RD179 - Annual Report on the Primary Care Workforce and Health Access Initiatives


Executive Summary:
Section 32.1-122.22 of the Code of Virginia requires the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to submit an annual report on recruiting and retaining health care providers for underserved populations and areas throughout the Commonwealth. During the reporting period July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006, the VDH has focused a great deal of its efforts on improving capacity to be both more proactive and more efficient. This has led to the development of comprehensive data-driven processes and systems for identifying emerging needs and, when possible, addressing those needs through the use of technology. This annual report describes a number of efforts that are underway to improve access to health care in Virginia.

• VDH has developed a Rational Service Area Plan for primary care. The plan provides a means of identifying potential primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) using Primary Care Service Area (PCSA) analysis.

• VDH has embarked upon a campaign to increase awareness of community initiatives, federal and state programs via marketing its revised website.

• Under the leadership of VDH forty-five (45) individuals representing over twenty-five agencies/organizations provided input over a thirteen (13) month period to network, share resources, and brainstorm about ways to improve our capacity to delivery culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare to the rapidly growing immigrant and refugee population in Virginia.

• VDH has facilitated the developed of a pilot project to enhance care for tuberculosis patients in the Central Region of Virginia. The majority (50% - 80%) of reported TB cases in the Central Region are comprised of a population who are refugees and/or immigrants who are uninsured/underinsured. Telehealth technology, in combination with the establishment of formal partnerships/networks between the Virginia Department of Health, several primary care facilities (free clinics and federally qualified health care centers), academic medical centers, and the Northern Virginia AHEC, has allowed for an unprecedented continuum of care.

• VDH continues to manage a state-of-the-art web-based recruitment tool called Primary Practice Opportunities of Virginia (www.PPOVA.org) that was established with other VA partners. PPOVA represents a web-based marketing effort for promoting the advantages of practicing in the Commonwealth, advertising specific practice opportunities, and identifying candidates from a broad array of medical specialties.

VDH also continues to administer the following programs:

• Virginia State Planning Grant
• Critical Access Hospitals
• Conrad State-30/J-1 Visa Waiver, and
• Scholarship and Loan Repayment for qualifying health care practitioners