February 8-14, 2010
February 8-14, 2010 |
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In this Issue...
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February Newsletter now available. |
| VRHA News |
| What a Lineup! |
The 2010 Virginia Rural Health Summit has a terrific lineup of speakers. The March 16th Workforce Summit includes Stephen Petterson, PhD from the Robert Graham Center. Dr. Petterson will present findings from a 2007 analysis of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants practicing in rural areas. He will focus on the importance of these findings for Virginia and related policy implications. The March 18th Telehealth Summit will include Neal Neuberger, CISSP, Executive Director of the Institute for e-Health Policy and Mohit Kaushal, MD, MBA,
Digital Healthcare Director,
Federal Communications Commission.
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| Action Alert |
HB 1304 and SB 731 have both passed out of committee unanimously and are on their way to the House and Senate floor. This legislation would create the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority to take over the duties of the Statewide Area Health Education Centers Program. The mission of the Authority is to facilitate the development of a statewide health professions pipeline that identifies, educates, recruits, and retains a diverse, appropriately geographically distributed and culturally competent quality workforce. VRHA encourages you to call your members of the Virginia General Assembly in support of this bill.
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| Members in the News |
By Malorie Janis - VCU News Center Three Virginia Commonwealth University faculty members have received the Women in Science, Dentistry and Medicine (WISDM) Professional Achievement Award for their special contributions, dedication, leadership, mentorship and accomplishments in the schools of Medicine and Dentistry. This year’s honorees — Aradhana Bela Sood, M.D., Sarah Spiegel, Ph.D., and (VRHA member) Carole Pratt, D.D.S. — were recognized during the 15th Annual Pathways to Leadership conference at the Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building and the Egyptian Building, MCV Campus. All three have served as strong role models and mentors for the professional development of women faculty and have consistently demonstrated qualities that show excellence in areas such as teaching expertise, leadership and scholarly endeavors, according to conference organizers. Read the full article.
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| Virginia Rural Health News |
| Reminder - Workforce Awards |
The Virginia Rural Healthcare Workforce Awards will recognize and thank individuals and/or organizations for making significant contributions to rural communities through education, recruitment and retention initiatives designed to address Virginia’s healthcare workforce shortage. The awards will be presented at the 2010 Health Workforce Summit, March 16, 2010. Rural Healthcare Workforce Individual Award for Distinguished Service Rural Healthcare Workforce Organization Award for Outstanding Contribution Click here for additional information and the nomination packet.
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| Legislative Watch |
Bills introducted into the Virginia General Assembly which may have an impact on rural health in Virginia: HJ 124 Medical care; Department of Health Professions to study access in rural Southwest Virginia. Directing the Department of Health Professions to study access to medical care in rural Southwest Virginia; study. The feasibility and effectiveness of a pilot program narrowly tailored to the coalfield region whereby a mechanism would be set up to temporarily allow naturopaths to provide preventative health counseling to the adult citizens of this region in the area.
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Governor Bob McDonnell announced the launch of a $2 million public/private initiative to provide mental health treatment through the Virginia Health Care Foundation. Today's announcement is the result of a $2 million challenge grant McDonnell made one year ago while Attorney General of Virginia. The launch of the VHCF's program, "A New Lease on Life," will provide mental health care to uninsured Virginians all across the Commonwealth. As Attorney General, McDonnell issued a $1 million challenge grant to the Virginia Health Care Foundation. The money was a result of two successful multi-state settlements in 2008 secured by Virginia's Attorney Generals office, and Attorneys General from other states, with two national pharmacy benefits management companies. Money from this challenge grant will underwrite nine grants throughout the state that will enable health safety net providers to treat uninsured Virginians suffering from basic mental health conditions, and provide primary health care for seriously mentally ill Virginians who are uninsured. Read the full press release.
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| National Rural Health News |
| National Policy Issues |
Commantary from the National Rural Health Association blog:
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| National Rural Youth Assembly |
The National Rural Assembly will host a National Rural Youth Assembly on April 22-25, 2010, at the Institute for American Indians in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Assembly seeks 50 young adults from rural communities across the country who will gather to discuss the issues they see as critical to their lives and communities. The National Rural Assembly Steering Committee asks rural leaders and mentors to nominate young people who are interested in rural issues and invested in making an impact in their local communities. The National Rural Youth Assembly will engage young people on the key policy areas of the Rural Assembly including the quality of education, stewardship of our natural resources, investment in our communities, and the health of rural people. Youth will represent the diversity of rural America in geographies, races, cultures, genders, incomes and sexual orientations. Criteria: Deadline for Applications: Click here to download the Youth Assembly Application Packet
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| Collaborative Communities |
The Colorado Rural Health Center, Colorado's State Office of Rural Health is looking for examples of rural communities around the country where “rival” healthcare facilities - private, not-for-profit, RHC, FQHC, etc – have developed ways of working together collaboratively.
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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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