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2008 NRHA Rural Health Policy Institute
VRHA will again participating in the annual Policy Institute. A delegation from Virginia will be visiting Capitol Hill to bring our message to Virginia's Senator's and Representatives.
We will be bringing the following information to our lawmakers:
3 requests VRHA & NRHA are making of congress
A list of VRHA members by congressional district
A letter from NRHA to the President
NRHA's appropriations request for 2009
NRHA information about
National Health Services Corps
Reauthorization of the Public Health Service Act
Rural Graduate Medical Education
Medicare Extenders for Rural Providers
Rural Health Provisions Needed in the Medicare Package
Legislation and Advocacy
In collaboration with the National Rural Health Association, VRHA works with elected officials at the local, state and federal levels to help them understand how the decisions they make affect the quality of health care provided in rural Virginia.
Advocacy for rural health is very important - you are the voice for your community and it is your efforts that can assist in improving their health. Whether you realize it or not, every day rural health care is impacted by laws and regulations made in Richmond and Washington, DC. It is essential that you play a role in this process so that your views are taken into account through advocacy efforts.
Advocacy is simple; it is an action taken by individuals, groups, or organizations to defend, support, protect, or enhance policies that they consider important. Individuals advocate all the time. Every time you speak with your organization's board of directors about a project in your facility or talk with your neighbors about where to take their daughter for proper treatment, you are advocating for health care.
VRHA encourages you to take your local advocacy effort, and add your voice to the state and national level since so many policies are decided in Richmond and Washington, DC. This does not need to be a formal, planned event. It is and can be the informal communication of an idea - even at the federal level. In doing so, your voice will be heard and your efforts will not go unnoticed.
Policymakers may seem to just be focused on issues on Capitol Hill, but they are not. Lawmakers want to do what is right for your community and for rural health. They want to understand your concerns and want to provide policies that satisfy your passions. They want to hear about why you think a policy change is needed or why a certain law has had a negative impact on your community. They just need direction from their constituents. Grassroots advocacy can provide such a path and its importance cannot be overstated.
VRHA's Policy Priorities
The Virginia Rural Health Association Board of Directors has approved a list of Policy Priorities. The priorities are a list of items VRHA feels are important for the improvement of the quality of health care provided in rural Virginia. The items are divided into the categories of Recruitment and Retention, Access to Health Care and Public Health/Prevention.
Click here to download the Policy Priorities.
If you would like to suggest any changes, additions or deletions to the priorities, please contact VRHA Executive Director Beth O'Connor and your suggestions will be forwarded to the Legislative Committee.
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State Legislative Tracking Links
Sign up for Virginia's Legislative Tracking Service
Virginia's Legislative Tracking Service:In partnership with the General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems, DLAS, the Virginia Information Providers Network, VIPNet, is offering a free legislative tracking service. The new service allows users to track up to 5 bills in their profile. The new legislative tracking service is based on the popular Lobbyist-In-A-Box service which has been widely used by professional lobbyists and public entities for several years. With this Legislative Tracking Service, users can:* Create their own profile that organizes bills by subject or topical area by using search parameters (keywords, patrons, committees, subject, or code sections) that return a list from which you may select bills to add to your profiles.
*Elect to receive email notification when new bills are offered or changed.
*Utilize reporting features including a comma-delimited format and a composite view or capsule summary of their profile that shows each bill's common title, patron(s), committee assignment, and most recent action.Virginia Quality Healthcare Network Site
Virginia Quality Healthcare Network: Tracks all health-related bills.
Voices for Virginia's Children Site
Voices for Virginia's Children:In addition to tracking legislation related to children, Voices for Virginia's Children provides links to all Virginia legislation, contact information for legislators, and a number of easy ways to submit letters to media and legislators online.
Joint Commission on Health Care Site
The Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC):A legislative commission created by the 1992 General Assembly. The purpose of the Joint Commission is to study, report and make recommendations on all areas of health care provision, regulation, insurance, liability, licensing, and delivery of services. The Joint Commission works to ensure that the greatest number of Virginians receives quality, cost-effective health care services.
Richmond Sunlight
Richmond Sunlight is a website that aggregates information about the General Assembly, the lawmaking body that governs the state of Virginia. Richmond Sunlight is an independent, volunteer-run website that not affiliated with the Virginia General Assembly or the state government.Visit NRHA's Grassroots Action Center to see the most current news on Federal Legislation.
