APHA recently hosted their Policy Action Institute. On June 14, over 700 public health professionals, students and advocacy experts gathered in Washington, D.C. and online to hear from influential leaders, discuss the latest topics in Public Health and learn from one another during designated networking and interaction times. If you would like to view any of the recordings from the event you can purchase them on APHA's website. 

The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade threatens the health of countless women. VPHA believes access to health care is a human right, and we will continue to work every day to protect and improve the health of all Virginians.

In light of Wednesday's Washington Post article regarding the Virginia Department of Health, we write to reaffirm that racism and gun violence are public health crises. Gun violence is a scourge that kills over 1,000 Virginians every year. Racism continues to harm people of color and exacerbates unjustified health disparities beginning before birth and lasting throughout life.

We proudly stand with our partners who, along with VPHA, successfully advocated for the Virginia General Assembly to declare racism a public health crisis. We also stand with gun violence victims, their families, and all those advocating for policies to end the violence that plagues our Commonwealth and nation.

We applaud the heroic work Virginia's public health professionals do every day to keep Virginians safe and healthy. We will continue to work with them to address these public health crises and to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation.

Sincerely,

Kim Baskette, PhD, CHES
President, VPHA

Ben Barber, MPP
President-Elect, VPHA

Qualified public health professionals should be empowered to lead public health districts.

That has been VPHA's message, and it will soon be a reality. Last Friday, Governor Youngkin signed SB 192 into law, allowing qualified public health professionals without a medical degree to serve as directors of Virginia's local health districts. 

Our work does not end here. VPHA will monitor the law's implementation and will continue to advocate for qualified public health professionals to fill these critical positions. In the meantime, this is a tremendous victory for Virginia's public health professionals and for all Virginians.

Virginia has the potential to be the healthiest state in the nation, but it has a long way to go. Despite its wealth, Virginia’s life expectancy is lower than most wealthy countries and many wealthy states. Health outcomes also vary drastically throughout the Commonwealth.

Recent health policy debates have focused on access to clinical care. Access to quality, affordable health care is necessary but insufficient. It is social, economic, and environmental factors that have the largest effect on wellbeing. Shifting the debate upstream to focus on Virginia’s public health system is essential for addressing these factors.

­­In its inaugural report, “Virginia’s Public Health Landscape: A Call to Action,” the Virginia Public Health Association (VPHA) reviews Virginia’s public health landscape and issues a call to action. The report reviews the history of Virginia’s public health system, identifies current issues, and looks forward to the future. Its conclusion is simple: strengthening Virginia’s public health system is necessary to improve health and erase health disparities.

Read the report here.

The Virginia Public Health Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of all Virginians. Founded in 1950, VPHA’s mission is to strengthen public health practice and promote sound public health policy. It is a proud affiliate of the American Public Health Association.

In observation of National Public Health Week (NPHW) 2022, VPHA presents Public Health Workforce: Essential for the Health of all Virginias, a webinar.  On April 5th join us to hear from leading experts across the state discuss  the public health workforce's role in advancing health equity and improving health outcomes for all Virginians. The webinar is set to take place from 12-1:30 p.m. You can view our flyer here and register for the event here. You do not have to be a VPHA member to attend.  We hope to see you there. 

Richmond, VA
Join the mission-driven team at Virginia Health Catalyst as the Community Engagement Manager, leading initiatives that promote the health and well-being of Virginians who face inequities due to systemic racism, discrimination, and other structural barriers. Apply your experience in community-based roles to build and maintain community partnerships through a new community advisory council, and lead grassroots advocacy efforts that support Catalyst’s priorities. Learn more, and apply today: https://vahealthcatalyst.org/job-openings/community-engagement-manager/

The upcoming Appalachian Health Leadership Forum will be held in West Virginia on May 6-7, 2022.  The Forum on Thursday, May 6th features national thought leaders on community health improvement, planning, and board governance.  The Friday, May 7th sessions focus on effective board governance for boards of directors and executive leaders from hospitals, FQHCs and local public health agencies.

View the Forum flyer here -  Appalachian Health Leadership Forum - May6-7, 2022.pdf

You can find more information about the Forum at www.wvruralhealth.org or at www.AppalachianHealthLeadershipForum.org

The Gate Coordinator for the Online MPH Program is an in-person full-time position. The Gate Coordinator will assist the Department of Public and Community Health in meeting various program requirements such as accreditation, mentoring, and community outreach within the Master of Public Health program.

We seek a dynamic individual to assist students through the MPH Gate System. The successful candidate will have at least a bachelor’s (Master preferred) in Public Health or a closely related field. The Online Gate Coordinator serves in a customer-service advisory role in assisting online students by answering a high number of student emails and phone calls in a professional and timely manner. The Online Gate Coordinator will help create and manage the gate courses in Canvas and provide students with feedback on portfolio items, including the competency exam. Lastly, the Gate Coordinator will assist with program-level accreditation and assessment by gathering, analyzing, and reporting data.

To apply, visit the LU Human Resource website at https://jobs.liberty.edu/postings/37634

VPHA completed its first advocacy day on Thursday, January 27^th. The advocacy day, held virtually in response to the pandemic, was a big success. VPHA members met with ten state legislators and their staff to discuss VPHA’s 2022 policy priorities and to stress the importance of public health in Virginia.

VPHA’s top priority this legislative session is for the General Assembly to pass SB 192. This bill would allow qualified public health professionals without medical degrees to serve as local health district directors (LHDs). Currently, LHD directors must have a medical degree. This unnecessary requirement has resulted in roughly a third of LHDs not having a permanent director - affecting nearly 20 percent of Virginians.

VPHA members also urged lawmakers to support Budget Amendment Item 304 #6s, which would increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for adult dental providers by 30 percent beginning on July 1, 2022. Raising these rates will increase access to dental service for Medicaid enrollees throughout the Commonwealth.