Virginia Health Care Foundation

1. Virginia Health Care Foundation Introduction to Public Health November 28, 2005 Jennifer Ramos Hoover Fund Development Manager

2. VHCF and its Mission • A unique public-private partnership (Enabling legislation-SJR117, 1992) • Increase access to primary and preventive care for Virginia’s uninsured and medically underserved.

3. Strengthening and Expanding Virginia’s Health Care Safety Net • Core grantmaking • Programmatic initiatives • The Pharmacy Connection • Healthy Communities Loan Fund • Children’s Health Insurance Initiative • SeniorNavigator • Special grantmaking initiatives

4. Grantmaking Activities • 214 grants to community-based organizations over 13 years • more than $23 million • Grants made through a competitive application process to projects working to improve access to health care

5. Wide range of projects including medical, dental, and mental health Staffing and infrastructure Examples: Mobile Medical and Dental Units Mental Health Counseling Telemedicine Projects VHCF Funds

6. VHCF Grants Have Touched Each Region Northern: $3,065,522 Statewide: 11 $1,547,561 Northwest: $1,759,281 21 17 N.Neck/E.Shore $1,742,632 Central: $4,338,999 10 40 20 20 21 18 Southwest: $2,655,057 Southside: $2,673,724 Tidewater: $2,814,060 Roanoke Valley: $2,318,745

7. VHCF Funding to Virginia’s Health Safety Net Providers • Grantees are diverse • Community Health Centers • Free Clinics • Health Systems • Community-based organizations • $10.5 million to Free Clinics and Community Health Centers • Free Clinics – 41 grants to 26 organizations: $4.3 million • Community Health Centers – 34 grants to 24 organizations: $6.1 million

8. Free Clinics & Community Health Centers: Virginia 1992                                  Free Clinics (10) Community Health Centers (14 in 23 sites)

9. Free Clinics & Community Health Centers: Virginia 2004                                                                                                                          Free Clinics (46 organizations with 57 sites) Community Health Centers (26 organizations with 76 sites)

10. A Stronger Health Safety Net • VHCF grants have • Helped increase the number of health safety net providers in VA • Strengthened the health safety • Even so, Virginia’s health safety net is neither uniform, nor stable.

11. Challenges faced by Virginia’s Health Safety Net • The safety net varies from community to community, depending on: • Local leadership • Number and sophistication of providers • Services they offer • Number of uninsured in need of assistance, and • Resources available.

12. Meeting the Challenges • The key to a broad and strong health safety net is VHCF’s focus on sustainability. • A sustainable program is one that has: • Strong Staff and Board Leadership • A Well-Articulated Vision • A Solid Operating Plan • Broad-based community support • Viable revenue generating plan

13. Sustaining the Network • Funding Priorities: • Develop or expand Patient Capacity • Establish a Broader Scope of Services • Create Local Coordinated Systems of Care • Strengthen the Infrastructure of the Health Safety Net Providers

14. Results of VHCF Emphasis on Sustainability • 89% of VHCF funded projects continue at the same or increased capacity for at least three years after VHCF funding. • In the past eleven years, VHCF projects have leveraged more than $38 million in cash, health services, and other in-kind contributions (excluding donated medications)

15. VHCF Program Initiatives – Tools for Health Safety Net Providers • The Pharmacy Connection (TPC) and Medication Access Programs (MAPs) • Healthy Communities Loan Fund (HCLF) • Children’s Health Insurance Initiative • SeniorNavigator

16. The Pharmacy Connection • A software program developed to facilitate the acquisition of free medications from the Patient Assistance Programs administered by pharmaceutical companies. • $286 million in free medications for 107,098 low income uninsured patients since FY97 with $104 million of that generated in FY05 alone.

17. Medication Access Programs (MAPs) • State-Funded MAPs • Medication Assistance Program of the Piedmont(serving Pittsylvania, Henry and Patrick Counties, and the cities of Danville and Martinsville) Mt. Rogers Medication Assistance Program(serving Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Washington and Wythe counties, and the cities of Bristol and Galax) Pharmacy Connect(serving Wise, Scott and Lee Counties and the City of Norton) RxRelief (various locations) • Privately Funded MAPs Richmond Medication Assistance Program A partnership with the Richmond Memorial Foundation. (serving the greater Richmond metropolitan area) Greater Williamsburg Medication Assistance InitiativeA partnership with the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation(serving Charles City, James City, New Kent, King William, King and Queen, York, Gloucester, and Matthews Counties and the city of Williamsburg)

18. 36 Localities Covered byState-Funded MAPs, 18 by RxRelief Virginia = Covered by RxRelief Virginia = Other State Funded MAP = Part of a county is covered

19. RxPartnership – Bulk Medications • New non-profit initiative established by VHCF, JCHC, Medical Society of Virginia, and other private partners • RxP solicits free medications in bulk from pharmaceutical companies to be distributed to credentialed pharmacies. • 17 participating organizations at 25 locations

20. Healthy Communities Loan Fund • Established in 1996 with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation • Practice Sights initiative to address the shortage of health care providers in underserved areas of Virginia • Partnership with BB&T (First Virginia Bank, to begin with) and 13 other private partners

21. HCLF Results • Over $7.5 million for 49 loans • 62 new or retained primary care providers in underserved areas: • Central – 18 • Southwest – 16 • Southside – 9 • Northwest – 7 • Northern Neck/Eastern Shore – 7 • Roanoke Valley – 4 • Tidewater – 1

22. Children’s Health Insurance Initiative • Supporting work to help all eligible children enroll in state-sponsored health insurance (FAMIS) • Covering Kids and Families Initiative, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation • Funding from Dept. of Medical Assistance Services

23. Child Health Insurance Strategies • Support regional coalitions working to enroll children in FAMIS • Provide SignUpNow technical assistance trainings to outreach workers • Lead the statewide coalition to suggest changes to policymakers to improve coordination, operations, and customer service • New focus: Retention

24. SeniorNavigator • Comprehensive health and aging information via a unique website (www.seniornavigator.org) • A corps of trained health and human services professionals and volunteers (Senior Navigators) • 189 Senior Navigator Centers provide access to vital information for those who don’t have a computer or internet access

25. Thank you! For more information, visit our website: www.vhcf.org Virginia Health Care Foundation 1001 East Broad Street Suite 445 Richmond, VA 23219 804-828-5804