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While the lack of health insurance is a significant barrier to care, another critical problem affects Virginia communities and Virginians -- the significant and growing shortage of health care and dental care providers.
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Nearly half of Virginia communities, inner city areas as well as
rural localities, have too few providers to care for all of those in need. Virginians in these areas who need health care, dental care or mental health services must either travel a great distance to receive care or go without treatment. |
Virginia's Underserved Areas:
How prevalent are these shortages? The Virginia Department of Health list of Designated Shortage and Underserved Areas in Virginia and maps of Virginia's health professional shortage areas and medically underserved areas tell the story (PDF):
A VHCF priority:
Because improving access to care for Virginia's underserved and uninsured is a primary goal of the Virginia Health Care Foundation, VHCF is addressing the issue in a number of ways:
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VHCF grants help increase health care availability for people living in underserved areas. |
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VHCF's Dental Access initiatives are helping more Virginians receive the dental care they need but otherwise couldn't access. |
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Virginia Health Careers, available both in print and online, is a comprehensive guide to educate and inspire students to pursue health careers and to serve in underserved communities; and |
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VHCF's Healthy Communities Loan Fund helps primary care providers in underserved areas start, expand or modernize their practices. |
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VHCF Medication Access programs and projects are helping residents statewide obtain the prescription medications they need. |
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VHCF's Children's Health Initiatives are making it possible for more eligible, uninsured Virginia children statewide to enroll in the state-sponsored children's health insurance program. |
The Virginia Health Care Foundation and its many partners are dedicated to making access to health care available to all Virginians.
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| St. Luke Community Clinic |
VHCF changes lives, sometimes in surprising ways. A long-time volunteer at a VHCF grantee, St. Luke Community Clinic in the northern Shenandoah Valley, was so moved by what the clinic was doing that he decided to change careers, giving up long-distance truck driving for a new career in nursing.
In addition to a dedicated cadre of volunteers, the Clinic also benefits from a full-time nurse practitioner, funded through a VHCF grant. The grant allowed the Clinic to expand its service capacity and provide greater continuity of care.
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