Local hospitals across Prince William County and the Fredericksburg region remained operational during the January 25 winter storm, even as patient volumes and emergency room patterns shifted during and after the event.
Key Takeaways
Date, time, place: January 25–29, 2026, Prince William County, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Fredericksburg region.
- What happened: A winter storm closed schools for a week and reduced or shifted hospital emergency department volumes across the region.
- Why it matters: Hospitals adjusted staffing and operations to maintain care during hazardous travel conditions and extreme cold.
- Who drove the news: UVA Health, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, and Mary Washington Healthcare.
Full Coverage
Following a winter storm that struck the region on January 25 and led to prolonged school closures, several local health systems reported on their hospitals’ performance during the severe weather.
UVA Health reported that Prince William Medical Center experienced normal patient volumes on January 24, which dropped by about half on January 25 as the storm intensified. UVA Health Haymarket Medical Center, a smaller facility, saw volumes on the high end of normal on January 24 before slowing significantly the following day.
Emergency department activity rebounded later in the week. On Tuesday, January 27, UVA Health saw an increase in emergency department volumes at Prince William Medical Center and UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center.
Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center and Sentara Lake Ridge Emergency Department remained fully operational throughout the storm. Hospital leaders coordinated staffing, supplies, and equipment in advance, allowing essential services to continue without interruption.
“Although our overall numbers in the Emergency Department did not increase, we did see a meaningful shift in the type of patients arriving,” said Jeff Joyner, president of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. “On January 25, more than half of our total volume came through EMS, and the general trend has been that patients are arriving sicker and requiring more immediate interventions than what we typically see in our ED.”
Joyner said staff from multiple departments stayed overnight on campus to maintain staffing levels and continuity of care. Hospital leadership also held daily preparedness and operational calls before and during the storm to coordinate response efforts.
Mary Washington Healthcare reported that its hospitals have returned to normal operations and remained open throughout the storm. Ambulatory and outpatient locations are reopening on a rolling basis as parking lots are cleared and travel conditions improve.
The Fredericksburg-based health system credited its staff and community partners for ensuring patient care continued despite hazardous conditions.
“Despite snow, ice, and difficult travel conditions, our team’s commitment to caring for our patients never faltered,” Mary Washington Healthcare said in a statement, noting that some associates walked to work or to patients’ homes, while first responders helped transport staff when roads were impassable.
Hospital officials encouraged patients to continue checking health system websites for updates on outpatient services as cleanup efforts continue.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Potomac Local News editors for accuracy and clarity.
