Sentara patient care technician pampers patients with new hairstyles

Jenny Rizzotti, a patient care technician on the oncology unit at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital (SVBGH), has found a way to use her unique talents to bring joy to patients. Through the snipping of scissors synchronized to the beeping of an IV machine, Jenny is putting smiles on her patient's faces with free haircuts. 

 

Jenny, who has worked at SVBGH for 3 years, main job duties include giving patients their medications, monitoring their treatment, and building relationships with patients while providing comfort and care.

 

On the oncology unit, it is common to see patients with their hair falling out from chemotherapy treatment and something as simple as a haircut can change their entire mood for the better.

 

“It kind of got started with somebody asking me to trim up their beard or their sideburns,” said Jenny. “Then coworkers would message me and ask if I could bring in my scissors because their patient really needed a haircut, or a detangling, or a braid.”

 

In addition to being a dedicated patient care technician, Jenny has been a professional hairstylist for nearly 30 years. She has transformed hundreds of patient rooms into makeshift hair salons through acts of kindness.

 

Robin Gibson often finds herself in the hospital receiving treatment for leukemia. Jenny's offer to cut her hair became a transformative experience.

 

“I felt bad about my hair and Jenny asked, ‘would you like me to cut your hair, I do that, I can cut hair,’” said Robin. “She happened to, at that point, cut it into a mohawk and then she put some bright fluorescent pink in it. I was known around the hospital as the ‘pink mohawk girl.’”

 

Six months after she had gotten her pink mohawk, Robin was back on the oncology unit. She had been sick for a few weeks from side effects of her cancer. Her hair had come back and was growing a little over her ears.

 

“Robin came in and asked if I could cut her hair,” said Jenny. “She wanted a new style, something off her neck, but not to lose tons of length, so that’s what we did. Made it shorter in the back, layered her all up, and gave her some texture.”

 

When Jenny was done with the haircut, she took the hairdresser cape off Robin and let her know she could go look in the mirror.

 

“I love it! Oh my god!” exclaimed Robin as she looked in the mirror. “Oh Jenny, did a wonderful job, it’s almost exactly like I wanted it,” smiled Robin as she admired her new haircut. 

 

“It’s just something I can offer, I have the skill to do it, and it makes me feel good that I make them feel good,” said Jenny.