Health Authority Touts Plan to Address Region's Health Care Crisis

LEBANON, Va. – Calling it a model for others to follow, officials unveiled a blueprint Friday designed to improve the health of Southwest Virginians by expanding care options.

Developed over the past three years by the Southwest Virginia Health Authority, the plan addresses the acute health issues prevalent in the region, including poor dental health, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and prescription drug addiction. The plan’s framework also is designed to create employment by establishing new health care facilities, primarily to serve residents of Wise, Russell, Scott, Dickenson, Lee, Tazewell and Buchanan counties, said state Delegate Clarence “Bud” Phillips, chairman of the authority.

“We believe our approach is a model for the state and nation to follow,” Phillips said. “It’s built from the ground up, from the grass roots, from people who know health care, rather than the top-down approach.”

The Virginia General Assembly created the authority three years ago to address the health care needs of the region, which has historically high poverty and above-average mortality rates. Large numbers of Southwest Virginia residents lack health insurance, or even access to health care, particularly specialty care.

Phillips said the annual Remote Area Medical clinics, which attract thousands for free medical, dental and vision care, highlight the plight of those living in
the region.

“Our goal is that one day RAM would not be necessary,” Phillips said.

The authority he chairs is comprised of government, public and private entities, including Wellmont Health System and Mountain States Health Alliance, along with the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Virginia Commonwealth University. The blueprint the authority unveiled Friday, at a news conference at the Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center in Lebanon, was produced without direct funding.

One key component of the plan is the Healthy Appalachia Institute at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, which was described as a “think tank” of health care solutions and policy.

“The institute is a collaborative venture to provide resources to our conversation about health care and our analysis of the condition of health care in this region,” UVa-Wise Chancellor David Prior said. “The creation of the health authority and the Healthy Appalachia Institute at the college are providing the organizational tools to keep this conversation moving.”

State Sen. William Wampler, R-Bristol, said health care leaders and providers are the strength of the program.

“It’s about improving on the collaboration we already have in Southwest Virginia and, to some extent, East Tennessee. We’ve done this for some time, but this blueprint sets out measurable goals we can take to providers of health care service, so we can take it one step further.”

Among those goals are establishing a regional dental center in Wise – and eventually a dental school – a medical training center of excellence for medical specialists, health education, promoting physical activity and expanding the use of electronic medical records, to reduce trips to specialists far away.

“Now that the strategic plan has been developed, our next goal is to take priority areas from the plan and move forward,” said David Crum, the authority’s interim executive director and an official at UVa-Wise.

Phillips said funding for the effort is expected to come from a variety of local, regional, state and federal government sources, along with foundations and private entities.

Some hospital officials had to be convinced to participate because they feared the authority sought to replace them or remove them from the health care equation, Phillips said.

“A lot of the things we’re accomplishing now don’t take money to do,” Phillips said, citing a recent change in state law that allows dental hygienists to perform certain tasks without having a dentist present.

“Other things, like the dental school, took money. Our delegation in Richmond, was able to get $5.7 million to create the dental clinic in Wise,” Phillips said. “Some things will require investments and these investments are crucial to provide the quality of life we want to provide here.”

That quality of life includes expectations that the blueprint will generate a number of health care, administrative and clerical jobs across the region, Phillips said.

“We’ll do this in a very piecemeal fashion – in a very creative manner – in which we can utilize the resources to their best, highest use,” Phillips said.

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