Although the lack of health insurance is a significant barrier to care, another critical problem affects both Virginia communities and Virginians -- the significant and growing shortage of health care professionals.

Nearly half of Virginia communities, inner city areas as well as rural localities, suffer from a shortage of providers.  Virginians in these areas who need health care, dental care or mental health services are given a difficult choice:  travel a great distance to receive care or go without treatment.

Virginia's Underserved Areas:

How prevalent are these shortages?  The Virginia Department of Health list of Designated Shortage and Underserved Areas in Virginia and maps of Virginia's health professional shortage areas and medically underserved areas tell the story (PDF):

A VHCF priority:

Because improving access to care is a primary goal of the Virginia Health Care Foundation, VHCF is addressing the issue in a number of ways:

	VHCF grants help increase health care availability for people living in medically underserved areas.
	Virginia Health Careers, available both in print and online, is a comprehensive guide to educate and inspire students to pursue health careers and to serve in underserved communities; and
	VHCF's Healthy Communities Loan Fund helps primary care providers in underserved areas start, expand or modernize their practices. To date, VHCF's Healthy Communities Loan Fund, in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and BB&T, has extended $9 million in low interest loans to bring more than 70 new providers to medically underserved Virginia communities.
	VHCF Medication Access programs and projects are helping residents statewide obtain the prescription medications they need.
	VHCF's Children's Health Initiatives are making it possible for more eligible, uninsured Virginia children statewide to enroll in the state-sponsored children's health insurance program.
	VHCF's Dental Access initiatives are helping more Virginians receive the dental care they need but otherwise couldn't access.

The Virginia Health Care Foundation and its many partners are dedicated to making access to health care available to all Virginians -- no matter where they live.