0:03News Story(Getty Images)Xby Kate Masters, September 21, 2020by Kate Masters, September 21, 2020One of Virginia’s largest insurance companies is lowering reimbursement rates for nurse practitioners and physician assistants amid the COVID-19 pandemic — a move that many doctors say will hurt already struggling primary care practices.Clark Barrineau, assistant vice president of government affairs for the Medical Society of Virginia, said the group began receiving calls from doctors around the state after they noticed a 15 to 20 percent reduction in the repayment rates that Anthem was...…0:03News Story(Getty Images)Xby Kate Masters, September 21, 2020by Kate Masters, September 21, 2020One of Virginia’s largest insurance companies is lowering reimbursement rates for nurse practitioners and physician assistants amid the COVID-19 pandemic — a move that many doctors say will hurt already struggling primary care practices.Clark Barrineau, assistant vice president of government affairs for the Medical Society of Virginia, said the group began receiving calls from doctors around the state after they noticed a 15 to 20 percent reduction in the repayment rates that Anthem was...WW…

0:01News StoryFirst grade teacher Yolanda Vasquez stands in protest along with other teachers and counselors in front of the Hillsborough County Schools District Office on July 16, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. Teachers and administrators from Hillsborough County Schools rallied against the reopening of schools due to health and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images)Xby Kate Masters, July 23, 2020by Kate Masters, July 23, 2020Virginia’s largest insurer for local school divisions had a clear message for administrators on Monday: Don’t worry about...…0:01News StoryFirst grade teacher Yolanda Vasquez stands in protest along with other teachers and counselors in front of the Hillsborough County Schools District Office on July 16, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. Teachers and administrators from Hillsborough County Schools rallied against the reopening of schools due to health and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images)Xby Kate Masters, July 23, 2020by Kate Masters, July 23, 2020Virginia’s largest insurer for local school divisions had a clear message for administrators on Monday: Don’t worry about...WW…

0:05News StoryGov. Ralph Northam toured a warehouse last month housing state supplies of personal protective equipment. (Governor’s office)Xby Kate Masters, May 19, 2020by Kate Masters, May 19, 2020At a news conference on Monday, Gov. Ralph Northam called nursing homes, which have accounted for more than half of the state’s COVID-19 deaths, a “top priority,” adding that his administration is doing “everything we can” to take care of them, including the provision of personal protective equipment.“If they need more PPE, we have the PPE,” he added. “And hopefully they’ll know the proper...…0:05News StoryGov. Ralph Northam toured a warehouse last month housing state supplies of personal protective equipment. (Governor’s office)Xby Kate Masters, May 19, 2020by Kate Masters, May 19, 2020At a news conference on Monday, Gov. Ralph Northam called nursing homes, which have accounted for more than half of the state’s COVID-19 deaths, a “top priority,” adding that his administration is doing “everything we can” to take care of them, including the provision of personal protective equipment.“If they need more PPE, we have the PPE,” he added. “And hopefully they’ll know the proper...WW…

18:50News StoryThe Virginia Department of Emergency Management heavily redacted a copy of its contract with McKinsey, which the Mercury obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.The Mercury also requested any reports or recommendations that McKinsey had issued through the contract. All of those reports — roughly 120 pages — were withheld. was released, replete with blacked-out passages that make its full scope difficult to understand.Alan Gernhardt, executive director of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council — a state agency tasked with resolving disputes over...…18:50News StoryThe Virginia Department of Emergency Management heavily redacted a copy of its contract with McKinsey, which the Mercury obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.The Mercury also requested any reports or recommendations that McKinsey had issued through the contract. All of those reports — roughly 120 pages — were withheld. was released, replete with blacked-out passages that make its full scope difficult to understand.Alan Gernhardt, executive director of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council — a state agency tasked with resolving disputes over...WW…

14:37News StoryHealth care workers with the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke wear enhanced personal protective equipment inside the health system’s facilities (Photo courtesy of the Carilion Clinic).Hospitals in Virginia recorded a significant decline in birth-related visits throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while alcohol- and drug-related hospitalizations rose compared to previous yearsFrom 2019 to 2020, visits related to alcohol and drug use — and mental health crises connected to alcohol and drug use — increased by roughly 3.5 percent. But the decline in discharges related to pregnancy and...…14:37News StoryHealth care workers with the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke wear enhanced personal protective equipment inside the health system’s facilities (Photo courtesy of the Carilion Clinic).Hospitals in Virginia recorded a significant decline in birth-related visits throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while alcohol- and drug-related hospitalizations rose compared to previous yearsFrom 2019 to 2020, visits related to alcohol and drug use — and mental health crises connected to alcohol and drug use — increased by roughly 3.5 percent. But the decline in discharges related to pregnancy and...WW…

0:03News Story(Getty Images)“I got really, really upset,” Little said.As a result of that commission, and years of concern over the state’s standards of learning,  Virginia legislators passed a bill this year that mandates African American history training for many teachers and sets new inclusivity standards for educators.The state“It’s already showing up through your actions,” she said. “It’s already showing up in the number of deficits we see throughout education.”Xby Kate Masters, April 1, 2021by Kate Masters, April 1, 2021Makya Little was helping her fourth-grade daughter review...…0:03News Story(Getty Images)“I got really, really upset,” Little said.As a result of that commission, and years of concern over the state’s standards of learning,  Virginia legislators passed a bill this year that mandates African American history training for many teachers and sets new inclusivity standards for educators.The state“It’s already showing up through your actions,” she said. “It’s already showing up in the number of deficits we see throughout education.”Xby Kate Masters, April 1, 2021by Kate Masters, April 1, 2021Makya Little was helping her fourth-grade daughter review...WW…

0:02News StoryHealth care workers with the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke wear enhanced personal protective equipment inside the health system’s facilities (Photo courtesy of the Carilion Clinic).Xby Kate Masters, March 17, 2021by Kate Masters, March 17, 2021In early January, Gov. Ralph Northam warned that the worst of Virginia’s winter surge may not have happened yet. “The virus is worse now than it’s ever been,” he said at a news briefing. At the time, the state had reached an all-time high in daily new cases and hospitalizations — a trend that some hospital systems. Many local health...…0:02News StoryHealth care workers with the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke wear enhanced personal protective equipment inside the health system’s facilities (Photo courtesy of the Carilion Clinic).Xby Kate Masters, March 17, 2021by Kate Masters, March 17, 2021In early January, Gov. Ralph Northam warned that the worst of Virginia’s winter surge may not have happened yet. “The virus is worse now than it’s ever been,” he said at a news briefing. At the time, the state had reached an all-time high in daily new cases and hospitalizations — a trend that some hospital systems. Many local health...WW…

0:03News StoryNurses wait in numbered stations to administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Va., February 2, 2021. (Parker Michels-Boyce/ For the Virginia Mercury)Xby Kate Masters, March 10, 2021by Kate Masters, March 10, 2021Virginia health officials might abandon PrepMod, a nearly $750,000 software system for scheduling, tracking and reporting COVID-19 vaccinations.Dr. Danny Avula, the state’s vaccine coordinator, said PrepMod’s developers have been unable to fix recurring problems with the system, which have left it unworkable for many local health...…0:03News StoryNurses wait in numbered stations to administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Va., February 2, 2021. (Parker Michels-Boyce/ For the Virginia Mercury)Xby Kate Masters, March 10, 2021by Kate Masters, March 10, 2021Virginia health officials might abandon PrepMod, a nearly $750,000 software system for scheduling, tracking and reporting COVID-19 vaccinations.Dr. Danny Avula, the state’s vaccine coordinator, said PrepMod’s developers have been unable to fix recurring problems with the system, which have left it unworkable for many local health...WW…

0:03News StoryVials of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. (NBC12)Gaylene Kanoyton, president of the Hampton NAACP, added that there could be “a major backlash” because health disparities “have always been in the Black and brown and underserved communities as it is.”Xby Kate Masters, March 4, 2021by Kate Masters, March 4, 2021For public health experts across Virginia, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was a more-than-welcome addition to the state’s weekly allocation.The one-dose shot boosted Virginia’s shipments by 69,000 this week, spurring a slew of new mass vaccination events. It...…0:03News StoryVials of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. (NBC12)Gaylene Kanoyton, president of the Hampton NAACP, added that there could be “a major backlash” because health disparities “have always been in the Black and brown and underserved communities as it is.”Xby Kate Masters, March 4, 2021by Kate Masters, March 4, 2021For public health experts across Virginia, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was a more-than-welcome addition to the state’s weekly allocation.The one-dose shot boosted Virginia’s shipments by 69,000 this week, spurring a slew of new mass vaccination events. It...WW…

0:02News StoryState social services workers signed up homeless residents for Medicaid at a resource fair in Richmond in 2018. Enrollment in the program has more than doubled since Medicaid expansion, leading to rising demand for mental health services. (Ned Oliver/ Virginia Mercury)Xby Kate Masters, June 30, 2020by Kate Masters, June 30, 2020Virginia’s Medicaid enrollment has increased by 55,000 more people than anticipated since a at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid climb in enrollment numbers comes with questions about how the state will shoulder the costs if federal aid ends...…0:02News StoryState social services workers signed up homeless residents for Medicaid at a resource fair in Richmond in 2018. Enrollment in the program has more than doubled since Medicaid expansion, leading to rising demand for mental health services. (Ned Oliver/ Virginia Mercury)Xby Kate Masters, June 30, 2020by Kate Masters, June 30, 2020Virginia’s Medicaid enrollment has increased by 55,000 more people than anticipated since a at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid climb in enrollment numbers comes with questions about how the state will shoulder the costs if federal aid ends...WW…