ARIZONA NEWS

With COVID-19 emergency winding down, Embry Health holds surplus sale

May 15, 2023, 4:25 AM | Updated: 5:28 am

Masks, gloves and other COVID-19 equipment are for sale at Embry Health’s Tolleson warehouse thro...

Masks, gloves and other COVID-19 equipment are for sale at Embry Health’s Tolleson warehouse through the end of May. Photo taken on April 28, 2023. (Photo by Jack Wu/Cronkite News)

(Photo by Jack Wu/Cronkite News)

TOLLESON – With the national COVID-19 public health emergency ending May 11, the company synonymous with testing in Arizona is winding down as well, holding a surplus supply sale.

Embry Health, which at one time had testing and vaccine locations around the state, is holding a sale through the end of May at its Tolleson warehouse. It’s selling its recreational vehicles and trailers at a separate sale in Chandler.

Embry Health CEO Raymond Embry said four testing locations remain, but with U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths near new lows, it’s time to move in a new direction.

He said he regrets having to lay off the thousands of people who worked for Embry during the pandemic. When at-home COVID-19 test kits became widely available, the need for Embry’s testing service dwindled.

“When things change, the funding evaporates, and all of a sudden, you’re doing thousands of layoffs,” he said. “Nothing is more soul-deteriorating than that, and many times, these were people who’ve given the past two years of their life to fight the pandemic.”

In April 2022, Embry wrote to Congress, asking to restore funding for COVID-19 testing. He said that when the Health Resources and Services Administration COVID-19 Uninsured Program stopped accepting claims for testing, his company had to end free testing for uninsured patients. That meant closing locations in rural Arizona, including Page, Benson and Safford.

The Arizona State Board of Nursing levied a $10,000 penalty against JoEllen Embry, former medical director of Embry Health, in April 2022 for unprofessional conduct over billing errors. At the time, Raymond Embry acknowledged that mistakes were made because reimbursement rules were changing throughout the pandemic. Raymond is JoEllen’s son.

The surplus sale was supposed to end April 30, but a lease extension of the warehouse means it can stay open until the end of May, Raymond Embry said.

The warehouse at 83rd Avenue and Van Buren Street once housed millions of dollars in supplies for testing and vaccination sites in Arizona. Now, with only four testing locations in the Valley, the company is selling the majority of its stock.

The sale includes a range of items from protective equipment like masks and gloves to portable heaters, rolling industrial cabinets, tables, chairs, 55-gallon trash cans and traffic cones. Some essentials that once sold for triple the retail price now sell for pennies on the dollar, Embry said.

“Cases of gloves on Amazon would cost us $120 a case for 1,000 gloves,” he said. “Now that exact same case is worth less than $40. So you can see the value of our assets, in some cases, has completely collapsed.”

He acknowledged that the company, which started as Embry Women’s Health clinic in Mesa, is facing financial troubles. In an email to previous clients dated May 2, Embry advertised the sale as well as new services the company is offering, including body sculpting using high-intensity electromagnetic energy, weight loss programs, IV therapy and nonsurgical face and neck lifts.

With multiple locations in the Valley, Embry Health tested over 40% of Maricopa County residents, according to a report by the company. During the height of the pandemic, it had locations in six states and said it processed 4 million tests and serviced 2 million patients.

For more information on the sales and locations, go to embryhealth.com.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona News

Peoria Police department...

Roxanne De La Rosa

Peoria police search for vandals who caused $30-40K worth of park damage

The Peoria Police Department is asking the public for help in finding the suspect responsible for vandalizing and causing tens of thousands of dollars of damage to a local park.

10 hours ago

Phoenix-Pittsburgh nonstop flight offered through Allegiant...

Serena O'Sullivan

Fly high: Phoenix travelers getting new nonstop flight option for Pittsburgh through Allegiant

Planning a business trip? You can now book a Phoenix-Pittsburgh nonstop flight through Allegiant at Sky Harbor International Airport.

11 hours ago

fentanyl pills, fentanyl bust Phoenix...

Roxanne De La Rosa

Phoenix man charged after police seized 100,000 fentanyl pills

A man in Phoenix was pulled over by police during a routine traffic stop, which led to the seizure of about 100,000 blue fentanyl pills.

12 hours ago

Thomas Galvin AZ Political Podcast...

Jim Sharpe

AZ Political Podcast: Thomas Galvin on public funding for sports teams, speed of election results

On this week's edition of AZ Political Podcast, Thomas Galvin discusses public funding for sports teams and how election results can be sped up.

13 hours ago

US 60 between Superior and Miami will be closed until Friday due to blasting work that was performe...

David Veenstra

US 60 between Superior, Miami reopens following blasting

US 60 between Superior and Miami has reopened following blasting work that was performed in the area.

14 hours ago

Maricopa County 1 of 4 pharmacists sentenced for fraud...

Serena O'Sullivan

Maricopa County pharmacist among 4 sentenced in fraud conspiracy

A Maricopa County pharmacist named Raef Hamaed was one of four pharmacists sentenced for their roles in a $13 million conspiracy, officials said.

15 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to start your retirement planning early and avoid costly mistakes

Retirement planning can feel overwhelming, but with the right guidance, you can avoid costly pitfalls.

...

Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Join us for the 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade

The 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe returns on Saturday, December 28, at 10 a.m.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to save money on retirement planning following 2024 election

PHOENIX -- With the 2024 election over, economic changes could impact how people plan for retirement as 2025 is on the horizon.

With COVID-19 emergency winding down, Embry Health holds surplus sale