INTRODUCTION
Health workforce is a significant element in population health, in any health care system and is critical in improving and increasing health care accessibility. Approaches to improve and increase shortages are fundamental in attaining adequate health services for all patient types in all areas of Virginia. Allocation of resources to enhance health workforce should be an important focus to improve the health outcomes and ensure that all Virginians have health equity opportunities.
As part of its vision to achieve health equity for all Virginians, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH)’s Office of Health Equity (OHE) strives to increase the number of health care providers in Virginia’s at-risk communities by offering Health Workforce Incentive Programs to health care professionals willing to serve in Virginia’s high priority areas. These programs include the Mary Marshall RN/LPN Nursing Scholarship Program (MMNSP), the Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Midwife Scholarship Program, the Nurse Educator Scholarship Program, the Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program (J-1), the Federal National Interest Waiver (NIW), the Federal Virginia State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) and the Virginia Physicians Loan Repayment Program (VA-LRP).
The OHE Workforce Incentive Programs System (WIP) condenses information from multiple sources into one application in order to track and monitor applicants and recipients of the Health Workforce Incentive Programs throughout their service obligation, allowing the OHE to more easily identify factors that impact shortages in health care providers.
The primary purpose of the OHE WIP is to improve data management of the Health Workforce Incentive Programs and enhance the success of evaluating the placement of health care professionals in Virginia.
To keep participants informed, the OHE WIP produces letters and reminders as necessary of the status of participants’ applications and service completion, and users are able to report and track all elements of a contract including status, verification of employment, and obligation of service.
Please report any problems or misuse of this database to the OHE at (804) 864-7435.
PURPOSE OF INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
To improve and increase access to quality health care providers in Virginia’s Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). In the future, VDH, OHE, will work to diversify the healthcare workforce, and ensure standards for on-going learning on cultural humility and equity.
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