Virginia Hospital Center

Va. Hospital Center Issues Statement About Ebola Incident

By ARLnow.com

Virginia Hospital Center logoVirginia Hospital Center has issued a statement regarding its handling of a possible Ebola case.

On Friday, the hospital refused to admit a patient who was thought to possibly be infected with the Ebola virus, despite the fact that she was initially transported there. Instead, the Arlington paramedic crew was directed to take the patient to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where she was treated.

It was later learned that the woman did not have Ebola.

VHC says it took proper action on Friday, because construction was taking place in the hospital’s biocontainment area. That construction is reportedly now complete, and the hospital says it is ready to treat a suspected Ebola patient.

From Virginia Hospital Center:

When the Ebola crisis initially unfolded and early guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) were released, Virginia Hospital Center put in place processes and protocols that allowed us to safely screen suspected Ebola patients. As suspected Ebola cases surfaced at other hospitals and the CDC continued to change their recommended care guidelines, Virginia Hospital Center believed it was imperative that we have dedicated connecting rooms in the biocontainment area that would allow for the use of an anteroom by staff to safely enter and leave a patient’s room and safely remove and decontaminate Personal Protective Equipment. We needed to construct this anteroom to help mitigate the risk of transmission to patients, staff and our community.

On Friday, October 17, Arlington EMS alerted us that a patient with suspected Ebola symptoms and a reported, recent travel history to a CDC high-risk area was in transport to Virginia Hospital Center. Given the clinical symptoms, travel history, possible need for admission and the Hospital’s ongoing construction in this biocontainment area, we immediately contacted Inova Fairfax Hospital to inquire about their readiness to accept a suspected Ebola patient. Concurrent with their agreement to accept the patient, Arlington EMS arrived. The patient was then transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital. The safety and well-being of the patient, as well as all of our patients, staff and community, was paramount in our decision to transport the patient to a hospital equipped to care for the patient at that time. The construction in our biocontainment area is now complete and the Hospital is prepared to isolate, test and treat a suspected Ebola patient.

ACFD: Va. Hospital Center Refused to Admit Suspected Ebola Patient

By ARLnow.com

Hazmat response for possible Ebola patient at the Pentagon on 10/17/14Virginia Hospital Center refused to admit the potential Ebola patient from the Pentagon on Friday, according to county officials, despite the hospital saying two weeks earlier that it was ready to handle such patients.

Responding to an inquiry from ARLnow.com today, the Arlington County Fire Department confirmed reports that VHC refused the woman — who at the time was thought to potentially have the deadly Ebola virus — when medics brought her to the hospital. She never left the ambulance.

“We were turned away,” said ACFD spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Marchegiani. “We followed our protocol and brought the patient to the closest hospital (VHC), at which point we were rerouted to Fairfax Inova.”

VHC has not responded to multiple requests for comment from ARLnow.com. Marchegiani said the hospital claimed not to be prepared for such a patient, even though the department had previously been told VHC could accept suspected Ebola patients.

“The reason told to our medical director was that they couldn’t handle the patient,” said Marchegiani. Earlier this month, however, VHC told TV station WUSA 9 that it was ready to deal with potential Ebola patients.

“Virginia Hospital Center wants to reassure our community that the Hospital has the infrastructure and procedures already in place to screen, and if necessary, isolate, test and treat all high-risk patients. We drill and prepare for just such situations; therefore, our staff is highly trained to take appropriate precautions for a suspected and/or confirmed Ebola case.

A multi-disciplinary taskforce has reviewed our infection control guidelines and reinforced education of the Hospital staff to ensure it can detect a patient with Ebola Virus Disease, protect all healthcare workers so they can safely care for the patient, and respond to the patient in a timely manner.”

An ARLnow.com tipster indicates emergency responders called the VHC emergency room from the scene at the Pentagon, and were told to bring the patient over. The tipster claims hospital administration refused to allow the patient inside once she arrived at the hospital. The person tells ARLnow.com there was a “heated exchange” between the emergency physician and hospital administration inside the emergency room while the patient waited in the ambulance. The tipster also claims hospital administration worried it would lose business if it came to be seen as an “Ebola hospital.”

The county’s emergency officials reportedly have had talks with officials at VHC since the incident. ACFD confirms VHC has agreed to accept potential Ebola patients in the future.

Arlington County officials also have confirmed that the patient had not traveled to West Africa, as she allegedly first told authorities. In fact, she had not left the country at all, the county said, and had no contact with other potentially infected people.

“She had stated that she had traveled to Sierra Leone at the scene and did exhibit symptoms consistent with Ebola, so responders took all appropriate steps,” said Diana Sun, Arlington County’s Director of Communications. “There was an investigative process that went beyond Arlington. During the course of this, people close to the patient were interviewed and stated that she had not left the country. The patient herself, later in the afternoon, recanted her story and said that she had not left the country. When that last piece came in, public health officials felt confident in not pursuing” further testing for the Ebola virus.

There’s no word yet on whether the woman will face any charges.

UPDATE (2): Sick Woman at Pentagon Does Not Have Ebola

By ARLnow.com
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Update at 5:10 p.m. — Arlington County officials say in a press release that the woman who was sick at the Pentagon this morning does not have Ebola.

Based on the public health investigation, which included the travel history of a woman who became ill this morning in a Pentagon parking lot, and on questioning of her by medical staff, medical authorities are confident that she does not have Ebola.

Arlington County Fire Department Emergency Medical Services transported the woman to Fairfax Inova Hospital Friday morning, after she became ill in a Pentagon parking lot. The woman had displayed symptoms consistent with the virus and her travel history was uncertain. She was put in isolation at Fairfax Inova Hospital. Arlington County took all necessary precautions to protect public health during this event, including activating its Emergency Operations Center. We are beginning to break down those operations now.

(Updated at 5:05 p.m.) Arlington County’s responded to the Pentagon this morning due to an possible Ebola case on a tour bus.

Medics responded to the Pentagon this morning for a report of a woman on a bus who was sick and vomiting. When they were told that she had recently arrived from Africa, the hazmat team was called out of “a complete abundance of caution,” Pentagon Force Protection Agency spokesman Chris Layman told ARLnow.com.

A large portion of the Pentagon south parking lot was cordoned off with caution tape, and police are telling those who don’t work at the Pentagon to avoid the immediate surrounding area.

The woman — who reportedly boarded the bus at the Pentagon, got sick in the bathroom then got off — was transported via ambulance to a Inova Fairfax Hospital. The county’s medical director also responded to the call and went to the hospital with the patient, according to scanner traffic.

A tipster with knowledge of the emergency response told ARLnow.com that the patient claimed she recently traveled from the West African nation of Sierra Leone. That was confirmed by D.C. health department officials. However, an Associated Press report is now questioning whether she has, in fact, been out of the country.

The tipster also said that four Arlington firefighters were held at the hospital for much of the day due to possible exposure, and are now monitoring themselves for signs illness. That tip could not be immediately confirmed. The AP is reporting that seven Pentagon police officers might have also been exposed and are being monitored.

Arlington medic units and Fairfax hazmat units are on scene at Inova Fairfax Hosptial, according to news helicopter footage.

As of 10:50 a.m., Arlington County was mobilizing its Emergency Operations Center to deal with the incident, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Just before noon, the county issued the following press release.

Arlington Responds to Possible Ebola Case

At about 9:10 a.m. today, Pentagon Police officers identified a woman in the Pentagon South Parking Lot, around lanes 17-19, who was ill and vomiting. Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) was notified and responded immediately with both emergency medical aid and HazMat response team.

During the response, the individual allegedly indicated that she had recently visited western Africa. Out of an abundance of caution, all pedestrian and vehicular traffic was suspended around the South Parking lot, while Arlington County responded to the scene. At 9:53 a.m, the patient was taken to the Virginia Hospital Center; however she did not exit the ambulance. ACFD then transported the patient to Fairfax Inova Hospital.

Arlington Public Health is directing the public health response to this incident. Arlington County has activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and a Joint Information Center (JIC) to manage the incident.

At the Pentagon
Out of an abundance of caution and to allow the investigation to proceed, pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the Pentagon South Parking lot’s lanes 7-23 will remain restricted until further notice. The Corridor 2 entrance to the Pentagon is also closed.

More information will be released when it becomes available.

Arlington firefighters and the hazmat team cleared the scene at the Pentagon around 1:45 p.m.

The bus the woman boarded was later stopped and detained near D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Despite numerous Ebola scares in the United States, there have been fewer than 10 confirmed cases in the country. Today President Obama named an “Ebola czar” to help coordinate the federal response to the outbreak threat.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Potomac River Bank (Flickr pool photo by Brian Allen)

Stormwater Management Ordinance Approved — The Arlington County Board on Saturday approved a new stormwater management ordinance. The ordinance complies with strict EPA standards intended to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay. It’s expected to raise the county’s costs related to stormwater management. [Arlington County]

Gymnastic Boosters Speak Out About Rising Fee — Youth gymnasts and their parents spoke out at Saturday’s County Board meeting about rising fees for out-of-county gymnasts. Starting July 1, the cost for using county facilities is rising dramatically for members of the Arlington Aerials gymnastics team who do not live in the county. [InsideNova]

VHC Has High C-Section Rate — Virginia Hospital Center has one of the highest C-section rates for low-risk deliveries, according to Consumer Reports. [NBC Washington]

Fmr. Arlington Resident Charged in Drug Scheme — Two former Arlington residents have been sentenced after being convicted of running an illegal pharmaceutical business from their Crystal City apartment. Syed “Farhan” Huda, 39, was sentenced to three years in prison and $3.4 million in restitution. his wife, Deeba Mallick, 37, was sentenced to nine months in prison.  [U.S. Department of Justice]

Flickr pool photo by Brian Allen

Virginia Hospital Center Employee Charged With Rape

By ARLnow.com

Roy Anthony Jones (photo courtesy ACPD)An employee at Virginia Hospital Center has been charged in the alleged rape of a patient.

Police say Roy Anthony Jones, a 30-year-old D.C. resident, raped a 37-year-old female patient in the early morning hours of January 13, 2014, while he was working as a CT Scan Technician.

“The victim was at the hospital as a patient when the incident occurred and reported the crime to police following the attack,” Arlington County Police said in a press release today. “Virginia Hospital Center staff cooperated with detectives throughout the investigation.”

Jones was denied bond and is being held at the Arlington County Detention Facility.

Photo courtesy ACPD

Two Hospitalized After Wreck on George Mason Drive

By Ethan Rothstein
Two-car crash in front of Virginia Hospital Center
Two-car crash in front of Virginia Hospital Center
Two-car crash in front of Virginia Hospital Center
Two-car crash in front of Virginia Hospital Center
1/4

Two cars collided in front of Virginia Hospital Center this morning, and two people involved in the crash were taken inside with injuries.

Just before 11:30 a.m., the two black sedans crashed at the intersection of N. George Mason Drive and 17th Street. According to police on the scene, a black Lincoln collided with a Mitsubishi Lancer as it was trying to turn left out of the hospital.

The Lincoln’s driver was uninjured, while the driver of the Mitsubishi and a passenger in the Lancer were suffering from non-life-threatening injuries.

One lane of northbound George Mason Drive was closed while police investigated the accident and waited for the tow trucks to remove the cars.

Hospital Planning Emergency Exercise Saturday

By Ethan Rothstein

Exterior of Virginia Hospital Center's maternity wardThe Virginia Hospital Center will host an emergency preparedness exercise this Saturday, including a simulated fire within the hospital walls.

Beginning Oct. 5 at 6:00 a.m. and continuing until noon, the emergency exercise will include all the aspects of the Arlington County Fire Department’s response to a real fire, without lights and sirens.

From an Arlington County press release:

A simulated hospital fire will test the Arlington County Fire Department’s emergency response while providing hands-on training to the Office of Emergency Management and Virginia Hospital Center staff. During the exercise, emergency personnel will respond as in a real emergency, but will not use their lights or sirens.

The exercise will be held inside the hospital and will not affect normal hospital services. Theexercise will include elements to add realism to the simulated emergency of a real fire:

  • A simulated fire and deployment of smoke in a secured and confined area of the hospital with the evacuation of patients will occur for training purposes
  • Participation by ACFD, OEM and Virginia Hospital Center personnel will test response times, collaboration and patient care during this simulation
  • More than 10 responding emergency vehicles will be used
  • Volunteer role players will simulate injuries sustained from the incident

The full-scale emergency preparedness exercise, which is the culmination of months of planning and coordination across these different disciplines, is part of Arlington County’sEmergency Preparedness Plan and will help ensure that ACFD, OEM and Virginia Hospital Center are prepared for real-life fire emergencies.

PLEASE NOTE: Some of the exercise elements may be seen or heard on Saturday morning from areas surrounding the hospital – especially in the proximity of the Virginia Hospital Center campus. This is only an exercise.

At Virginia Hospital Center, Birth Rates Continue to Rise

By Ethan Rothstein

Exterior of Virginia Hospital Center's maternity wardNeed evidence that more and more young families are putting down roots in Arlington, beyond the rapid growth in school enrollment? Just look to Virginia Hospital Center.

The hospital, at 1701 N. George Mason Drive, completed a four-year-long renovation of its maternity ward earlier this year, adding beds and capacity to keep up with rising demand. But the number of births at the hospital continues to grow.

In the last five years, the hospital has gone from delivering 3,700 infants in 2008 to a projected 5,000-plus in 2013. In that time, the hospital’s Women & Infant Health Center has added 10 beds, formed a partnership with National Children’s Hospital to expand its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and reorganized the Labor and Delivery unit to add additional capacity.

The growth in birth rate “has been pretty substantial for our size,” Adrian Stanton, Virginia Hospital Center’s vice president of public affairs, said. To accommodate the expansion, some administrative offices were moved to the hospital’s Carlin Springs Road campus.

“Years ago, this was [considered to be] a mature market,” Stanton said. But that has changed, and hospital leaders still aren’t sure how much bigger the Arlington baby boom will get.

“There isn’t a desire to move west or south as there had been. There’s more of an appeal to the Arlington area for young families,” he said. “I think we are struggling with the question, how much will Arlington continue to grow? Where is the growth going to be? I’m looking at the schools’ numbers, the planning departments numbers to try to figure it out.”

Stanton said there is still some room to grow for the maternity unit, but any expansion has to be done “in place,” since there are no plans for major construction projects on the horizon. The hospital’s unsolved problem is akin to Arlington’s high schools, which have all completed renovations in the last couple of years but remain overcrowded.

Stanton has identified one possible source of the upward trend in births, noting anecdotally that many families seem to want three children, as opposed to last generation’s average of two and a quarter children per household.

In addition to childbirth, another area of significant growth for Virginia Hospital Center has been joint replacement. The bulk of the joint replacement patients: active baby boomers in their 50s and 60s. Could the growth in joint replacements and childbirths be linked?

Asked whether it was perhaps the “echo boom” generation — the children of post-World War II baby boomers — who were accounting for the growth in births locally, Stanton wasn’t sure. But he did say that the baby boom generation in general has impacted hospital planning.

“As the baby boomers move through the system, they dictate a lot of what happens in society,” he said.

Police: Man Throws Meat Cleaver in Maternity Ward

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2 p.m. on 12/23/21) An Arlington man has been arrested and charged with throwing a meat cleaver in the maternity ward of Virginia Hospital Center.

Police say the man, 34-year-old Kareem [Redacted], came to the hospital to deliver a message to a mother who had just given birth. The message: the baby’s father couldn’t make it because he was in jail.

[Redacted] was unable to perform his messenger duty, however, because the group of family members gathered in the mother’s hospital room wouldn’t let him in, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. A verbal altercation ensued. [Redacted] then allegedly pulled a meat cleaver from his waistband and started chopping at the door.

Eventually, Sternbeck said, [Redacted] was able to crack the door open and throw the meat cleaver into the room, in the direction of the room’s occupants. Nobody was struck by the knife, but [Redacted] was later detained by security, arrested by police, and charged with 5 counts of attempted malicious wounding.

There were five people in the room at the time, Sternbeck said. No word on whether the baby was in the room. From the daily crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 04/05/13, 1700 block of N. George Mason Drive. At 5:34 pm on April 5, a suspect pulled a meat cleaver from his waistband after a verbal altercation escalated inside Virginia Hospital Center. The suspect struck a room door several times with the knife before throwing the weapon inside the room in the direction of the occupants. Hospital security detained the suspect until arrival of police. Kareem [Redacted], 34, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with 5 counts of attempted malicious wounding and carrying a concealed weapon. He was held without bond.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

President Visits Arlington Bookstore — President Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia stopped by One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland Street) on Saturday afternoon, on a holiday shopping trip that coincided with Small Business Saturday. The independent book store is located in the East Falls Church neighborhood. [Associated Press, Us Weekly]

Yorktown Season Ends With Loss — The Yorktown High School football team’s first loss of the season came on Friday, as the Patriots gave up a 22-point lead to fall to Stone Bridge 69-50 in the Northern Region 5 championship game. Yorktown also lost last year’s regional championship after an undefeated season. [Washington Post, YouTube]

Hospital Receives Large Donation — Virginia Hospital Center has received a $2.2 million gift, which will be used to expand its radiation-oncology services. The donation, from Russell and Joan Hitt, is the largest in the hospital’s 68-year history. [Sun Gazette]

Flickr pool photo by Desiree L.C.

Man Found Dead in Hospital’s ‘Healing Garden’

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police are investigating the death of a man found on a park bench across from Virginia Hospital Center.

The man was found unresponsive on a bench in the hospital’s “Healing Garden,” at 1625 N. George Mason Drive in the Waycroft-Woodlawn neighborhood, according to scanner traffic. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Investigators are on the scene, but so far there’s no indication that foul play is suspected.

Photo via Google Maps

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