The Board of Lady Managers (BLM) is commemorating its 150th anniversary year as founder of what is now Inova Alexandria Hospital. A special celebration will be held on June 8 at 2:00 PM at Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) located at 3737 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary, and Dr. Rina Bansal, President, Inova Alexandria Hospital and Senior Vice President of Inova Health System, will be featured guests. On behalf of the Board of Lady Managers, they will dedicate a tree adjacent to the VTS cemetery near the gravesite of Julia Johns, who founded the Board of Lady Managers in 1872 to operate an Infirmary, now known as Inova Alexandria Hospital.
The Board managed the Hospital for 69 years, establishing a nursing school from 1874 to 1987. In its early years, merchants furnished food, medicine, and other supplies, residents donated sheets and blankets, and farmers donated milk, butter, and livestock to help the Hospital succeed. Over the years, thanks to generous support from the community, the BLM has raised millions of dollars for the Hospital by hosting a variety of fundraising events, including its popular annual Fashion Show, Luncheon and Silent Auction. Most recently they fulfilled a $550,000 pledge for the Hospital’s Technical Advancement Fund and Spiritual Care Fellowship Fund.
Inova Alexandria Hospital programs supported by the BLM include Neurosurgery, Inhalation Therapy, Physical Therapy, the Cancer Center, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Cardiovascular Care, Stroke Center, and Nursing scholarships. Its 2022-2023 pledge is to raise funds for the Hospital’s Brevara Breast Biopsy System.
For more information please call Mary Ryan, President, BLM at 703.254.7049