Virginia will become one of the few state-backed registries that collects data on patients with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, in order to improve brain health and caregiving. Annie Rhodes was a doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she now teaches, when she first noticed a gap in such collected data — not just in the state, […]
Health
Contraception coverage bills sent to Youngkin’s desk
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is reviewing legislation sent to him by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly that would require health insurers to fully cover contraceptives in Virginia. Identical bills from Del. Candi Mundon King, D-Prince William, and Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, would require health insurance carriers in Virginia to cover all Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive drugs, over-the-counter medication and devices […]
Henrico boy with heart defect raising awareness about hands-only CPR
Finn Blumenthal: 'I kept fighting even though the CHD has been in my body for a decade'Like most nine-year-olds, Finn loves fun. Whether it’s going for a swing in his backyard playground or playing with his pets, there’s not much that slows him down except sometimes his heart condition “I was diagnosed with CHD, Congenital Heart Defect,” Finn said. “Unlike normal kids I have a limit so I can’t really run around for that much longer.” […]
Virginia Board of Medicine suspends licenses of two Richmond area doctors
The Virginia Board of Medicine has suspended the licenses of two Richmond area doctors for alleged inappropriate relationships with their patients. On February 15, the Board suspended Dr. Patrick Anthony Oliver’s license to practice medicine in Virginia. An order of summary suspension alleges a relationship began in January 2022 when a patient sought his ketamine infusion therapy to treat her suicide ideation. […]
Bon Secours St. Mary’s becomes first Virginia hospital to use new AFib procedure
Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital is now offering a new, innovative FDA-approved procedure for atrial fibrillation (AFib). AFib is among the most common abnormal heart rhythm disorders. Now, mere months after its Food and Drug Administration approval, Bon Secours successfully performed four procedures with a Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System. Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital is the first hospital in […]
Legislation proposes statewide Black Maternal Health Week in April
Black Maternal Health Week will be recognized annually in April, if Virginia lawmakers sign off on a proposed resolution. The week, held from April 11-17, is intended to raise awareness that Black women are dying from childbirth at a disproportionately higher rate. Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, introduced Senate Joint Resolution 23, which passed the Senate and awaits House approval. “The resolution […]
‘Death with dignity’ bill killed in the House
Del. Patrick Hope’s (D-Arlington) proposed ‘Death with Dignity’ bill that would allow terminally ill adults to request an end to their life died in the House on Feb 13. The bill, HB 858, had narrowly passed the Health and Human Services Committee in a 12-10 vote, with all Democrats voting in favor and Republicans against before being passed by indefinitely in the […]
Henrico Doctors’ Hospital named a top-50 U.S. cardiovascular hospital
For their ability to provide heart care services deemed to be “world-class,” HCA Virginia’s Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and Chippenham Hospital and Henrico Doctors’ Hospital have been named two of the top 50 cardiovascular hospitals in the United States by PINC AI, the technology and services brand of Premier, Inc. The study annually evaluates the performance of 940 U.S. hospitals using […]