SW Va. sees COVID increase; governor urges caution
Although Virginia’s overall COVID-19 infection rate is much lower than other states that are currently experiencing spikes, the number of new cases in Southwest Virginia has been steadily increasing over the past two weeks, Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday in a COVID-19 update. According to health directors in the region,[...]
Breaking barriers
Small Nonprofit | David Silver, CFO Medical College of Virginia Foundation, Richmond David Silver fell into the nonprofit world by chance. After graduating as a Russian history major from the University of Maryland in the midst of the early 1990s recession, Silver worked for several years at hotels and restaurants, where he woun[...]
New physical rehab hospital uses innovative tech
Michael Lowery pushed off gingerly at first and then gained confidence as he walked upright with the assistance of Andago, a mobile robot in the rehab gym of Central Virginia’s newest hospital. Strapped into the machine by a harness, Lowery, a 38-year-old Martinsville native suffering from paralysis, made his way around the tr[...]
Physician, heal thyself
After the pandemic locked down businesses in mid-March, Dr. Frank Iuorno and his seven employees at West End Orthodontics in Glen Allen busied themselves with what he calls “housekeeping stuff.” Like most dental and medical primary care practices, West End Orthodontics faced many challenges due to the pandemic, ranging from [...]
Virginia COVID-19 rate remains steady at 5%
Virginia recorded an increase of 7,447 COVID-19 cases and 124 deaths last week, according to Virginia Department of Health statistics reported Monday, Oct. 26. The state’s positivity rate remained at 5% for the second week. As the nation sees surges in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the South, West and Midwest, the numbers in […]
Northam directs $22M to future COVID vaccine program
While COVID-19 vaccines have yet to be approved in the United States, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that the state government has earmarked $22 million in federal CARES Act to establish a statewide program to distribute vaccines once they’re ready. The commonwealth submitted its draft vaccination plan to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]
U.Va. researcher: COVID-19 drug appears to not work well for diabetics
A University of Virginia physicist researching a drug that can save severely ill COVID-19 patients’ lives has discovered that it may not work well on diabetics, the U.Va. Health System announced this week. As a result, physicians may need to change the drug regimen for some of their sickest patients. Dexamethasone, a corti[...]
Va. COVID-19 rate creeps up to 5%
The state’s COVID-19 positivity rate increased last week to 5%, up from 4.5% on Oct. 12. According to the Virginia Department of Health, the state recorded 7,258 new cases and 96 more coronavirus-related deaths over the past week. Virginia has 166,828 total COVID cases since the pandemic started, as well as 3,457 deaths, as of […]
Chippenham Hospital reaches Level I trauma status
Health care network HCA Virginia announced Monday that Chippenham Hospital on Oct. 15 was designated by the commonwealth of Virginia as a Level I Trauma Center, making it the only such center in the southern Richmond metropolitan area. Level I Trauma Centers provide more care options for severely injured patients and the accredi[...]
Northam directs $73M to home health care worker hazard pay
Home health care workers who served elderly people or those suffering from disabilities during the early months of the pandemic will receive a one-time $1,500 hazard payment from the state government, Gov. Northam announced Thursday. Northam announced $73 million in federal CARES Act funding would be disbursed among an estimated 43,500 home health care workers […]
Medical Society of Va. installs new president
The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV), the largest physician organization in the commonwealth installed Dr. Arthur J. Vayer as president during its annual meeting on Oct. 10. Based in Woodbridge, Vayer has more than 20 years of experience as a general surgeon with a focus on colon and rectal surgery. He is affiliated with Sentar[...]
VCU study: COVID-19 accounted for 67% of March-Aug. U.S. deaths
For every two deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S., a third American dies as a result of the pandemic, according to a study led by Virginia Commonwealth University researchers published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study shows that deaths between March 1 and Aug. 1 increased by 20% when compared […]