Alan Ayers Appointed to COVID-19 Testing Advisory Council

Alan Ayers Appointed to the Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 Testing Advisory Council

Alan Ayers Appointed to the Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 Testing Advisory Council

Velocity Urgent Care CEO Appointment Increases Visibility of Virginia’s Urgent Care Clinics in Meeting COVID-19 Testing Mandates

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia – May 20, 2020 — Announced today is the appointment of Alan Ayers, chief executive officer of Velocity Urgent Care, Virginia’s fastest-growing chain of urgent care centers, as the newest member of the Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 Testing Advisory Counsel. As a national expert in urgent care strategy and operations, Ayers brings 14 years of industry experience to the council and will represent the operational, clinical, and safety interests of all Virginia urgent care providers as they serve patients during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This new counsel appointment comes shortly after Virginia Governor Ralph Northam pledged his goal to bring Virginia’s COVID-19 testing capacity up to 10,000 tests per day, noting that the Community Testing Subcommittee is charged with mobilizing providers to expand community access to testing. While the state has recorded spurs in testing increases this month, including 5,467 new tests reported to the health department from May 13 to May 14, healthcare professionals will need more support and sites to reach and maintain a higher number of test completions moving forward.

“While long-term care facilities and retail facilities, like drug stores, have served adequately as priority testing sites to date, Virginia has hundreds of urgent care clinics that can be easily mobilized as test sites to help meet the state’s increase in testing mandates,” said Alan Ayers. “Urgent care clinics are already positioned in convenient retail locations, have extended night and weekend hours, and are experienced in treating respiratory conditions, resulting in readily available, consumer-friendly testing access. As the state ramps up testing over the coming months, it will be important to leverage the largely untapped capacity of urgent care locations to augment our current capabilities and meet these goals.”

One case of this untapped capacity can be seen by Ayer’s practice, Velocity Urgent Care, which has conducted approximately 15,000 COVID-19-related tests to date. In addition to helping test more patients, Velocity’s Metro Washington, DC clinic was the first and only urgent care provider to introduce “hassle-free” drive-up testing that did not require an advance doctor’s referral, a qualifying telemedicine visit, a scheduled appointment, or residency in a particular jurisdiction. This flexibility is yet another reason to better utilize urgent care locations for testing more patients, conveniently, safely, and efficiently.

While much of the Commonwealth of Virginia began Phase 1 re-opening on Friday, May 15, the District of Columbia and surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia have delayed Phase 1 by two weeks.

“Our Woodbridge location in Prince William County straddles the two highest positive zip codes in the state, meaning data from Velocity Urgent Care has played a significant role in assisting state and local leaders in making responsible decisions around re-opening,” Ayers said. “In a similar fashion, other urgent cares in the area have the power to do the same. Given so many patients rely on urgent care clinics as their preferred and go-to choice for care, we have the ability to reach more patients and inform care decisions using a wealth of data many clinics have on hand.”

To learn more about the Virginia Department of Health and its COVID-19 initiatives and updates, visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/.

About Velocity Urgent Care:

Based in Williamsburg, Velocity Urgent Care is the fastest-growing urgent care provider in Virginia. Founded in 2017, it has grown to 14 locations in Eastern and Northern Virginia. As a member of the Sentara Quality Care Network (SQCN), Velocity provides data sharing and referral relationships with 3,900 providers for patients who require medical services beyond urgent care.

Currently, every Velocity Urgent Care location offers COVID-19 viral and antibody testing and patients who check in and register online will receive text message updates of their visit time enabling them to wait safely separated in their vehicles. X-ray and lab capabilities are also offered on-site and most insurance plans are accepted. Patients can walk in or check in online at www.velocityuc.com.