State Office of Rural Health

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) serves as Virginia’s State Office of Rural Health (VA-SORH). Federally funded since 1991, the purpose of this Office is to strengthen rural health care delivery systems by maintaining a focal point for rural health. The federal SORH program provides funding for an institutional framework that links small rural communities with state and federal resources to help develop long term solutions to rural health problems. Virginia is a recipient of the federal SORH funding program.

The mission for VA-SORH is to address health inequities and its root causes in rural areas. The Office is dedicated to:

• Fostering collaboration and leveraging resources across and within various levels of government, communities, and non-profit organizations;
• Collecting and disseminating information to stakeholders;
• Providing technical assistance;
• Assisting the coordination of rural health interests state-wide through assessment and planning efforts; and
• Supporting efforts to improve recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural areas

Virginia accomplishes its mission through several rural health programs:

• Critical Access Hospitals (CAH)
• Small Rural Hospital Improvement (SHIP) Program
• Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (FLEX) Program
• Virginia's State Rural Health Plan

In addition to these programs, VA-SORH is also involved in:

• Healthcare Workforce Incentive Programs
• Capital Funding
• Telehealth
• Rural EMS
• Spatial Analysis and High Priority Target Areas
• Racial and Ethnic Minorities Including Immigrants, Migrants and Refugees
• Statewide Rural Health Clearinghouse
• Statewide Policy Agent