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Throughout 2007, over 40 Virginia partners collaborated on developing the Virginia Rural Health Plan.  Participants representing government, local, private and statewide agencies and organizations were divided into four workgroups:  Workforce, Access, Quality and Data/Rural Definition.

• Access Work Group - examined rural health care access issues related to primary care, specialty care, emergency medical services, and mental and dental health care in order to make recommendations for improving health care access.
• Quality Work Group - examined rural health care quality issues in order to make recommendations for quality improvement efforts and/or activities.
• Data and Rural Definitions Work Group - examined available rural health data and identifies data gaps in order to make recommendations for future data collection efforts and/or activities.
• Workforce Work Group - examined available resources and issues in order to make recommendations for improving the health care workforce in rural Virginia.

The intent of the Plan is to develop a roadmap for rural Virginia that will lead to improvements in health – not solely in the  delivery of healthcare services.  Objectives included:

• Define and describe rural Virginia;
• Determine the future of rural health (what should “rural” look like in the next three to five years);
• Develop recommendations and possible future programs that could be implemented at the various levels;  

On March 31 and April 1, the Virginia Department of Health Office of Minority Health and Public Health Policy and the Virginia Rural Health Association are hosting the 2008 Rural Health Summit  in Roanoke, VA.  At the meeting, rural partners will: 

• Finalize the first year of the State Rural Health Plan
• Prioritize next steps/recommendations as they exist in the current workgroup areas;
• Determine and prioritize other priority areas for years the next several years (i.e. health information technology, mental/behavioral health, EMS, aging/long-term care, transportation, education, etc.);
• Develop activities/actions for upcoming rural health grants; and
• Determine collaboration on future grants

For additional information about the State Rural Health Plan or the Rural Health Summit, please contact:

Marilyn Jackson
Virginia Department of Health
Office of Minority Health and Public Health Policy
804-864-7419
Marilyn.Jackson@vdh.virginia.gov

Legislative Update

Rural teens smoke more than their urban counterparts. This makes the recent defeat of a proposal in the Virginia House of Delegates to ban smoking in public places a concern for healthcare advocates in rural areas.

Click here to read an editorial about the need for smoke free laws in Virginia. The author, Frank Kilgore, is an attorney in St. Paul, Virginia, and a lifelong advocate of improved conservation, education, and health.

By Candi Helseth - Rural Assistance Center

Health care disparities in the rural population are not simply a matter of having less access to big hospitals and the latest technology like that available in urban areas. Many other factors also play into rural health care disparities—occupation, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, geographic isolation and even lifestyles. Rural Health Disparities and Access to Care reports that rural residents have higher rates of chronic diseases, more trauma-related deaths, and are more likely to smoke and not exercise regularly. They are also more likely to have lower incomes and be uninsured or underinsured. Among minority populations in rural areas, these disparities increase.

In many rural areas of the country, providers are working to decrease disparities by improving overall health. Among them are Holy Cross Hospital (HCH) in Taos, N.M., Community Health Development, Inc. (CHDI) in Uvalde, Texas, and Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, Maine. These providers have found innovative and sometimes creative ways to offer medical and preventative care to their local populations. All three providers serve high numbers of low-income and uninsured or underinsured patients.

Read the full article or click here to see RAC’s Rural Health Disparities information guide.

National Rural Health Association would like to announce a call for presentations for the 14th Annual Rural Minority and Multicultural Health Conference:  Connecting the Dots: Economic Development and Rural Minority & Multicultural Health which will be held December 11 – 12, 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Presentation Submission Deadline:  May 30, 2008

The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) invites individuals with an interest in rural minority and multicultural health to submit concurrent session ideas for presentation during its 14th Annual Rural Minority and Multicultural Health Conference.  This process is to broaden the opportunity for NRHA members and others to present relevant and timely information at the 14th Annual Rural Minority and Multicultural Health Conference on innovative rural health care programs, service delivery models, policy issues, educational programs, clinical concerns, leadership development and skills training as they relate to rural racial and ethnic health disparities.  These sessions may be didactic, hands-on interactive workshops, panel presentations, roundtable discussions, or poster sessions.

Click here for additional information about the conference and to download the call for presentations application.

Cover the Uninsured Week 2008 will take place April 27-May 3. Visit www.CoverTheUninsured.org to start planning now with help from the planning guides. To help promote the importance and availability of health care coverage, free materials are now available for pre-order.

Want To Learn More About Coverage Issues in the News?
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has released a series of issue briefs by the Urban Institute that examine key issues related to health insurance coverage in the United States. Download the issue briefs to learn more!

Mark your calendar

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

March 18: The Difference Between Urban and Rural Shortage Issues - Webinar
March 19: Supporting Rural Family Caregivers - Satellite & Phone
March 24-28: 24th Annual HPR III Training Institute - Roanoke
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
June 25: Retention in Times of Exponential Change - Web conference

Job Announcements

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

Position Vacancy - Site Director, Virginia Local Performance Site of the PA/MAAETC

Description:  To provide leadership in the coordination, planning, and implementation of HIV Education and Prevention training programs in accordance with the goals and objectives specified in the PA/MAAETC grant. To ensure that education programs, technical assistance, capacity building activities, and consultation are provided for the appropriate target audiences identifies by the PA/MAAETC grant located throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. To serve as a liaison and foster collaboration among health care educators, clinicians at infectious disease clinics throughout the state, the Virginia Department of Health Resource and Consultation Centers, community based minority organizations, Historical Black Colleges and Universities, the VCU HIV/AIDS Center and the Virginia Local Performance Site of the Mid-Atlantic AIDS Education and Training Center. To provide key input in the strategic planning and oversight of the educational mission of the VCU HIV/AIDS Center. To coordinate PA/MAAETC grant activities at VCU, in addition to monitoring the quality assurance and fiscal contracts of the central office of PA/MAAETC and federal agencies.  

Qualifications:  Special licenses, registration or certification: Licensed as Registered Nurse in Virginia required. Certification as AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (ACRN) preferred. Valid VA Drivers License required.

Education or training:  Prefer Bachelors or graduate degree in Nursing (B.S.N., M.S.N., Ph.D.) or Masters of Public Health (M.P.H.).

Level and type of experience: Some years of experience in adult education and/or program development. Experience working with federal and state funded grants and contracts. Some years of clinical nursing experience or minimum of some years of experience working in the field of HIV/AIDS required.

Open immediately, Pay Rage $55,000-$70,000
Click here for more information or contact Donna Cantrell

Funding Opportunities

Community Health Issues Supported

Kaiser Permanente Cares for Communities Program
The Kaiser Permanente Cares for Communities Program provides support to nonprofit organizations that focus on community health in the locations the company serves, including communities in California; Colorado; Georgia; Hawaii; Maryland/Virginia/Washington, DC; Ohio; Oregon; and Washington State. National organizations that address the company's grantmaking priorities are also supported.

The priority areas include: addressing health care financing and delivery issues facing vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly; developing and communicating the evidence base for providing high quality, cost effective medical care; providing education for health care professionals and consumers; and advancing public policy in health care finance, access, and delivery. Requests are accepted throughout the year.

Visit the website for application guidelines and forms.