UVA Health hires chief diversity & community engagement officers
Charlottesville-based UVA Health has named Dr. Tracy M. Downs as the health system’s inaugural chief diversity & community engagement officer, effective July 1. A urologist who specializes in the surgical treatment of urologic cancers, Downs previously served as associate dean for diversity and multicultural affairs and as a professor of urologic oncology for the University […]
COVID roundup: Most of Va. is now in vaccine phase 2
Update, April 13: Virginia Department of Health pauses use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration advise halt due to rare blood clot issue. Earlier: The majority of the state has entered the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination as of Monday, opening el[...]
VCU Health distribution facility sells for $8M
A Henrico County property fully leased by VCU Health was purchased by an undisclosed investment group for $8.075 million on April 7. Located at 3008 Mechanicsville Turnpike, the 89,931-square-foot property houses nonpharmaceutical medical supplies and equipment for VCU Health. Since mid-February, the property, a former Pepsi dis[...]
Gainwell Technologies acquires health care tech company for $3.4B
Reston-based Gainwell Technologies, a six-month-old spinoff company of DXC Technology, has completed its approximately $3.4 billion acquisition of HMS Holdings, a Texas-based health care technology company, Gainwell announced April 1. The all-cash deal, announced in December 2020, was made for $37 per share. Gainwell, which has more than 7,500 employees, was created in October as […]
MCV Foundation names director of marketing and communications
Medical College of Virginia Foundation has tapped Eric Peters as director of marketing and communications, promoting him from other marketing communications roles he’s held there since 2017. Peters is responsible for the marketing and communications strategies for MCV Foundation, which manages $800 million in assets. The found[...]
COVID roundup: Parts of Va. open vaccinations to all over age 16
As of Monday, parts of Virginia have entered the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination — allowing all Virginians age 16 and older to receive shots, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The entire state is set to enter phase 2 by April 18, Gov. Ralph Northam announced last week. The following counties are in […[...]
All Va. adults to be eligible for vaccines by April 18
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that all Virginians age 16 and older will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 18, ahead of a May 1 national deadline set by President Joe Biden. Northam made the announcement during a visit to a vaccination clinic at First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Prince William [&hell[...]
Reston-based SOC Telemed buys Texas telehealth practice for $194M
Reston-based SOC Telemed Inc. announced this week it has purchased Texas-based medical practice Access Physicians for $194 million in cash and stocks. The acquisition will create the largest acute care telemedicine provider in the United States. According to SOC Telemed, the combined company is estimated to have earned $107 million to $113 million in pro […]
Calling the shots
When the COVID-19 crisis began in early 2020, Dr. Danny Avula was the joint director of the Henrico County and Richmond health departments, a big job placing him in charge of public health for more than 560,000 residents. However, in early January, the scope of Avula’s responsibilities widened considerably after Virginia Gov. [...]
Eight over 80
What keeps a person working at an age when most of us are happy to let others take care of business? These overachieving Virginians, all over age 80, have remained hard at work mostly for one or more of three reasons. The first is being able to continue work with family. Retirement is rarely mandatory […]
COVID roundup: 28% of Va. population vaccinated
As of Monday, March 29, 28.1% of Virginians have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and 15% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated, according to the Virginia Department of Health. So far, 3.5 million vaccine doses have been administered statewide, and 2.3 million people have been vaccinated with at least o[...]
More vaccine going to Richmond and NoVa, as demand increases
More COVID-19 vaccine doses are going to be allocated to Northern Virginia and Richmond regions soon, the state’s vaccine coordinator said Friday, addressing higher demand in those areas of the state. Avula said he expects Northern Virginia to get 20% to 30% more doses next week. A large influx of Virginians driving severa[...]