April 12-18, 2010
April 12-18, 2010 |
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In this Issue...
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April Newsletter |
| VRHA News |
| Virginia Rural Health News |
| McDonnell Signs Telemedicine Bill |
NBC29.com Governor Bob McDonnell is also looking at where healthcare is going in Virginia. At issue today, telemedicine, and helping doctors see patients, even if they're hundreds of miles apart. The governor put his signature on a bill which requires most insurance companies to cover telemedicine care. McDonnell says it will help keep Virginians healthier all while saving money. It's a concept that's getting rave reviews from doctors including those at the University of Virginia Medical Center. The idea is that a doctor in Richmond could hold a video conference with a patient in far southwest Virginia, a good six or seven hours away. Doctors say this could be especially helpful for stroke patients who need early diagnosis and for people who need to see a specialist who might be too far away to make the drive.
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By Rosalind Helderman - Washington Post Now, add Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital in Lexington and Bedford Memorial Hospital to the list. CSJH has announced that it will close its unit April 30; Bedford will close its practice Oct. 1. Birthing units are often the wings most hurtful to a hospital's bottom line -- more patients on Medicaid (which reimburses less than the cost of care) combined with the need for 24/7 coverage, even if the hospital only delivers a few babies a week or less. Both hospitals cited declining numbers of births at their hospitals, noting that many women in their communities have been choosing larger facilities. But, of course, they are choosing larger facilities that are also farther away -- with their closure, pregnant women will not have the choice of a close-to-home birth. "We held on as long as we could," said Thomas McNamara, president of the Lexington hospital, in a statement. "We are the last Critical Access hospital in the state to offer OB services, but we simply don't have enough patients and physician participation to continue."
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| In Search of Board Members |
Prevention Connections seeks potential candidates with a diverse range of professional and volunteer expertise. Candidate attributes can include but are not limited to previous service on a nonprofit board, fundraising and development experience, and community service. Prevention Connections is the nonprofit 501(c)3 sister organization of the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth. PC is committed to prevention and reduction of tobacco use and childhood obesity through education, intervention, policy development and community outreach to improve the health of individuals and communities Click here to download the nomination form.
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| National Rural Health News |
| Rural Drug Use |
By Andrew Clevenger - Charleston Gazette The Senate Judiciary Committee hit the road to hold a hearing on drug-related crime in rural areas in Chairman Patrick Leahy’s home state of Vermont. There was some pretty compelling testimony, which I’ve excerpted and linked to below. One of the most alarming issues in rural areas is the rate of overdose deaths. Rural communities have experienced significant increases in overdose death rates, rapidly outpacing the rate increases in urban and suburban communities. These deaths are largely attributed to the rise in misuse of prescription painkillers. The latest study available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examining data from 1999-2004 shows that overdose death rates in predominantly rural states are higher than in more metropolitan states. Vermont, Maine and West Virginia all experienced significant increases in overdose death rates during this time: 164 percent, 210 percent and 550 percent respectively. Read the full article.
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By Cheryl Clark - HealthLeaders Media In all the drama and uncertainty about how healthcare reform will impact the nation, let me share a surprising gem that helps keep perspective about medicine for rural America. More than one in every four hospitals in the United States is not a large fancy building with lots of doctors and nurses and the latest diagnostic equipment, and a big donor's name on the front door. On the contrary, at least 25% are small structures with no more than 25 beds and usually low profiles. One facility was recently described to me as "little more than a large closet." He was joking, of course. They're almost always located in remote, very rural parts of the country or at least 35 miles away from any other acute care facility. Often, they are nonprofit, government or quasi-government owned. They are called critical access hospitals, or CAHs. They provide just as their name implies, critical access, often for patients with pneumonia or a broken leg who must be seen right away. Moreover, their patients must average a length of stay of no longer than four days. Read the full article.
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| Myths on Rural Health Care |
By Tim Size - Tomah Journal For quite a few years, I have been recording myths about rural health care. I think of myths as something easily proven false but too often assumed to be true. My list started when an urban-based executive told me, with a straight face, “Pay them less, they grow their own vegetables.” But it has been over half a century since most rural Wisconsinites lived on a farm.
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Do you have exciting rural health news that needs to be shared? Do you know of an upcoming health-related event which should be on our calendar? E-mail Beth O'Connor at: boconnor@vcom.vt.edu |
Disclaimer: The VRHA circulates state and national news as an information service only. Inclusion of information is not intended as an endorsement. If you prefer to receive email in plain text or rtf format instead of html or if you receive this email more than once, email VRHA. |
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