VRHA

The Rural Health Voice Podcast

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The Rural Health Voice Podcast

The Rural Health Voice is the podcast of the Virginia Rural Health Association. It discusses rural health issues at the grassroots level and how state and federal policies play out in our local communities.

The Rural Health Voice is sponsored by the Virginia State Office of Rural Health and underwritten by the National Rural Health Association.

The Rural Health Voice theme music is courtesy of Luke Williams.


RHV 25: Better Health through Better Education

Can improved high school graduation rates lead to better health in a community?  Shani Gaylord and Jasmine Smith from the Virginia Department of Health’s Youth Health Equity Leadership Institute joined the Rural Health Voice to talk about how YHELI is improving health through helping students.  Shani and Jasmine will be session leaders at the Rural […]

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RHV 24: Community Health

Can community organizations have a role in addressing health issues for a community?  Ashley Reynolds Marshall joined me to discuss how the YWCA of Central Virginia is doing exactly that. If you want to be part of the conversation, join Ashley and the other session leaders at the Rural Health Voice conference in November. […]

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RHV 23: What does “rural” mean?

What comes to your mind when some one says “rural?”  What does “rural” mean to you?  Dr. Laura Hunt Trull, Social Worker and Assistant Professor at James Madison University shared her thoughts on the way we talk about rural and how we can change the narrative. You can hear more from Dr. Trull at the […]

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RHV 22: Cradle to Career

What do communities need to attract employers? And what does that have to do with health?  Travis Staton, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Southwest Virginia discusses their method of improving health in the region through a Cradle to Career approach. If you want to hear more from Travis and be part […]

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RHV 21: Workforce

What help is available for someone who wants to be a healthcare provider in rural Virginia?  Olivette Burroughs, Health workforce specialist with the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Health Equity joined me to provide information on the variety of programs available. Olivette will be leading one of the nine interactive discussions on rural health […]

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RHV 20: National Policy

Do lawmakers in DC want to hear from people at the local level?  Brock Slabach, Vice President of Member Services at the National Rural Health Association joined me to talk about effective ways to communicate with your member of Congress, get involved, break down silos, and work together to improve rural health. Brock will be the […]

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RHV 19: Rural Residency

What happens after someone finishes medical school?  Dr. Maurice Nida, Designated Institutional Officer at Lonesome Pine Hospital Family Practice joined me to discuss how training in rural communities means learning to do more for your patients. If your hospital or clinic wants to recruit a physician that has been trained in Southwest Virginia, join Dr. […]

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RHV: 18 US Census

What can you do to make sure tax dollars and other resources are allocated to your community?  Join my conversation with Dr. Carah Ong Whaley, Associate Director at the James Madison University Center for Civic Engagement.  Undercounted is underfunded, under represented, and under resourced.  The 2020 Census is your opportunity to make sure everyone counts! […]

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RHV 17: Peer Recovery Services

What’s the opposite of addiction? Jason Prichard, Community and Coalition Engagement Specialist for Ballad Health discussed how people recovering from addiction can be successful.  Read his full recovery testimony.  Certification to be a Peer Recovery Specialist is available through the Virginia Certification Board. If you are a healthcare provider who wants to earn CMEs related […]

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RHV 16: Mental Health

May is Mental Health Month. Does your community have a plan to support people with mental illness and substance abuse disorders? Kevin Martone, Executive Director, of the Technical Assistance Collaborative joined RHV to discuss how behavioral health can be addressed at the community level. Mr. Martone mentioned the need for telehealth to support behavioral health […]

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RHV 15: Broadband

How fast is your broadband? Arthur Scott, Associate Legislative Director and Political Outreach Manager for the National Association of Counties and native of Scott County, Virginia talked to me about the TestIT app NACo has to map broadband speed in rural America. If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, and […]

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RHV 14: Veterans Health

Virginia has 725,000 Veterans across the state, many of which live in our rural communities. Who speaks for them? RHV talked with Carlos Hopkins, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs. Contact the Virginia Department of Veterans Services if you want to help a Veteran in your community. If you want to be part of […]

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RHV 13: Poison Control

If someone swallows something that you think might be dangerous, do you call 911 or Poison Control? Kristin Wenger, Education Coordinator from the Blue Ridge Poison Center joined the Rural Health Voice to help you determine which is best. No matter where in the US you are, 1-800-222-1222 is the number to call. National Poison […]

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RHV: Health Equity

What’s the difference between equality and equity? Dr. Lauren Powell, Director of the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Health Equity joined me to talk about how giving everyone the same thing is not as good as giving everyone what they need. If you want to learn more about resources available to your community, check […]

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RHV: Food Security

Do churches have a responsibility for the physical health of their members? Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, III a community organizer, social entrepreneur and Senior Pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church joined The Rural Health Voice to discuss how churches and other members of the faith based community can address health on a very local level. […]

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RHV: Rural Health Clinics

Nathan Baugh – Director of Government Affairs at the National Association of Rural Health Clinics joined the Rural Health Voice to talk about these Clinics and their benefits and challenges. Mr. Baugh is advocating for a payment structure that allow Rural Health Clinics to remain vital parts of their communities.  VRHA will be hosting a Rural Health […]

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RHV: Telehealth

Are you interested in telehealth, but aren’t sure how to start? Dr. Kathy Wibberly, Director of the Mid Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center answered my questions about the benefits and complexities of telehealth, and how MATRC can help. If you want telehealth to be a part of your toolbox, check out the Telehealth Summit, March 31 […]

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RHV: Emergency Medical Services

How are Emergency Medical Services in rural communities transitioning to a new way of business that involves more interaction with patients and fewer lights and sirens? Tim Perkins from the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services discusses the future of EMS. Check out more from the Virginia Rural Health Association on Facebook and Twitter. […]

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RHV: Senator Creigh Deeds

Senator Deeds provides his insight on how citizens and lawmakers can work together to make a difference.  He encourages listeners to get informed, make noise, and be the squeaky wheel for the community.  If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, you can join VRHA at the Rural Health Policy Institute, […]

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RHV: Local Concerns/Federal Policy

How do the concerns of people on the ground turn into federal law? Join the conversation with Alan Morgan, Chief Executive Officer of the National Rural Health Association to discuss how policy decisions filter up from local communities.  Includes an invitation to hear Mr. Morgan at the 2018 Virginia Rural Collaborators Conference. […]

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RHV: Interdisciplinary Training

What can make a difference for healthcare in rural communities where access to providers is limited? Dr. Laura Hunt Trull, Assistant Professor of Social Work at James Madison University discusses how students can be better trained to work with each other once they are professionals. Students are required to volunteer at a RAM Clinic. Join the conversation at […]

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RHV: Behavioral Health Integration

How do you make patients feel more comfortable and make better use of the physician’s time all while providing top-quality mental health services in rural communities? Psychologist Dr. James Werth of Stone Mountain Health Services discusses the benefits of a special kind of one-stop shopping. Join Dr. Werth in discussing how Behavioral Health Integration can happen in […]

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RHV: Patient Coordination

Tyler Lee of Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital discussing how the Emergency Department decreased visits by 31% and found patients better options for care through community-wide coordination. To join Tyler in the discussion, participate in the 2018 Virginia Rural Collaborators Conference. […]

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RHV: The Opioid Crisis and Foster Care

Wendy Welch, PhD, author of “Fall or Fly” discusses the opioid crisis and how it has affected the foster care system in Appalachia. Dr. Welch is the Director of the Southwest Virginia Graduate Medical Education Consortiumand owner of the Tales of the Lonesome Pine bookstore. Also referenced in this episode is “Counting Down“, a memoir about both the […]

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