'We Have No Other Choice' Inova Temporarily Shuts Down 3 Urgent Care Clinics- Reston, N. Arl, Tysons

- WJLA7 News, Oct. 8, 2021.

Three urgent care clinics in Northern Virginia are temporarily closed due to staffing shortages and an increase in patients, according to Inova Health System. The three Inova Urgent Care locations in Reston, North Arlington and Tysons were shut down about two weeks ago. Signs on the door direct people to nearby locations where they can seek care.

“We are incredibly intentional in the decisions of how, when, and what areas we would reduce services or close, only because we feel we have no other choice,” said Dr. Steve Motew, chief of Clinical Enterprise at Inova Hospital System. “In order to support this decision, we’ve consolidated into fewer sites and still want to assure we are able to take care of our patients in Northern Virginia.”

Urgent care staff was moved to other urgent care locations, walk-in clinics at primary care offices, and emergency rooms.

Dr. Motew said lack of adequate staffing and employee burnout is just one factor in the decision to close the three locations. Across all Inova healthcare centers, patient numbers are at an unprecedented level. “Our emergency departments are seeing some of the highest volumes we’ve seen over the last several years and in some cases, in the history of this region,” Dr. Motew told 7News Health Reporter Victoria Sanchez.

“No. The individuals that made the decision not to become vaccinated were very much spread out heavily into non-clinical areas, as well as across all sites in very small numbers,” Dr. Motew responded. There are no plans to close additional urgent care sites and Inova does not have a timeline for when the three will reopen. ~

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/we-have-no-other-choice-inova-temporarily-shuts-down-three-urgent-care-clinics/ar-AAPhYqY