Best Practices and Models of Care in Rural Health

The Access Council of the Virginia State Rural Health Plan has issued Best Practices and Models of Care in Rural Health. The compendium compiles best and promising practices and models of care for rural health in the following four specialized areas: oral health, maternal and newborn health, behavioral and mental health, and telemedicine and telehealth. The document will serve as a resource for implementing the recommendations of the Virginia State Rural Health Plan, including effective new programs and practices to address Virginia’s most challenging health issues.

Give a Child a Smile Day

VCU Pediatric Dental Clinic will see any child (0 - 15 years) that needs dental services - Free of Charge! Dental care at this event will include cleaning, extractions and minor restorative work (as much work as possible will be done on this day for your child starting with the most urgent dental needs)

One day only: February 5, 2010 from 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Location: VCU/MCV at 521 N. 11th Street, 3rd Floor; Suite 315, Richmond, VA

Appointments are strongly urged as the number who will participate is expected to b e high. Please call 804-828-9095 to secure your child's appointment.

Since this event is part of the national "Give a Child a Smile Day" initiative, other events may be occurring at other sites in Virginia as well.

"Health Disparities in Rural Settings" Graduate Level Course Via Podcast with 1.8 CE credits

Shenandoah University Division of Nursing’s Graduate Program is offering a course titled “Health Disparities in Rural Settings.” It is available for 1.8 CE credits from the Virginia Nurse’s Association and the American College of Nurse-Midwives and is offered through podcasts that can be downloaded onto ipods through iTunes U.

This course analyzes the complex health disparities that occur in rural settings and that are rooted in historic and contemporary inequities. Topics include discussions of health care systems, health policies, distributions of resources, community needs assessment strategies, access to health care professionals and ethical considerations. Existing multi-level intervention strategies aimed at eliminating health disparities will be assessed, including those specific to rural settings as well as community-academic partnerships that translate research into action.

The podcasts are lectures and interviews with experts in the field. They can be downloaded from www.shenandoahgraduatenursing.com Go to “Electives and CEUs.”
Click on “Health Disparities in Rural Settings”
On ITunes U, get all lectures and subscribe to the course. By subscribing, you will be able to get new interviews as they occur.

When you are finished with the course, fill out the “Health Disparity CE Evaluation Form”. Email jfehr@su.edu notifying us that the Evaluation form has been filled out. Give us your address so that we can mail you your certificate.

Rural Healthcare Workforce Recognition Awards

Just a reminder to submit your nominations. For more information, visit Virginia's State Rural Health Plan Rural Healthcare Workforce Recognition Awards web page!

Let us know about your rural community success stories!

The National Rural Health Association in partnership with the National Offices of State Offices of Rural Health will be sponsoring the Rural Health Policy Institute at the end of this month. They are collecting success stories of rural communities at work to improve rural health.

If you have something to share, please share it as a comment on this blog! Please include information on the name of community – and a little narrative about the project or the success of the community. They are interested in hearing about workforce initiatives, initiatives to increase access to health services or promote health – or any other success story you can share!

We would love to pass along several Virginia success stories to be featured at the Rural Health Policy Institute!

Announcing the New Virginia Rural Health Data Portal

The Virginia Rural Health Data Portal puts information, that was once scattered, in one place and in your hands. Create, print and download maps, charts and graphs. Now you have the tools to tell your rural health story.

The Virginia Rural Health Data Council, in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Rural Health Association, are pleased to introduce the Virginia Rural Health Data Portal, a web-based tool that has been developed to provide a unique source of information on topics of special interest to rural health providers, researchers, grant writers, and others interested in telling their story on health issues facing rural populations in Virginia. The data currently presented in the portal are related to the issues and strategies defined in the Virginia State Rural Health Plan. It is anticipated that as additional issues are studied, new data sets will be added to the site. In addition, there will be several improvements added in the next few weeks, so check back often!

This is how you use the mapping tool:


This is how you generate charts and graphs:


Let us know what you think!

Establishing a Vision for Health Workforce Development in Virginia

This blog site has been created to obtain input on the final draft set of recommendations regarding Code language for establishing an Authority structure to facilitate the development of the health workforce in Virginia.  This consolidated set of recommendations is the result of a series of meetings with stakeholders over the course of the past six months:

http://healthcareworkforceinva.blogspot.com/

The legislation to develop an Authority structure in Virginia stems partially from the processes and recommendations regarding the health workforce from Virginia's State Rural Health Plan.  Recommendations for Code language will be going to the General Assembly in a study report at the end of November, so this is the final opportunity for public comment before the completion of the study report.  Please take the time to read through the recommendations and provide your input on/before noon on Friday November 13, 2009. Your contributions are important in shaping this proposed legislation.