State launches COVID-19 vaccine hotline
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday that a COVID-19 vaccine hotline, staffed with about 750 customer service employees, has launched. The number is (877) VAX-IN-VA, or (877) 829-4682. The phone number, targeted for Virginians without reliable internet access, opened the day after the Virginia Department of Health started a st[...]
Statewide COVID vaccine registration site launched
The Virginia Department of Health launched its COVID-19 vaccine registration system Tuesday, available at vaccinate.virginia.gov. A phone hotline will open Wednesday, allowing Virginians who don’t have reliable internet access to register for the vaccine. The site comes after local health districts had set up local sites f[...]
COVID roundup: Despite flattening rates, some Va. ICUs overwhelmed
Over the past week, Virginia recorded its 7,000th COVID-19 death and passed its 1 millionth person vaccinated, while the number of new cases and fatalities continue to decline. At the same time, however, some of the state’s intensive care units are full, according to federal data collected at the beginning of the month. In a […]
Hourigan names new health care division director
Richmond-based commercial construction and development company Hourigan announced Friday that it has named Brian Brown as director of its health care division. Brown brings more than 26 years of experience to the role, including 16 years at Hourigan. At Hourigan, Brown has been instrumental in delivering projects ranging from me[...]
Bon Secours, Sentara join 12 health care organizations forming data company
Bon Secours and Sentara Healthcare announced Thursday they have joined a group of 12 additional health care providers to form a new company, Truveta, which will offer data insights for patient care. Spurred by the rapid research needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Truveta will create a new data platform using artificial intelligence and machine […]
12 Va. hospitals rank among top in the nation
Healthgrades released its 2021 list recognizing the top 250 hospitals in the United States, and 12 Virginia hospitals made the cut — with two breaking the top 100. The 12 Virginia hospitals are among the top 5% of the nation’s hospitals in terms of rankings. The only Virginia hospitals to earn a spot in the top […]
Northam requests federal support to vaccinate federal employees
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser jointly issued a request Wednesday for federal support with vaccinating essential federal employees against COVID-19, many of whom live in the greater D.C. area. Northam, Hogan and Bowser sent a letter to the leaders of the U.S. Department of Health and […]
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital names new president
Norfolk-based Sentara Healthcare announced Wednesday it has hired Liisa Ortegon as the new president of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, one of the state’s largest hospitals. She replaces Carolyn Carpenter, who left to join Johns Hopkins Health System as its capital region president. Ortegon most recently served as senior vic[...]
CVS vaccine rollout starts in Virginia
Updated 3:40 p.m., Feb. 9 Virginia residents 65 and older are now able to register for vaccinations that will be given starting Friday at CVS locations across Virginia as part of an expansion of the federal COVID-19 vaccination program. CVS will supplement existing vaccination programs by providing 26,000 more shots a week to Vi[...]
Carilion Clinic to form diversity, equity, inclusion office
Roanoke-based Carilion Clinic announced Monday it will establish an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and has named Nathaniel L. Bishop, the former Jefferson College of Health Sciences president, to lead it. The office will work with community leaders to address equity and social justice as it relates to health care in t[...]
Richmond City Council to consider $325M VCU Health tower
Richmond City Council will consider the $325 million sale and redevelopment of the city’s Public Safety Building into a VCU Health medical office tower. The project is proposed by Capital City Partners LLC, a joint venture from two developers who were involved in the failed Navy Hill project. Mayor Levar Stoney announced M[...]
COVID roundup: Cases lower, vaccinations rate improves in Va.
A year after the United States declared a public health emergency in response to the coronavirus, the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. surpassed 27 million as of Monday, Feb. 8. Here in Virginia, the number of new cases and deaths declined over the past week, although two highly contagious variant strains of the […]