care for others, always reaching for a higher standard of care.

Robert R. Harding, M.D.

The Riverside Foundation selected Robert R. Harding, M.D as its 2022 Provider of the Year because of his strong partnership in the work of the Riverside Foundation, generously supporting many areas such as cancer care, Make a Difference funds and establishing the Harding Family Nursing Scholarship at the Riverside College of Health Careers.

Dr. Harding and his wife, Nancy, met as teens in high school. Their eventual marriage and family have stood the test of time. Dr. Harding is quick to point out that “she is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

After college at Cornell and a stint running Vermont bar and restaurant The Last Chance Saloon as well as several other businesses, Dr. Harding was increasingly longing to change his career path to medicine. Nancy encouraged him to follow his dream, and his hard work at the University of Vermont School of Medicine (UVM) was matched by her hard work raising their four daughters. In the early years of his career, influences from UVM and from residency at the University of Virginia informed his primary care practice in Williamsburg; his patients benefited from his focus on holistic care, patient autonomy and careful stewardship of health care resources.

Dr. Harding brought those same priorities to his later roles as hospitalist, attending physician and mentor for residents, Riverside Doctors Hospital Williamsburg Medical Staff President, and Riverside Medical Group Board Chairman. During those years, large scale change in health care was challenging the status quo, and Dr. Harding was in the thick of it helping to improve safety, quality, and the breadth of services offered to the communities Riverside serves.

He retired from regular clinical practice in 2021 but continues to assist the Riverside Medical Group to implement the Clinician Experience Project, an innovative curriculum to support both clinicians and patients.

In retirement, Dr. Harding and Nancy are spending more time with their 12 grandchildren (all of whom are above average), traveling and enjoying a slower pace of life. They quickly acknowledge that they have been blessed in every way that counts and are grateful and humbled. Their ongoing mantra is to do their part to “be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Special Honoree

Dr. Stan Mitchell

The late Dr. George Stanley “Stan” Mitchell, Jr. was a respected and beloved family medicine physician who served as Chief of Staff at Riverside Hospital, Medical Director of Riverside Regional Convalescent Center and Director of Riverside’s Geriatrics Residency Program. Dr. Mitchell was most notably the founding director of the Riverside Hospital Family Practice Residency Program, where he combined his love of medicine with his enthusiasm for education.

Business Community Steps Up to Support Remarkable Care

Riverside’s steadfast corporate donors have eagerly joined in recognizing our Distinguished Citizens and Providers at RemarkaBall. Their support means that our providers, clinical team and facilities are able to meet the needs of all who turn to Riverside for help in their health care. The Foundation would like to extend a sincere thank you to our fabulous and dedicated 2023 RemarkaBall sponsors:

Toast To Remarkable

Red Carpet & Cocktail: Entertainment Sponsor

Dr. Mitchell’s family, Jodie Bayne, a retired Riverside critical care nurse, Jimmy Bayne, Julie and Don Mabe, Mitch and Martha Mitchell, made a gift in his memory to name the medical/surgical/intensive care training suite at Riverside’s Simulation Lab. The suite adds to the already-impressive facility, and their collective gift will enhance the existing training programs and continuing education that Dr. Mitchell valued as a teaching physician.

Riverside is honored to recognize Dr. Mitchell’s significant contributions and leadership that were instrumental in building exceptional educational resources for clinicians and thereby elevating patient care for all who come through our doors.

Video Sponsor: AFAV, LLC

(*sponsors as of print deadline on 3/3/23.)

Partnering with the Riverside Foundation means that businesses can help to make great things happen for our patients who are also patrons at local businesses. The Foundation would be honored to help your business achieve its charitable goals while reinforcing great health care close to home. Please contact us for more information at (757) 234-8740 or riversidefoundation@rivhs.com.

One way companies can support their team members is by offering donations to match the charitable giving of

HDR, Inc. Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC

Tangier Island Health Foundation

Virginia Natural Gas

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company Worth Higgins & Associates their employees. In this way, the company is mirroring the charitable interests of their work force and facilitating a feelgood impact for employees. If you have questions, we can help. Contact us at (757) 234-8740 or riversidefoundation@rivhs.com.

Scan the QR code on this page to learn the fascinating stories of support shared about our honorees.

Leading the Way for Caregivers

Martha W. Goodson Caregiver Tea

Martha Goodson’s long-lasting legacy will be built upon her close relationships. Her devoted husband, her thriving family, and the friends she made in her decades of service at church and local organizations are testament to her focus on making the world a stronger and better place.

This focus was celebrated at the first Martha W. Goodson Caregiver Tea where nearly 100 women gathered to honor the often invisible but difficult journey of care partners. The Goodsons’ journey with memory loss inspired Martha’s husband, Royden, to focus on supporting others as they navigate the life-altering diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia. The goal of his gift and the Martha W. Goodson Caregiver Tea (MWGCT) is to share and expand upon resources available to the growing number of families who are faced with these diagnoses.

This year’s MWGCT expert panel included Dr. Nancy Littlefield, retired RHS Chief Nursing Officer and a caregiver for her parents, as well as Tina Thomas, Executive Director for the Martha W. Goodson Center and Royden Goodson. Guests shared stories and asked questions, while the panel shared stories of their own and described the resources available within Riverside Health System. Resources are available in five areas:

• Memory Care Services include the entire continuum of care, beginning with care navigation through every stage of the disease.

• Care Partner & Loved One Support including critical disease-specific information so caregivers and loved ones better understand the typical disease progression, as well as community-based support networks to share information and talk with those going through the same challenges. Social engagement opportunities, self-care and support groups are available, both in person and virtually.

• Clinical Services: Using diagnostic and treatment advances, we provide patients with a thorough assessment, diagnosis and comprehensive treatment plan where patients are a part of the decisions and care partners are supported.

• Learning Center and Workshops including nationally recognized support programs that make a tremendous difference in managing memory diseases and disorders.

• Research, Evaluation and Innovation are the basis for our services and are demonstrated in programs such as our Purple Flower Program. This innovative program provides dementiaspecific training for acute care or emergency providers and first responders to better communicate with and care for those living with dementia.

If you are a care partner wanting to learn more about the resources Riverside offers, please reach out to the Martha W. Goodson Center at (757) 220-4751.

Success right from the start

Thanks to the generous support of donors Steve and Grace Spain and their family in memory of George T. Spain, Riverside’s Memory Care Navigator helps patients and care partners cope with the emotional, psychological and physical needs of dementia. Living with dementia is overwhelming and complicated, and having a guide to help find resources and ease the journey is care at the next level. The Navigator focuses on individually-tailored support by implementing initial and follow up in-home visits, or via telehealth if circumstances require, with the goal of minimizing stress for care partners who are supporting a loved one with this chronic disease.

Gratitude for memory care navigation

“Thank you so much for speaking with me today. I greatly appreciate your insight and resources!”