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>>Deadline Approaching!

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>>Governor's Proposed Budget
>>Interim Health Commissioner

National Rural Health News
>>New Listserv for Rural Research
>>Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act
>>Data Update

By Joshua A. DeLung - The Roanoke Times

The new satellite location of the Free Clinic of the New River Valley opened in Pearisburg in October.

Brenda Shama, a Pearisburg resident who must monitor her sugar and heart and suffers from high blood pressure and emphysema, was not sure how she could afford the medical treatment she needs now that routine monitoring of her health is required.

Her doctor referred her to the Giles Free Clinic, a place Shama describes as "fantastic."

The new satellite clinic of the Free Clinic of the New River Valley opened in Pearisburg in October.

Giles County has more access problems than any county in the New River Valley, said Amy Forsyth-Stephens, director of the organization. She said though the main clinic is in Christiansburg with other satellites in Radford and Floyd, there are still issues with Giles County residents being able to get the medical treatment they require.

"Before this new clinic opened, people had to make the trip to Christiansburg, which is often difficult if transportation isn't reliable, if the weather is bad or if someone's health is poor," Forsyth-Stephens said. "A 40-mile trip is a lot to ask, and people would have to come back to our pharmacy to pick up medication - there was a geographic barrier."

Click here to read the full article. The Free Clinic of the New River Valley is a VRHA Organization Member.

VRHA is in search for submissions for the next edition of the Virginia Rural Health News - VRHA's bi-annual print newsletter. Articles should be e-mailed to VRHA no later than January 18th.

Click the logo below to view the Summer 2007 edition.

By Stephanie Heinatz - Daily Press: Newport News

Claudine Eskridge walked into Tangier Island's Gladstone Memorial Medical Center, hoping to walk out free of pain and knowing why her right knee was swollen and her feet throbbed. The 37-year-old mother of four young boys needs to get around the isolated island in the Chesapeake Bay with ease. Her waterman husband is gone during the week, leaving her to tend to the boys largely on her own.

Until this appointment with Dr. David Nichols, she dealt with the problem by taking up to 17 Advils a day. Nichols hoped to find the root of Eskridge's pain, which has plagued her for months, with an X-ray. But while another patient lay on a table bound together with duct tape, the X-ray machine stopped working.

At the 50-year-old clinic, that's par for the course, said Nichols, a resident of Virginia's Northern Neck and owner of the modern White Stone Family Practice. At the Tangier clinic, clear packing tape holds the main power cord onto the X-ray machine. Ceiling tiles are water-stained. Years of deterioration have left a sour smell throughout the building. There's no hot water.

And the restroom, some patients joke, is "Use at your own risk." But neither Eskridge nor any of the nearly 600 other residents of the island complain. Most are grateful that Nichols is there for them. Getting to Virginia's Eastern Shore or to Maryland can cost up to $100 for a ferry ride and cab fare. It's a long and tiresome trip that many of the elderly islanders don't make. Since 1979, Nichols has been the only doctor to steadily visit Tangier Island, which is as historic as it is isolated.

Click here to read the full article.

There will be Regional Public Hearings on the Governor's Proposed Budget.  Everyone is encouraged to attend to discuss the issues that are most important.  Your testimony is valuable to the General Assembly as they begin their deliberations.

Date:                January 14, 2008
Time:                1:00 p.m.
Location:           General Assembly Building, House Room D, Richmond

You may also be interested in reading position papers from the Va. Coalition for Children's Health on pre-natal care and dental care which have funding within the budget.

On January 2, Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced the appointment of Dr. James E. Burns as interim commissioner of the Virginia Department of Health. In his interim role, Burns will lead the agency and its employees located around the state. Burns replaces Dr. Robert Stroube, who retired on January 1, 2008.

Burns, 62, began his work with the Virginia Department of Health in 1978. From 1978 to 1985, he served as the clinician for two districts. Prior to this appointment, he served as deputy commissioner and chief information officer for the Department of Health, a job he has held since 2002.

Burns was born in Toledo, Ohio and has been a resident of Charlottesville, Virginia for 32 years. He holds an undergraduate degree and a medical degree from the University of Kentucky and a masters of business administration from the Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.

New Listserv for Rural Research

Rural health research findings from eight national research centers, supported by the federal Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP), are now featured at one convenient location, the Rural Health Research Gateway Listserv. This initiative is designed to help move the most up-to-date findings of the Rural Health Research Centers to policy makers, health care providers and others as quickly and efficiently as possible.

New information is launched on the listserv and its corresponding web site to provide easy and timely access to projects, research, and findings of these national research centers. The web site has abstracts of both current and completed research projects addressing issues such as rural health quality and behavioral health, related publications, and information about the researchers and research centers.

If you would like to subscribe, please sign-up at http://www.ruralhealthresearch.org/listserv/subscribe.php.

Click here to read the first listserv posting.

Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act

President Bush on December 29 signed S. 2499, which extends funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program through March 31, 2009 and provides a 0.5% increase in the Medicare physician payment update for six months.

Passed by Congress Dec. 19, the legislation also provides regulatory relief for long-term care hospitals; permanently sets the inpatient rehabilitation compliance threshold at 60% for cost reporting periods starting July 1, 2006; extends Section 508 geographic reclassifications through Sept. 30, 2008; extends cost-based outpatient lab services for rural hospitals with fewer than 50 beds in certain low-population areas; and extends for six months the ability of independent labs to bill Medicare directly for the technical component of certain physician pathology services provided to hospitals.

Statehealthfacts.org has recently added new and updated data on Medicaid, Health Status, Providers and Service Use, and HIV/AIDS.

You can also view a list of all recent updates.

Mark your calendar

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

January 22: The Facts - Caroline County
January 28-30: NRHA's Rural Health Policy Institute - Washington, DC
February 7: The Fundamentals - Caroline County
March 28-30: Women's Health 2008: The 16th Annual Congress - Williamsburg
April 27-29: 12th Annual Virginia Faith Community Health Ministry Retreat - Toano
May 7-10: NHRA's Annual Conference - New Orleans, LA

Job Announcements

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

Job Title: NP

The Free Clinic of the New River Valley seeks nurse practitioner 15-20 hrs/wk to conduct patient assessments, perform exams and diagnose and treat patients according to professional standards and practice. Individual will be patient-focused with excellent customer service skills and will work in the new Pearisburg Satellite Clinic near Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital.  Flexible hours and competitive pay. Send cover letter and resume to: Nurse Practitioner Search, Free Clinic of the New River Valley, 215 Roanoke Street, Christiansburg, VA  24073.  www.nrvfreeclinic.org

Job Title: General Dentist

Job Description: Work in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, and accessible to Washington, D.C. amenities. Recent grads may also qualify for student loan repayment. A great opportunity for a new grad or semi-retired dentist who wants to avoid the expense and hassle of running a business and still earn a competitive salary. Dentist will treat children and adults.

Please email your resume to Pam Murphy at scfc@shentel.net or call (540) 459-3790 for more information.

Make sure you check out the healthcare career opportunities on the PPOVA website!

Funding Opportunities

Service Expansion in Oral Health Services

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.224 

Note: The deadline date for this grant has been changed to Feb. 13, 2008. Major revisions were made to the guidance on 12/11/07. 

Program web site http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=true&oppId=15954
 
Sponsor Bureau of Primary Health Care

Deadline February 13, 2008 

Purpose Mental health/substance abuse, oral health and comprehensive pharmacy services are critical to improving the health status of communities served by health centers and reducing disparities in access to health care. Applicants for this funding opportunity are expected to: 1) describe the target population and its need for mental health/substance abuse services, oral health and comprehensive pharmacy services; 2) present a service delivery plan that demonstrates responsiveness to the identified needs of the target population; and 3) present a sound business plan that links the goals and objectives from the service delivery plan to the budget. The Consolidated Health Center Program includes: 1) Community Health Centers, section 330(e); 2) Migrant Health Centers, section 330 (g); 3) Health Care for the Homeless, section 330(h); and 4) Public Housing Primary Care, section 330(i). The populations served by these programs are: medically underserved populations in urban and rural areas; migratory and seasonal agricultural workers and their families; homeless people, including children and families; and residents of publicly-subsidized housing. 
Eligibility Applicants are limited to section 330 funded health center grantees (i.e., Community Health Centers, section 330(e); Migrant Health Centers, Section 330(g); Health Care for the Homeless, Section 330(h); and Public Housing Primary Care, Section 330(i) of the Public Health Service Act. Additional eligibility requirements will be included in the application materials.

Preference may be given to approvable applications proposing to serve sparsely populated areas (i.e., entire area to be served has 7 or less persons per square mile).
 
Geographic coverage Nationwide

Amount of funding HRSA expects to award approximately 60 grants totaling $15,000,000 to increase access to oral health services by establishing or expanding oral health services. Applicants may propose to provide Oral Health services onsite or through a contractual agreement to provide services at an off-site location.

Application process Except in rare cases HRSA will no longer accept applications for grant opportunities in paper form. Applicants submitting for this funding opportunity are required to submit electronically through Grants.gov. To submit an application electronically, please use the apply site. When using Grants.gov you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it off-line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov site.

For information on the Technical Assistance Pre-Application Conference Call go to: http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/technicalassistance/sexp.htm  
 
  
For more information contact:
Kristi Messer
Telephone: 301/594-4300
Fax: 301/480-7225
E-mail: kMesser@hrsa.gov