More than 75,000 workers at health care giant Kaiser Permanente are set to strike on Wednesday.

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions’ contract with the health system expired on Saturday night without reaching a new agreement with management. Union workers are bargaining for pay raises and increased protections against strain. Employees say they and patients are feeling the effects of short-staffing.

Kaiser Permanente has more than a dozen medical centers across the Washington, D.C., area with Fairfax County sites in Tysons, Reston, Fair Oaks, Burke and Springfield. The strike will take place over three days at hundreds of Kaiser Permanente facilities across Virginia, D.C, California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, according to the unions.

“Kaiser continues to bargain in bad faith over these issues and, so far, there is no light at the end of the tunnel,” the unions said in a statement on Saturday.

Kaiser Permanente said that in Virginia and the District of Columbia, the strike covers less than 400 optometrists and pharmacists and does not include nurses or physicians. In the case of a strike, the health care provider expects facilities to remain open and operate with minimal disruption.

“We are continuing to bargain with the Coalition to reach a new agreement that protects and improves all the great advantages of working at Kaiser Permanente,” the health care provider said in a statement on Monday. “Our goal is to reach a fair and equitable agreement that strengthens our position as a best place to work and ensures that the high-quality care our members expect from us remains affordable and easy to access.”

If no contract agreement is reached by midnight, workers with union OPEIU Local 2 intend to picket Kaiser’s Springfield Medical Center at 6551 Loisdale Court tomorrow morning, DCist reported.

This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. It was lightly edited to focus on Fairfax County. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.

Photo via Google Maps

VHC Health is making a big push to bring its health care services closer to Fairfax County residents.

With a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Wednesday (Aug. 9), the health system introduced its new Vienna practice to the community as part of a building-wide open house at 527 Maple Avenue, which also recently welcomed the gym Advanced Fitness & Sports Performance.

At its 4,000-square-foot office, VHC Health Physicians offers primary care services for patients 6 and older as well as OB-GYN services for patients 14 and older. The practice is currently staffed with two primary care physicians, an obstetrician and three advanced OB-GYN practice providers.

“In our office in Vienna, we’re really excited about being in such a great community,” VHC Health President and CEO Chris Lane said. “We had a great open house…where a lot of community members came out and really thanked us for providing this option and this choice for them to be able to access the great care from VHC.”

Formerly known as Virginia Hospital Center, VHC Health rebranded last year in conjunction with plans to expand both within and outside of its flagship hospital in Arlington.

In less than two years, the nonprofit has opened clinical offices in Annandale, Tysons, West Springfield and Kingstowne on top of the Vienna practice. Opened in June, the Kingstowne office served as an multi-specialty replacement for a Hybla Valley office that permanently closed.

The services available at each location vary. For instance, the Tysons office at 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 305, has specialists in cardiology, gastroenterology and urology, along with primary care and OB-GYN practitioners.

Lane says the recent expansion reflects an evolving focus in VHC Health on preventative care and a desire to bring that care out into the community “where people work and people live.” The health system has also strengthened its telemedicine services in response to the pandemic.

“Our differentiator is we want to be able to provide that care out to the community,” Lane said. “Patients want a choice, and they want to have the ability to choose where they go and have an option, and VHC is a great option for people to receive that care right near their home.”

When looking for potential office locations, VHC Health considers the area’s demographics and what kinds of health care services are already available, Lane says.

To that end, the nonprofit is already working on another local office, this time in Merrifield. The facility at 3025 Hamaker Court will provide surgical services, something that VHC doesn’t yet offer in Fairfax County.

Construction is underway on the practice, which will be in a medical office-heavy area between the Mosaic District and the Inova Fairfax Hospital campus. The work is on track to finish this year, likely in the fourth quarter between October and December, according to Lane.

While other specific locations haven’t been identified yet, Lane says VHC Health plans to continue expanding. After an attendee at Wednesday’s open house in Vienna suggested an office in Reston, perhaps a site west of Route 123 could be next.

“People speak to us, they want the VHC brand and they want the VHC great quality of care in their community, so it’s something we obviously would have to consider,” Lane said.

In response to burgeoning needs, Reston Hospital Center is poised to expand a key facility that serves its youngest patients.

The center will expand the capacity of its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) this year from 16 to 29 patient beds. The expansion is also intended to provide more privacy for patients and their families.

The expansion includes seven private rooms and three semi-private rooms, according to the hospital.

“The NICU expansion is happening due to capacity needs in the community and to create a more private patient experience,” Jess Norman, a Reston Hospital spokesperson, wrote in a statement to FFXnow.

The expansion is slated to finish off sometime in November or December of this year, Norman said.

In addition to more beds, the expansion includes new equipment, furniture, a family waiting area, and nurses’ station.

Children’s National Hospital in D.C. cares for patients in the NICU at Reston Hospital. Its program is composed of neonatologists and hospitalists in the nursery and delivery room.

Reston Hospital Center opened the doors to its newly expanded inpatient rehabilitation facility yesterday (Thursday).

The upgrade includes an increase of 12 rooms, a second private gym, upgraded dining areas, and additional rehabilitation equipment. According to Reston Hospital Center, the equipment allows the hospital to integrate 40 new therapies and onboard 30 staff members.

The facility now has 30 beds and provides services for individuals to transfer from the emergency room to inpatient hospital units.

“This Inpatient Rehab expansion is a significant step in Reston Hospital’s overall growth plan and in our sustained commitment to offer advanced, high-quality healthcare services to our patients,” Reston Hospital Center CEO John Deardorff said.

Here’s more from HCA Virginia Health System, the hospital’s parent company, on the changes:

Each patient receives an individualized rehabilitation plan specific to their needs. All therapy sessions occur one-on-one and each patient receives a minimum of three hours of therapy five days per week provided by a licensed physical, occupational, and/or speech therapist. An integrated therapy system has been added as a multidisciplinary tool that combines all three therapy disciplines (PT/OT/ST) to assist with improving cognition, vision, balance, and motor skills.

The Inpatient Rehabilitation Center also offers neurological rehabilitation, orthopedic rehabilitation, prosthetic training, and family training to ease reentry into the community.

“We focus on everyday activities with patients and help them navigate real-life situations.  We will visit the gift shop or hospital cafe to practice money management, specifically for patients following stroke or brain injury, or visit the library with a patient who enjoys checking out books,” said Sarah Marshall, director of rehabilitation services.

Rehabilitation can also involve coordinating with the hospital’s pet therapy volunteers to allow patients to practice dog walking during sessions for functional dynamic balance and gait training.  In the private gym, an aerial track system that can accommodate two patients working on simultaneous dynamic balance activities complements the existing gait and balance system.

The facility also includes booth seating in the dining room to provide areas for patients to train and educate if a patient were to dine at a restaurant.

“We have an extraordinary team of registered nurses, patient care technicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, case managers, and on-site physicians to enhance care for all patients,” Marshall said. “We are equipped to mimic a patient’s lifestyle and hobbies, including field trips to the grocery store, Reston Town Center, and restaurants as well as providing onsite therapy and training to the patient and family/caregivers for a confident transition back into the community.”

A ribbon cutting was held on Wednesday (March 1).

A mobile clinic will provide free dental screenings for kids and teens without insurance at Richard Byrd Library in Springfield this weekend.

Vans from the Medical Care for Children Partnership Foundation (MCCP) — a public-private nonprofit based at Northern Virginia Community College’s Springfield campus — will stop by the library at 7250 Commerce Street from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday (March 4).

The free screenings will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for uninsured people between 3 to 18 years of age, according to a flyer.

“If further urgent dental treatment is needed, information will be given to parents about who to call,” the flyer says. “We will also bring free goody bags for each child seen.”

Founded in 2007, MCCP is dedicated to providing access to medical and dental health care for kids in Fairfax County.

Medical Care for Children Partnership, along with @NOVAcommcollege, offering free dental screenings for uninsured children 3-18 years old.

Vans will visit Richard Byrd @fairfaxlibrary in Springfield on Saturday, Mar. 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

First come, first serve. pic.twitter.com/bQdPVbLtew

— Fairfax County Government 🇺🇸 (@fairfaxcounty) February 28, 2023

Photo via Google Maps

Jos A. Bank has officially closed its doors in Reston Town Center.

A primary care practice — One Medical — will take over the former location of the men’s clothing store (11930 Democracy Drive).

One Medical is a membership-based, tech-integrated primary care practice that offers virtual care and in-person visits. The company says it aims to reinvent the healthcare experience by providing quick access to medical care. Other locations offer 24/7 virtual access to appointments.

Amazon hopes to purchase One Medical’s parent company, 1Life Healthcare, Inc. The company has 188 clinics in 29 markets across the country, including one in Fairfax and Tysons.

A spokesperson for Boston Properties confirmed that the company’s lease ended today (Tuesday). Jos. A Bank, which was established in 1905, specializes in suits and has more than 180 retail locations. It still has other local locations in Fairfax and Leesburg.

As the Virginia General Assembly convenes this week for its 2023 session, local lawmakers hope to pass bills highlighting campaign finance reforms, raising teacher pay, paid sick leave, and other issues.

The General Assembly will meet in Richmond on Wednesday (Jan. 11) for a 46-day session lasting until Feb. 25, though special and reconvened sessions later in the year are possible.

Members have been allowed to pre-file bills since November, and Fairfax County’s delegation held a public hearing on Saturday (Jan. 7) where community members shared their thoughts on what should be prioritized.

Members have until Wednesday morning to pre-file bills.

Facing a divided General Assembly, with Republicans controlling the House of Delegates and Democrats holding the Senate, local representatives likely won’t see all of their bills become law, but here are 12 proposals worth noting:

Campaign finance reform

• Limit political donations to $20,000: Introduced by Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34), SB 803 would prohibit individuals from making a single donation to anyone vying for state office for more than $20,000.
• Prohibit contributions from public utilities: Also filed by Petersen, SB 804 would prohibit candidates from accepting contributions from any public utility company. Petersen has introduced versions of this bill before but hasn’t succeeded in getting it passed.
• Prohibit personal use of campaign funds: The potential new law HB 1552, introduced by Del. Marcus Simon (D-53), would ban candidates from using campaign funds for personal use, something that’s already prohibited in many other states.

Education 

• Alternative learning assessments in schools: SB 819, pre-filed by Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31), aims to allow each local school district “to use any nationally recognized, research-based assessment or screener” as an alternative to Virginia Department of Education-approved tests. This comes after new state-proposed history standards were rejected by the Board of Education in November. Revised draft standards were released Friday (Jan. 6).
• Higher teacher compensation: Del. Kaye Kory (D-38) is co-introducing HB 1497, which calls for state funding to be used to compensate public school teachers at or above the national average. Currently, the average pay for teachers in Virginia is about $7,000 below the national average.

Gun Control

• Unattended firearms in motor vehicles: SB 901, introduced by Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37), would make it illegal to leave a firearm unattended in a motor vehicle unless it’s locked up in its own compartment or container.

Health care

• Prohibit warrants for menstrual health data: SB 852 would prohibit the issuing of warrants for the search and seizure of any device containing digital information related to menstrual health data. Filed by Favola, the bill addresses fears from some that period-tracking apps could be used against someone considering an abortion.
• Paid sick leave for health care and grocery store workers: Introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36), SB 886 would require health care and grocery store employers to provide paid sick leave. As noted in the bill, current law only requires paid sick leave for some home health care workers. A version of this bill passed the Senate last year but failed in the House.
• Treatment for “problem gambling“: With sports gambling now legal in Virginia, Del. Paul Krizek (D-44) is proposing HB 1465, which would establish a committee to help “reduce the negative effects of problem gambling.”

Rights 

• Bars insurrectionists from holding public official: Del. Dan Helmer (D-40) is introducing HB 1562 to bar those “convicted of participating in an insurrection” from ever holding a position of “public trust.”
• ASL interpreters in courtrooms: Surovell’s SB 814 lets the court appoint a certified American Sign Language interpreter itself for the courtroom.
• No arrest for assault on law enforcement in mental health emergency: HB 1561 from Del. Vivian Watts (D-39) exempts individuals from being arrested or prosecuted for assaulting a law enforcement officer if they’re experiencing a mental health emergency. A study done last year showed that about 10% of those charged with assault on law enforcement officers had a history of mental illness.

Transportation 

• Pedestrian signals apply to bicycles and scooters: Favola’s SB 847 calls for pedestrian control signals to also apply to those riding bicycles, mopeds, electric bikes, scooters, and all other forms of electric motor transportation. A companion bill is being filed by Del. Rip Sullivan (D-48) in the House.

Photo via Doug Kerr/Flickr

A new dental studio has opened Sunset Hills Road in Reston.

Aglow Dental Studio is planning to host an official grand opening today (Thursday) from 4-6 p.m. in suite 303 at 11150 Sunset Hills Road.

The business is led by Rosemary Ahanor, who graduated from St. Elizabeth Hospitals in D.C.

“Aglow Dental opened its doors in August 2020 during a time when it was difficult to host social gatherings,” the company said in a press release. “Therefore, we are so excited to celebrate with the Reston and neighboring community on this special day.”

Services include oral cancer screening, dental exams, cosmetic dentistry, whitening, implants, root canal treatment, veneers and crowns.

To celebrate its grand opening, the dentistry is taking appointments for free cleaning and extractions, according to a statement from the business.

Tysons’ gradually expanding network of health care services will soon include a new option for pets.

PetMedic Urgent Care, a small but growing franchise based in Massachusetts, will open its first location in the D.C. area at Tysons West (1495 Cornerside Blvd) next year, the company announced yesterday (Tuesday).

The clinic will operate similarly to human urgent care centers, providing medical services for non-life-threatening conditions after regular business hours and on the weekends, according to the press release, which was previously reported by the Washington Business Journal.

“We are thrilled to be offering veterinary urgent care in Virginia,” PetMedic founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nir Ben-Ari said in a statement. “The need for urgent care in the veterinary space is high to alleviate burnout in our teams and to provide a stronger continuum of care.”

From the news release:

The clinic is staffed by an experienced emergency medicine team and is complete with a modern surgical suite, laboratory, digital X-ray, ultrasound, and cutting-edge software that allows for an efficient workflow for team members.

PetMedic won’t offer vaccinations, wellness visits and other “routine” services provided by veterinary practices. Patrons will be able to make same-day appointments online.

Founded in January 2020, PetMedic currently has three locations: two in Massachusetts and one in Portland, Maine. According to its website, the business has four new clinics in the works, but the Tysons one is the only expansion outside of those two states.

“Pet parents love the after-hours and weekend options, and our healthcare network appreciates the extra hands when they’re overloaded,” Ben-Ari said. “It’s a win-win for the community in every respect.”

To address humans’ medical needs, Tysons welcomed an emergency room from Reston Hospital Center this summer to support the area’s growing population. The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine also opened a primary care office in McLean in February.

Updated at 9:45 a.m. on 8/16/2022 — Hektor Fernando Alvarez’s employment at Virginia Hospital Center was terminated on Friday (Aug. 12), the hospital says.

Earlier: A man from Falls Church has been arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a patient under his care when he worked at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital (3600 Joseph Siewick Drive), the Fairfax County Police Department announced today (Friday).

The victim — a patient who was receiving long-term care at the hospital — told a hospital technician on July 7 that his previous caretaker had “fondled the victim’s genitalia on two separate occasions,” police said.

Detectives from FCPD’s Major Crimes Bureau began an investigation on July 8. They identified the caretaker as 21-year-old Falls Church resident Hektor Fernando Alvarez, who was working for a company called Metropolitan Healthcare Services (MHS) that Inova had contracted “to provide sitter services for patients,” according to police.

The FCPD says Alvarez is no longer employed by MHS, but he was working as a medical technician at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. There have been no incidents reported at that hospital, according to the department.

Alvarez was arrested after a month-long investigation on Aug. 9 and has been charged with aggravated sexual battery with a victim through mental incapacity or helplessness.

“He was held on no bond but later released on a secured bond,” the police department said, which means the money was primarily covered by a bond company.

Prosecutors had argued for Alvarez to be denied a bond, but the judge rejected their recommendation, FFXnow was told.

Online case information indicates that Alvarez was arraigned at the Fairfax County General District Court on Wednesday (Aug. 10) and had a bond hearing yesterday (Thursday). A court employee told FFXnow that the bond was served this morning.

Inova Health System says it has been working with the victim’s family and MHS to respond to the assault allegation.

“Inova has been in contact with the patient, their family, and the contracted staffing agency in regard to this troubling alleged incident,” a spokesperson for the nonprofit said in a statement. “Safety is central to everything we do at Inova, and we expect all who work or provide services in our care sites to meet that high standard.”

The FCPD says anyone with additional information about the case can contact its detectives at 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone (1-866-411-TIPS), and online.

“Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars,” the FCPD said. “Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to follow up with you.”

A preliminary hearing for Alvarez has been set for 2 p.m. on Sept. 28.

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