VRHA News
>>Members in the News

Virginia Rural Health News
>>You're Invited!

National Rural Health News
>>Rural Birth Outcomes
>>Rural Medicine Myths Dying Out
>>eICU Gives Eyes to Rural Areas
>>Rural Health Policy Survey

The Edward Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) received national recognition at the Convocation of the American Academy of Osteopathy March 26-30. The VCOM student chapter of the Undergraduate American Academy of Osteopathy (UAAO) won both the Outreach Chapter of the Year and Chapter of the Year awards.

Additionally, five VCOM students received individual awards, including three student VRHA members:

• Angelica Perry received a Participation Award for the A. Hollis Wolf Presentation Competition
• Amber Stroupe won the Convocation T-shirt Contest
• Empress Oramas received one of the Volunteer of the Year awards and was selected to be a Regional Coordinator

You're Invited!

The Rural Health Research Gateway has announced the release of a new report: Poor Birth Outcome in the Rural United States. Rates of low birthweight, poor outcomes, and inadequate prenatal care among urban and rural areas were evaluated and compared from 1985-1997 using data from the Linked Birth-Death Data Set.

The study found that while progress was made in closing rural/urban gaps, rural residence and residence in a persistent poverty county remained independent risk factors for inadequate care and some adverse birth outcomes, especially postneonatal mortality.

Click here for the project summary, or here for the final report. Author contact information:
Eric Larson, PhD - 206.685.0401

By Dawn Sagario - Des Moines Register

Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines in January began caring for patients using the first Iowa-based electronic intensive care unit, called Mercy eICU Connect. Doctors and nurses keep track of critical care patients remotely, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

They sit in the monitoring center at separate stations in front of blocks of computer monitors, closely watching each patient's vital statistics, electrocardiograms, ventilators, and X-ray and lab information. A two-way video conference system gives them an actual view of the patient, when needed.

Initially, 54 patients were being monitored in four intensive care units on Mercy's main campus in Des Moines and Mercy Capitol. Beginning in February, patients at Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City, some 200 miles away, are being monitored from Des Moines, bringing the total to about 80 patients.

The eICU enables those at the monitoring center to treat patients before complications take place, officials involved in the project say. The hope is that patients will spend fewer days in the hospital and that costs will decrease.

Read the full article.

The Rural Policy Research Institute, in conjunction with the Institute of Public Policy at the Harry S. Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri, is conducting a scan of rural health policy issues and opportunities in preparation for the 2008 National Rural Assembly. They are seeking the thoughts of rural health professionals and would like to encourage anyone who is interested to complete an online survey.

The survey is available here.

For information about the rural compact, click here.

Mark your calendar

For more information about these and other events, visit http://www.vrha.org/events.html

April 16: DataSpeak on Oral Health Disparities in Children - Webinar
April 27-29: 12th Annual Virginia Faith Community Health Ministry Retreat - Toano
May 7-10: NHRA's Annual Conference - New Orleans, LA
June 5-6: Medication Access, Use and Safety in Rural America - Minneapolis
June 25: Retention in Times of Exponential Change - Web conference
August 4-5: Cervical Cancer Conference - Durham, NC
September 15-16: Virginia's 2008 Rural Summit - Lynchburg

Job Announcements

For more information about other positions, visit http://www.vrha.org/index/jobs.html

The Free Clinic of the New River Valley seeks part-time (up to 20-hour/wk) licensed dentist to provide oral health care to uninsured, low-income adults.  Competitive pay and flexible work hours. 4-chair facility and support staff. 

Send cover letter and resume to: Dentist Search, Free Clinic of the New River Valley, 215 Roanoke Street, Christiansburg, VA  24073; www.nrvfreeclinic.org

Funding Opportunities

Samuel Harris Fund for Children's Dental Health
Dentistry Grant Program
  

Program website http://www.ada.org/ada/adaf/grants/index.asp#harris
 
Sponsor American Dental Association
Deadline July 17, 2008 

Purpose The grant program's main objective is to help children whose socio-economic status impacts on their access to professional oral care and adversely affects their oral health habits at home. The program philosophy seeks to increase access to, and education on, oral health care by encouraging volunteerism in the health professions community.

By also encouraging synergy between community based applicants and awardees, the grant program seeks to pool limited resources within dentistry, industry and public charities to significantly reduce the level of children's oral disease through education. Through this effort, the program assists in the dissemination of oral health promotion activities to aid those children most at risk.
 
Eligibility Proposals of up to $5,000 by community-based, not-for-profit, oral health promotion programs in the United States and its territories will be considered. Examples of qualified oral health promotions include:
dental health education conducted at schools, health fairs and social agencies, via mobile dental clinics or outreach programs;
dental health education programs in conjunction with preventive programs such as fluoride and dental sealant application programs;
oral health and nutrition education materials designed for parents and/or dental professionals;
instruction in the proper use of oral care products;
development of public service announcements (PSAs) to increase awareness of and appreciation for proper childhood oral care.
 
Geographic coverage Nationwide
Amount of funding Up to $5,000.
Application process The application materials are available on the Program web site. 
  
For more information contact:
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the ADA Foundation at 312- 440-2547 or e-mail adaf@ada.org.