In brief 11/20/2024

No shrinking Violet Despite a report of its impending closure, Violet Crown isn’t going anywhere, according to a statement published on the movie theater’s social media accounts. “While we are aware of the potential sale of the property, it is our understanding that this sale has not yet closed and no decision is final,” shared […]

In brief 09/11/2024

Bad medicine? More than 100 faculty members employed by the University of Virginia Physicians Group called for the immediate removal of Craig Kent, CEO of UVA Health, and Melina Kibbe, Dean of the UVA School of Medicine, in a signed letter of no confidence on September 7. The letter—signed by 128 faculty members and addressed […]

On a roll: Health department begins vaccinating non-hospital health care workers

The local vaccine rollout process continues. About a month after the first coronavirus vaccines were shipped to hospitals across the country, Charlottesville’s frontline health care employees who work outside of hospitals are now getting vaccinated. On Monday, the Blue Ridge Health District (formerly known as the Thomas Jefferson Health District) began offering the first dose […]

A shot in the arm: Vaccine distribution begins for local hospital workers

Last Tuesday, UVA hospital’s ICU director Taison Bell became one of the first people in Charlottesville to receive the newly approved coronavirus vaccine. It was a moment of “mixed emotions,” says Bell, who has worked with COVID patients throughout the crisis. “It was definitely a good feeling to finally have something that can potentially protect […]

Stretched thin: Still short-staffed, UVA hospital workers hold out for reinforcements

In May, the University of Virginia Health System sparked public outcry when it placed over 500 employees on furlough, citing millions of dollars in pandemic-related financial losses. Affected staff were out of work for up to three months, and were not paid. Though some feared the staffing cuts would be extended, furloughs—along with pay reductions—finally […]

In brief: Happy (socially distanced) graduation, Memorial Day, and more

Rad grads Charlottesville’s 2020 high school graduates imagined they’d be walking across a grand stage right about now, with “Pomp and Circumstance” blaring as an auditorium applauded. That’s gone, of course, but the virus hasn’t stopped our schools from showing love for their seniors. Districts around town have held variations on the traditional graduation ceremony, […]

Cut off: UVA Health furloughs hundreds of employees

COVID-19 has stripped the pockets of businesses all around Charlottesville, including one of the city’s biggest: The University of Virginia Health System. Since the onset of the pandemic, the health system has lost $85 million per month due to a sharp decrease in surgeries and clinic visits. To offset these losses, it announced April 28 […]

How to track a virus

You can’t stop coughing and are running a fever. It’s becoming harder for you to breathe, and you can barely muster the energy to get out of bed. A glance at the CDC’s website confirms your greatest fear: You may have the coronavirus. What happens from there? We spoke with Ta’Kindra Westbrook, a disease intervention […]

In brief: UVA hospital makes amends, a yak on the run, and more

Kinder, gentler health care UVA Health System says it will revamp its financial aid guidelines and sue fewer patients after facing a massive backlash from a Washington Post story about the university’s proclivity to go after nonpaying patients. A Kaiser Health News report revealed that from 2013 to June 2018, the state-owned health system sued […]