Inova Health System announced today that it plans to put $1 million in grant funding into non-profits addressing health needs in Alexandria and its neighbors.
The hospital system announced today that applications are open for the 2022 Health Equity Grant program, into which Inova is putting a record $1 million in funding. The grant program helps nonprofit organizations that provide services for under-resourced locals and promote equity.
“In 2021, Inova awarded $240,000 to 14 nonprofit organizations in Northern Virginia through the (then named) Community Health Fund,” Inova said in a release. “With the healthcare inequities experienced by many in our community exacerbated by the global pandemic, Inova nearly quadrupled its grant funds to $1 million and refocused the program to specifically address health equity locally.”
In prior years, organizations such as The Campagna Center in Alexandria and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington received grant funding. Special consideration will be given to eligible nonprofits that are owned and operated by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), the hospital system said. Applications are available online and due April 6.
“Meeting the healthcare needs of the Northern Virginia community is a priority for Inova, and our community partners are instrumental in helping us identify effective ways to support under-resourced groups,” said Dr. J. Stephen Jones, President and CEO of Inova Health System. “Improving the health of our community is about more than direct healthcare, and we are proud to offer these grants to the wonderful organizations who provide the resources our residents need to thrive.”
(Updated 2/7)Â Busy week at the intersection of state and local politics.
Yesterday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin visited an Alexandria Safeway for a roundtable discussion only to get heckled for not wearing a mask indoors. There’s even a shirt referencing the incident being produced as a fundraiser. Meanwhile, members of Youngkin’s administration made better headway in meeting with state and federal leaders to discuss increased infrastructure funding for a local bridge project.
Meanwhile, Alexandria has its own local problems. The city is issuing $187,673 in refunds after it found a red camera light on Duke Street was not adhering to state requirements. The city is also facing some financial problems from hotel tax revenue drying up. Alexandria City Public Schools are also grappling with a recruiting shortage and is working to boost relationships with historically black colleges and universities in an effort to bring in new teachers.
Top stories
- Woman apprehended after allegedly slamming 19-month-old boy to ground at Inova Alexandria Hospital
- A bunch of new restaurants are coming to Alexandria this year
- Man arrested after allegedly pushing girlfriend in Alexandria apartment
- Gov. Youngkin visiting Alexandria Safeway today to discuss reducing cost of living
- Juvenile assaulted twice on DASH Bus, videos of incidents uploaded to Instagram
- No arrest after armed robbery at West End CVS store
- North Old Town power plant plans get a taste of Dutch design
- Police arrest two men allegedly attempting to flee from police in Landmark
- Collapse of hotel tax revenue could put more pressure on Alexandria residents
- Nando’s Peri-Peri is closing in Old Town and moving to Hoffman Town Center
A Fairfax County woman experiencing a mental health crisis was apprehended after allegedly slamming a 19-month-old boy to the ground in the emergency room at Inova Alexandria Hospital last month.
The incident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 20. Police said that the woman was acting erratically by knocking items off of counters, according to a search warrant. The woman then allegedly walked into a room, picked up the child by his legs and flung him on the floor.
“According to the mother of the child, the suspect picked up the child by his legs and shoved him down the hallway,” police said in a search warrant. “The child sustained an apparent injury to his forehead an left hand.”
The woman was not arrested, and her relationship with the mother and child is not known.
“On December 20, 2021 we responded to a call for service for a woman having a mental health crisis,” Alexandria Police spokesman Marcel Bassett told ALXnow. No arrest were made, but other services were provided to address this incident.”
In November — a month before this incident — the woman was charged with two counts of possessing a Schedule I or II substance. She was also charged with pickpocketing in March, and then for failing to appear in court.
Alexandri provides behavioral health treatment resources. Find out more about them here.
In a City Council meeting last night, Inova Alexandria Hospital and local health officials shared a look at the current COVID-19 situation in the hospital and what the state of emergency declaration means for the city.
Inova Alexandria Hospital President Dr. Rina Bansal told the City Council that the hospital is prepared for any potential surge.
“The good news is, if there is good news, is that we’ve been dealing with this for 22 months so we’re well versed with handling another surge of Covid,” Bansal said. “While we are extremely busy, we’re well within our capacity from a bed perspective as well as a resource perspective. We are actively planning for any surges that we may see in the next few weeks, as noted in the predicted models.”
Bansal said the emergency declaration from Gov. Ralph Northam gave the hospital more flexibility to tackle any upswing in hospitalizations:
That’s why the emergency that was recently issued by the governor is key. It’s key from an in-patient perspective because it allows us to increase our licensed bed capacity beyond our current license, work in staffing ratios that may not be what we do right now, and it allows vaccinations to be given by any healthcare provider which increases our ability to provide vaccinations in this community and telehealth services, which allows increased access to our patients within Virginia and in Maryland if they were previously our patients. It allows us to use providers licensed in other states to provide are.
Bansal acknowledged that staffing has been a challenge at the hospital.
The hospital has reverted to earlier visitation restrictions and Bansal said the majority of patients being hospitalized are unvaccinated ones.
“The sicker patients are the unvaccinated patients,” Bansal said, “and if you look at it proportionally the unvaccinated patients are the ones getting admitted to the hospital.”
Inova Alexandria Hospital spokeswoman Melissa Riddy also noted that the hospital is critically short on blood, and will be holding blood drives on January 25 and 27.
As Inova Alexandria Hospital deals with an upswing in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant, the hospital is asking those who suspect they may have the disease to test at home or a community testing site rather than the hospital.
“If you suspect you might be infected with COVID-19, please do not visit the emergency room for a COVID-19 test,” the hospital said in an email. “Instead seek out a community testing site or a home test kit.”
The hospital has been prioritizing patients with medical conditions requiring emergency care and those with critical illnesses.
“We strongly discourage patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms from coming to the emergency room so we may preserve resources for those in our community with emergent medical needs,” the hospital said.
The hospital is operating a vehicle-side testing center from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at  2990 Telestar Court.
“Asymptomatic patients or individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 without symptoms will not be tested,” the hospital said. “Appointments are required, please call us for an appointment at 571-472-6843.”
Inova discourages ER visits for mild, asymptomatic COVID testing — “With demand for COVID-19 testing high, Inova Health System says emergency room visits should be reserved for emergency and critical needs.” [Patch]
New restaurants coming to Shirlington — “Chinese-Korean eatery opens first Virginia location; beer hall to take over Capital City Brewing spot.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
COVID concerns cancel local New Year’s Eve events — “More venues and clubs around the region announced New Year’s Eve event cancellations on Tuesday as the omicron variant continued to bring surging COVID numbers and health concerns.” [WUSA9]
City Council adopts Chirilagua plan — “City Council took a major step toward providing more affordable housing for the Arlandria neighborhood, also known as Chirilagua, this week by adopting a new comprehensive small area plan.” [Alexandria Times]
Forget a cookie or a sticker: donors at a blood drive next week in Old Town can get a $10 Starbucks gift card for giving blood to Inova Blood Donor Services.
The blood drive is scheduled for 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24, outside City Hall (301 King Street). Those interesting in donating can book an appointment online. Inova also has an eligibility checklist available online.
In an event listing, Inova Blood Donor Services said donors may receive a $10 Starbucks gift card as a “thank you gift” while supplies last.
The additional incentive comes as blood supply at organizations like the Red Cross are particularly low.
Photo via Inova Blood Donor Services/Facebook
It wasn’t so much a groundbreaking as it was a wall-breaking, as local dignitaries smashed their way to a new future at the new Inova Oakville at Potomac Yard on Monday (Nov. 15).
After years of development, construction officially began on the $300 million project at the corner of Swann Avenue and Richmond Highway — just down from National Landing and the Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus. The project and includes more than 1 million square feet of residential space dedicated to apartments, a new 93,000-square-foot Inova HealthPlex with a comprehensive emergency room and 55,000 square feet of retail. The facility is planned to open in fall 2023.
“This is an exciting day for our city,” Mayor Justin Wilson said at the event. “Congratulations to everyone who made this happen. We look forward to continuing to partner with Inova long into the future to expand world-class health care services in our community.”
The hospital facility will offer emergency room services, an outpatient care center and medical offices.
“The new facility represents one more way that we show our commitment to all people in our communities,” said Inova Hospital System President and CEO J. Stephen Jones. “It offers a gateway for communities that we have not traditionally served to the level that we know that we can.”
Douglas M. Firstenberg, principal at Stonebridge, which is developing the property, said that the mixed uses at the property will set it apart.
“This is really a vision of the future, the way we’re integrating the HealthPlex and the services for the daily needs and lives of the community are truly different,” Firstenberg said.
A 23-year-old Fairfax County man wounded after a shooting in a West End apartment complex is being held without bond in the Alexandria jail for being a violent felon in possession of a firearm.
Antwain Lee Williams was arrested on Tuesday, September 21, after being driven to Inova Alexandria Hospital by a neighbor. He was alert with police and claimed that he was shot in the head.
It is still not clear exactly how Williams was injured, police said. No one else has been arrested in connection to this incident.
“This remains an active investigation,” APD Senior Public Information Officer Amanda Paga told ALXnow.
The incident occurred at around 1 p.m., just in time for police to arrive and hear two men arguing before there were gunshots inside the apartment complex, according to a search warrant. Inside a first floor apartment where Williams was staying, police found blood, a black firearm, three bullet casings and a broken window.
Police suspect that Williams, who goes to court on October 25, fired a weapon.
When asked at the hospital who shot him, Williams told police that an unknown male walked up to him and shot him point blank in the head.
The incident occurred five years to the day that Williams was arrested for shooting a man in Pittsylvania County.
Anyone with information on the incident can call the police non-emergency line at 703-746-4444. Callers can remain anonymous.
Aslin Beer Co. opens new scratch kitchen in Alexandria — “For the past two years, Chef Taylor Gates has been learning about pizza and dough — and now the taproom at Aslin Beer Co. in Alexandria’s West End is ready to serve it up. Aslin is opening a new scratch kitchen concept this week called Knead.” [Alexandria Living]
City Council approves additional eviction prevention resources — “City Council’s decision funds $457,000 for two service navigator and two housing relocator positions; storage assistance for household belongings; and additional legal services provided by the Legal Aid Justice Center to assist people at risk for eviction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” [City of Alexandria]
Inova Alexandria Hospital brings peer recovery to the emergency room — “Patients visiting the E.R. for a substance-related crisis can speak with a specialist once they are medically stable. The idea is to help them take that first step toward recovery.” [Zebra]
Today’s weather — “Plentiful sunshine. High 74F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph… A mostly clear sky (in the evening). Low 51F. Winds light and variable.” [Weather.com]
New job: Employee Rotation Program with the Office of Historic Alexandria — “Work involves writing, editing and planning layout of brochures and flyers, newspaper articles, press releases, and/or planning and implementing publicity and fundraising campaigns. Work requires the exercise of creativity, independent judgment, and a familiarity with Alexandria’s African American history. The work is performed under general supervision of the Director of the Alexandria Black History Museum in consultation with the Director of OHA.” [Governmentjobs.com]
Via Claire Going/ACPS
