Virginia Community Healthcare Association

04/22/2026

Over 20 teams, over 90 golfers, and thousands raised for our Community Health Scholarship - we couldn't have asked for a better day for our Third Annual Charity Golf Outing⛳

📸Here's a sneak peek of the photos... full gallery coming soon!

04/17/2026

📚Good morning from Community Health Center University!

April’s module is all about program evaluation. Led by Knowledge Advisory Group’s Trina Willard, CHCU participants are learning more about evaluation concepts, research methods, and ethical considerations as they develop skills around measuring program impact and communicating results.

Interested in learning more about Virginia's only community health center-focused leadership development program? Check it out on our website here ⤵️
https://vcha.org/community-health-center-university/

04/16/2026

"When dental benefits are capped, care doesn’t disappear — needs simply go unmet until they become emergencies."

In a joint op-ed published today in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, VCHA CEO Tracy Douglas and other public health leaders in Virginia are urging Governor Spanberger and the General Assembly to protect Virginia's Dental Medicaid benefit by removing the proposed annual cap. Dental care must be shaped by patient need, not restricted by spending limits.

Read the full piece here ⤵️

Capping adult Medicaid dental benefits in Virginia would worsen health and job prospects while driving up taxpayer costs by shifting care from affordable prevention to expensive emergency room visits.

04/16/2026

Capping dental benefits does not reduce costs; it shifts them. It moves expenses from preventive, cost-effective care to crisis-driven, high-cost interventions. It burdens hospitals, strains the Medicaid system, and leaves patients sicker with more out-of-pocket costs.

In a joint column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, leaders from the Virginia Dental Association, VCU Dentistry, Virginia Community Healthcare Association, Virginia Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation, and the Virginia Health Catalyst are urging Governor Spanberger and the General Assembly to protect Virginia's Dental Medicaid benefit by removing the proposed annual cap. Maintaining comprehensive dental coverage is not just a health decision; it is an economic one. It supports a stronger workforce, reduces unnecessary health care spending, and ensures that vulnerable Virginians are not left behind.

04/15/2026

"As some rural health providers across Virginia close clinics and cut services, the Community Health Center of the New River Valley is preparing to expand."

Last week, Sen. Tim Kaine visited CHCNRV for a tour of their headquarters and a roundtable discussion about the challenges facing rural and community health. CHCNRV also shared more about their new facility, with an anticipated summer groundbreaking.

Read more on Roanoke Times or the PDF version below ⤵️
https://roanoke.com/news/local/business/health-care/article_6edb22f7-a622-41e5-93c7-c29d4b87305c.html
https://vcha.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CHCNRV-While-rural-clinics-close-one-New-River-Valley-health-center-is-growing-Roanoke-Times.pdf

Sen. Tim Kaine visited the Community Health Center of the New River Valley on Monday as the clinic prepares to expand at a time when rural health providers across Virginia

04/10/2026

Happy National Public Health Week from VCHA!

Public health helps communities and individuals live happier, safer lives. Federally qualified health centers are an essential part of that effort. We recognize the impact of every Virginia FQHC provider and staff member in making our Commonwealth a happier, healthier place 💚

04/07/2026

CommonHealth is now on Instagram!

Follow @ commonhealthpod for more quotes, clips, and content from VCHA's audio series, spotlighting stories from Virginians that help us better understand our Commonwealth and each other. After all, what we have in common is our health.

🎧 Episodes release every other week on your favorite listening platforms — and now, full episodes are available on YouTube!

Follow & subscribe to never miss an episode📲⤵️
📱Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commonhealthpod/
📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

04/03/2026

"We want our community to know this: SEVHS and HRCHC are here. We’re stable. We’re ready to serve. We’ve been part of Hampton Roads and Portsmouth for decades, and we’ll continue to be a reliable source of compassionate, high-quality care for generations to come."

Read yesterday's op-ed on the care their health centers provide to the Hampton Roads region from Hampton Roads Community Health Center's Michel Bilé and Southeastern Virginia Health System's Angela Futrell in the Virginian-Pilot here ⤵️

Following clinic’s closure, our doors remain open and our mission remains unchanged, local health care leaders Michel Bilé and Angela Futrell write.

04/01/2026

Our GPO is growing!

Through our Group Purchasing Organization, we are excited to announce a new strategic partnership with Medcurity, a healthcare-focused HIPAA compliance and cybersecurity firm, to support our member health centers with strengthening their compliance programs and reducing organizational risk. Welcome Medcurity to the VCHA GPO!

Read the full press release here⤵️
https://vcha.org/events/annual-sponsorship-program/

03/27/2026

This week’s guest on CommonHealth is especially close to host Tracy’s heart: her mother, Susan Douglas.

In the mid-sixties, Susan left the comfort and familiarity of her hometown to go to Alabama during a time of enormous racial tension to help Black residents register to vote. That decision would change her life. It’s where she met Tracy’s father, a man from Montgomery, doing the same courageous work. Her journey is a story about risk, conviction and following a moral compass, even when it points you to the hardest places.

Watch now on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts! ⤵️
https://youtu.be/6lI1D78W_G0

03/24/2026

A big thank you to our incredible sponsors for supporting our upcoming Charity Golf Outing! Your partnership is making meaningful impact on community health across Virginia and helping support the next generation of healthcare providers.

Interested in being part of the Outing? We still have a few sponsorship opportunities available! Invest in the future of healthcare and the strength of communities across the Commonwealth - sponsor today! ⤵️
https://events.golfstatus.com/event/vcha-third-annual-charity-golf-outing/packages?view=sponsor

03/16/2026

In the final episode of the limited audio series Maternal Matters, host Phillip Noel speaks to two leaders at a rural Virginia health center on how maternal healthcare fits into the larger health system.

CEO Marsha Mendenhall and Obstetrics Department Operations Manager Tammy Osborne of PATHS Piedmont Access To Health Services, Inc. dive deep on the realities of providing and sustaining an obstetrics department and quality patient care, giving listeners a look behind the curtain on how maternal healthcare comes to be. As rural hospital maternity ward closures persist, the work of health centers like PATHS have become essential in bridging care gaps and ensuring the safe deliveries of the next generation.

Watch now on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts! ⤵️
https://youtu.be/hPd1NeYl8Nk