Agenda

Wednesday, November 20

8:00-9:00             Registration, Exhibit Set Up, Continental Breakfast

9:00 – 9:15          Welcome

9:15 – 10:00          Keynote Presentation:  Brock Slabach, National Rural Health Association                                    

10:00 – 10:30        Plenary Session: Changing the Rural Narrative 

10:45 – 12:00      Breakout Sessions

12:00 – 2:00        Awards Luncheon & Updates from CMS

2:00 – 3:15          Breakout Sessions

3:30 – 4:45          Breakout Sessions

5:30 – 6:30           Poster Presentations and Reception- Natural History Museum

Thursday, November 21

9:00 – 9:15           Continental Breakfast

9:15-9:30             Plenary Session: Celebrating National Rural Health Day

9:30 – 10:00        Plenary Session: Cradle to Career 

10:00 – 10:30      Plenary Session: Why Rural?

10:30 – 11:00       Plenary Session: Connecting Rural

11:00 – 11:30       Featured Presentation: Counting Rural, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Kelly Thomasson 

About Our Sessions

Plenary Sessions

Keynote Presentation: The Future of Rural Health 
Brock Slabach, National Rural Health Association (slides) 

Changing the Rural Narrative
Laura Hunt Trull, PhD MSW LSW, James Madison University (slides)

Updates from CMS
Patrick Hamilton, Health Insurance Specialist, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (slides)

Celebrating National Rural Health Day
Virginia State Office of Rural Health (slides)

Cradle to Career
Travis Staton, United Way of Southwest Virginia (slides)

Why Rural?
The “Why Rural” remarks will be made by the 2019 scholarship winner

Connecting Rural
Evan Feinman, Chief Broadband Adviser, Office of Governor Northam

Featured Presentation, Counting Rural  (slides)
Kelly Thomasson, Secretary of the Commonwealth  

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions at the event are specifically designed to be interactive.  Session leaders will quickly define the issue, then review best practices and/or programs being implemented at the local level.  Session leaders will then guide the participants in a group discussion of what has been tried, what works, what doesn’t, what barriers have been encountered and ways over those barriers.

This is your opportunity to talk with your peers and work together to find solutions!

The Role of Non-Healthcare Providers in Community Health  (slides)
– Ashley Reynolds Marshall, YWCA of Central Virginia

Chronic Care Management with Community Health Workers (slides)
– Amanda Young, The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research & Kenya Elliott, Piedmont Access to Health Services, Inc.

Registration

Registration fees for the full event are $195 for VRHA members and $245 for the general public.
– Fees will increase on November 1st!

For registration, click here.

VRHA Student Members are eligible for the student rate of $95 for the full event or $65 for the first day and $30 for the second.

Students – make sure you check out the scholarship tab!!!

Event registration fees include 2020 VRHA membership dues.

Lodging and Area Information

Comfort Inn
1895 Virginia Avenue,
Martinsville, VA, 24112

Scholarships – “Why Rural?” 

VRHA is inviting students who are in any health or public policy program to submit essays on why they want to serve rural communities.  Five essays will be selected and the authors will receive free conference registration.

The author of the winning essay will have the honor of reading the essay on National Rural Health Day during the Rural Providers Conference and will receive 2 complimentary nights at an area hotel and free conference registration.

Download the 2019 scholarship application.

Completed forms must be e-mailed to boconnor@vrha.org on or before October 11th.  Winners will be announced on October 23rd.

Student Poster Presentations – CASH PRIZE$!

VRHA is now accepting applications for Poster Presentations from health and public policy students at the conference. A maximum of 15 applications will be approved for presentation.

Prizes:

• First Place: $500
• Second Place: $250
• Third Place: $100

Posters will be on display during the reception on November 20th from 5:30-6:30.

The Poster Presentations provide participants with the ideal opportunity to disseminate information to other rural health stakeholders. Poster Presentations may include research projects, case studies, clinical evaluations, case presentations, observations, unusual or uncommon situations and other topics as they relate to rural health.  All types of health professions and public policy students are encouraged to submit applications for consideration.  Posters co-authored by professionals are acceptable as long as the student is the lead author and presenter

All posters must have a Virginia perspective: either submitted by a student from Virginia, or by a student attending a Virginia school, or a poster topic on a Virginia issue.  Entries with no relation to Virginia will not be considered.

Submission information and general instructions:

• Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed by the planning committee.
• Submission deadline is October 18, 2019.
• Presenters may not use posters to market products or services; exhibit space is available for that purpose.
• No honoraria or travel expense reimbursement will be provided.
• The presenter is responsible for having the poster printed and bringing a display easel to the event.

Categories & Judging:

• Presentations will be reviewed and judged by the following criteria –
• Rural relevance (30 points)
• Presenter – enthusiastic, professional, well-prepared (20 points)
• Interpretation of data (10 points)
• Abstract or summary of findings (10 points)
• Proper reference/citations (10 points)
• Background & Rationale (10 points)
• General overview/layout of the poster (10 points)

Click here to submit a poster presentation application.  Membership in VRHA is not required to submit a presentation for consideration.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

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CircleLink Health

Exhibitors