Grants
The Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA) has issued one million dollars to the Commonwealth in the form of community grants to strengthen Virginia's health workforce. These grants are part of a $1.93 million federal grant awarded in 2010 to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) on behalf of the VHWDA under the Affordable Care Act State Health Care Workforce Development Implementation Grant (#T55HP20285). The grantees, listed below, represent the Commonwealth extending from far Southwest to metro-Richmond area, the Shenandoah Valley to central Piedmont and Northern Virginia.
Scholarships
Virginia Nursing Scholarships
Application Cycle: May 1 – June 30
1. Mary Marshall Nursing Scholarship (Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses)
Mary Marshall Nursing scholarships are for students enrolled in undergraduate nursing programs. Undergraduate nursing programs are defined as those leading to a diploma, an associate degree, or baccalaureate degree in nursing. Under the law, all scholarship awards are made by an Advisory Committee appointed by the State Board of Health. The VDH-OHE serves as the staff element to the Advisory Committee and has no role in the determination of scholarship recipients. The basis for determining scholarship recipients is established by the Advisory Committee with due regard given to scholastic attainment, financial need, character, and adaptability to the nursing profession
Scholarship Conditions
- Obligation is one year of full-time employment as a nurse in the Commonwealth of Virginia for every $2,000 of scholarship money awarded
- Begin full-time employment within 60 days of graduation date
- Voluntary military service cannot be used to repay scholarship awards
- Any other conditions and requirements not covered by this document will be stated in scholarship contract.
2. Virginia Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Midwife Scholarship Program
Application Cycle: May 1 – June 30
The Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Midwife Scholarship Program provides scholarship awards to students who agree to practice full-time as a Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Midwife in a Virginia Medically Underserved Area (VMUA) or Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). All awards are made by a Nursing Scholarship Committee, appointed by the State Board of Health. VDH-OHE serves as the staff element to the Nursing Scholarship Committee and has no role in the determination of scholarship awarded to recipients. The guidelines for determining scholarship awards to recipients are established by the Nursing Scholarship Committee. Preference for the scholarship award shall be given to residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia who are minority students, students enrolled in Family Practice, Obstetrics, Gynecology, Pediatrics, Adult Health, and Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Programs. Participants residing in MUAs as determined by the Board of Health will also be given preference.
Scholarship Conditions
- Obligation is one year of full-time continuous employment in a Virginia Medically Underserved Area (VMUA) for each year a scholarship is received
- Practice facility must accept Medicare/Medicaid or other health care reimbursement programs
- Full-time employment must begin within two years of graduation date
- Any other conditions and requirements not covered by this document will be stated in scholarship contract
- Scholarship amounts vary based on Advisory Committee decision. Awards are dependent upon funds appropriated by the VA General Assembly
3. Virginia’s Nurse Educator Scholarship Program
Application Cycle: May 1 – June 30
The Nurse Educator Scholarship Program is intended for part-time and full-time master and doctoral level nursing students. All scholarship awards are made by an Advisory Committee appointed by VDH-OHE serves as the staff element to the Advisory Committee and has no role in the determination of scholarship recipients. The Advisory Committee recommends the award selection criteria to the Commissioner. Awards are based on scholastic attainment, financial need, character, and adaptability to the Nurse Educator specialty.
Scholarship Conditions
- Obligation is two years of full-time continuous employment teaching in a school of nursing in VA for every year a scholarship is received
- Full-time employment must begin within 12 months of completing the educational program
- Any other conditions and requirements not covered by this document will be stated in scholarship contract
- Scholarship amounts vary based on Advisory Committee decision. Awards are dependent upon funds appropriated by the VA General Assembly
For all nursing program details, email us at incentiveprograms@vdh.virginia.gov, call 804-864-7435 or visit our website at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/health-equity/forms-and-applications/
Virginia Loan Repayment Programs
Virginia State Loan Repayment Program (VA-SLRP): Application cycle January 1- July 31
The Commonwealth of Virginia (the Commonwealth) currently participates in The Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS) Grants to States for Loan Repayment. The Virginia State Loan Repayment Program (VA-SLRP) is operated by the Virginia Department of Health-Office of Health Equity (VDH-OHE) providing a non-taxed incentive to qualified medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmaceutical (pharmacists) professionals in return for a minimum of two (2) years of service at an eligible practice site in one of the federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in a qualified field of practice in Virginia. VA-SLRP requires a dollar for dollar match from the community/practice site. The maximum award for a four (4) year commitment is $140,000 and shall be for a qualifying educational loan. Prioritizing applications for VA-SLRP is done on a first come first serve basis with priority given to renewals. All approvals are based on availability of funds. The participant shall meet and fulfill all requirements listed below in order to be eligible for the VA-SLRP. For more details, email us at incentiveprograms@vdh.virginia.gov, call 804-864-7435 or visit our website at: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/health-equity/virginia-loan-repayment-programs-2/
The Virginia Conrad 30 Waiver Program
Application Cycle: September 30 – August 31
Improving access to primary health care, and needed specialty care, in medically underserved areas is an important goal of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). The purpose of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s (Commonwealth) Conrad 30 Waiver Program is to increase access by sponsoring J-1 Physicians who agree to serve in medically underserved areas of the Commonwealth to waive the “two-year home country physical presence requirement” (the “J-1 visa waiver”) which would otherwise be required. The Commonwealth’s participation in the Conrad 30 Waiver Program enables VDH to act on behalf of the Commonwealth and request waivers for eligible J-1 Physicians. VDH may act as an interested state agency to request up to thirty (30) J-1 visa waivers per year. The Virginia Conrad 30 Waiver Program agrees to waive the “two-year home country physical presence requirement” by sponsoring J-1 Physicians who agree to serve in designated shortage areas of the Commonwealth. For more details, email us at incentiveprograms@vdh.virginia.gov, call 804-864-7435 or visit our website at: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/health-equity/conrad-30-waiver-program-overview/
Grantees
Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc.
Project Lead: Basim Khan, MD
Project Summary:
Project Summary: Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc. (ANHSI) is awarded $14,863.32 to develop and implement training for safety-net primary care providers to manage subspecialty cases using telemedicine.
Appalachian College of Pharmacy
Project Lead: Susan L. Mayhew, PharmD, BCNSP, FASHP
Project Summary:
Appalachian College of Pharmacy is awarded $221,700 to establish new collaborative practice models between pharmacists and primary care providers in existing primary care practices to expand primary care services, medication and disease management in federally qualified health centers in Southwest Virginia.
Blue Ridge Area Health Education Center
Project Lead: Kimberlee Hartzler-Weakley, MPHE
Project Summary:
The Blue Ridge Area Health Education Center (BRAHEC) at James Madison University, in partnership with Rockingham Memorial Hospital (RMH), is awarded $69,699.53 to create Youth and Diversity in Health Care Professions (YDHP) program to increase the diversity in Virginia’s health care workforce by focusing on middle and high school pipeline activities.
Germanna Community College
Project Lead: Martha O'Keefe
Project Summary:
Germanna Community College is awarded $35,950 to develop a new Dental Assistant II program to meet the growing demand for dental care, especially for Medicaid patients, in the service region—city of Fredericksburg and counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Orange, King George, Caroline and Madison. The Dental Assistant II curriculum will then be made available to other colleges in the Virginia Community College System.
Graduate Medical Education Consortium / SW Area Health Education Center
Project Lead: Wendy Welch, Ph.D
Project Summary:
The Graduate Medical Education Consortium and Southwest Area Health Education Center (GMEC-AHEC) is awarded $25,152 to run a 15-week high school Health Career Exploration Club in LENOWISCO and Cumberland Plateau. Each Club will introduce students to a wide variety of health professionals and educate students via hands-on activities and site visits to medical school labs, hospitals and other practice sites as available.
Northern Virginia Area Health Education Center
Project Lead: Dallice Joyner, H.Ed, M.Ed
Project Summary:
Northern Virginia Area Health Education Center (NV AHEC) in partnership with the Community Lodgings Youth Education Program is awarded $74,912.50 to create a pilot program, Project Health-4-All, that will provide health career education, information and exposure to immigrant youth who express an interest in pursuing a health career and/or profession. The focus of this collaboration will be to increase the health care workforce pipeline activities and opportunities for immigrant youth in the NV AHEC region to get early health career exposure and provide educational and academic support.
Page County Technical Center
Project Lead: Chad Hensley
Project Summary:
Page County Technical Center (PCTC) is awarded $39,644 to enhance Virginia’s health care workforce pipeline by increasing student enrollment in the course “Introduction to Health and Medical Sciences” and the Program of Studies in EMT, LPN and CNA. The project will also target an additional health care Program of Studies in partnership with Valley Health Medical Corporation.
Shenandoah University
Project Lead: Juliana van Olphen Fehr, PhD, CNM, RN
Project Summary:
Shenandoah University is awarded $82,216.35 to support planning for an advanced practice nursing faculty residency program which includes health informatics and distance education training. The faculty residents will then teach students in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs at several universities in the specialties of Psychiatric Mental Health, Midwifery and Family Medicine.
Southside Health Education Foundation
Project Lead: Deborah Williamson, JD, MPA
Project Summary:
The Southside Health Education Foundation (SHEF) is awarded $38,400 to develop and implement a health careers pipeline program—Southside Health Care Careers Experiential Learning Program (Health-CEL)—for students from 16 to 20 years of age. Under the leadership of SHEF, area hospitals, health care providers, colleges and universities have partnered to support this 40+ hour program which will provide students with experiential learning.
University of Virginia Center for Telehealth
Project Lead: Karen Rheuban, MD
Project Summary:
The University of Virginia Center for Telehealth was awarded $270,000 to establish the Southside Telehealth Training Academy and Resource Center (STAR) in Martinsville, Virginia, in partnership with the New College Institute (NCI). The center will be used to train health care workers to use telehealth and patient monitoring technologies to aid in providing high quality care and services to their patients.
VCU Health System, Office of Health Innovation
Project Lead: Steven H. Crossman, MD
Project Summary:
VCU Health System, Office of Health Innovation is awarded $56,852 to create a family practice residency program anchored in a federally qualified health center (FQHC). Three community health centers will join the VCU Director of Medical Student Education in Family Medicine to establish this model, which is the only one of its kind in Virginia.
VCU School of Dentistry
Project Lead: Kim Isringhausen, BSDH, RDH, MPH
Project Summary:
The VCU School of Dentistry is awarded $70,541 to develop a model for dental and dental hygiene community service programs with underserved community partners and schools. The programs will educate dental professional students, patients and inner-city school students; increase oral health literacy; improve health outcomes; and ultimately increase the workforce for future dental professionals. The purpose of the program is to benefit underserved communities and inner-city school students with a shared mission of education and service in oral health. The program will increase oral health in these communities and awareness of oral health professions.
