A Message from Our CEO – April 23, 2020

Ensuring a Bright Future for Healthcare in our Communities

COVID-19 has put us on the frontline of a battle against a global pandemic that has upended our lives. I share the worry that this situation creates for everyone and would like to update you with important information on what we are doing to navigate this situation.

Each day, I see our team members creatively solving problems and pulling together as one team to care for our patients, their families and each other. I want to additionally recognize those of you who are providing direct patient care.  Your selfless and tireless dedication is nothing short of heroic.

With conditions changing day by day, we are working diligently to adapt and take necessary actions to ensure the long-term health of our organization into the future. We committed to and made decisions toward:

• Taking care of our patients – this is our mission and the reason we exist. Despite these most challenging circumstances, we will continue to provide world-class care to each patient we have the privilege to serve.
• Taking care of team members – we are ensuring resources and developing policies and practices to safeguard our team members with best practice guidance from experts.
• Protecting our organization for the long term – we must also take steps to sustain Inova so it can continue to meet the healthcare needs of our communities for decades to come.

The COVID crisis has caused an immense decline in our clinical activity, resulting in losses of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. We immediately reduced expenses in many areas such as non-clinical hires, travel, contracts, consulting, and capital projects. We have reduced the salaries of senior leaders across the board and will continuously evaluate additional opportunities to further reduce our costs. While these reductions have been helpful, we now face very difficult decisions that will directly impact our team members.

After seriously examining several options, we have determined that we must eliminate a number of positions, 427 in total, across the System. Given our forecasts and the changing timelines of this crisis, we will continue to consider all prudent alternatives, remaining true to our mission and values as we act. I recognize that there is much that remains uncertain. I will continue to share updates as we navigate these decisions.

These are exceedingly difficult times – the most heart heavy days I have ever known as a leader.  My confidence in our long-term prospects has never been greater, and that’s in the face of challenges that none of us could have ever envisioned we would face.

Thank you to our community for your trust in our care and thank you to our team members for your unwavering dedication to our patients. I encourage you to watch this video which also explains the situation and our response. Please take care.

J. Stephen Jones, MD, FACS, MBA

President and CEO, Inova Health System