The "Virginia Commissioner's Healthcare Workforce Individual Award for Distinguished Service"acknowledges persons that are actively involved in successful initiatives addressing healthcare workforce shortages. Our first group of award recipients have played an important role in the design and implementation and success of programs that have enhanced Virginians access to healthcare. Dr. Stroube, former Virginia State Health Commissioner, presented each recipient with a plaque.
Mr. Lawson received three nominations citing his leadership in several organizations including the Southwest Virginia Graduate Medical Education Consortium, which creates and supports medical residency preceptor sites in rural and underserved communities in Southwest Virginia. As a result of Mr. Lawson’s efforts at GMEC, nearly a quarter of its graduating residents chose to practice in Southwest Virginia. Also, under his leadership, Stone Mountain Health Services grew from two to 11 clinics that provide medical and dental care annually to 18,000 patients who live in medically underserved areas.
Mayor Frank’s nomination cited his 2005 creation of the Mayor’s Physicians Task Force’s Virginia Peninsula Physicians Initiative to recruit medical specialists and other healthcare providers. Recognizing the importance of this successful initiative, the Mayor recommended a transition plan to permanently house the Physicians Task Force at the Peninsula Council for Workforce Development.
Dr. Laurencin’s nomination cited his work as mentor to a number of students in the Fellowship Program in Academic Medicine for Minority Students. The program is dedicated to improving the health of low-income and minority populations by increasing the number of minority physicians, and training minority medical students to address the special needs of their communities. Dr. Laurencin has worked to assure the diversity of Virginian's healthcare workforce and has provided many students opportunities that would have been unavailable to them otherwise.
The "Virginia Commissioner's Healthcare Workforce Organization Award for Outstanding Contribution" recognizes organization's innovation and excellent performance in their efforts designed to enhance Virginia's health care workforce shortage.
Bon Secours was cited for its efforts in cultivating a dedicated, trained workforce who feel that they are valued for their contributions to patient care. Bon Secours has adopted numerous employee retention benefits and incentives, including starting salaries higher than the minimum wage, discounts for uniforms, tuition prepayment and childcare subsidies for some employees. Bonnie Shelor, Human Resources Medical Staff Director, accepted the award on behalf of Bon Secours Richmond Health System.
The Blackstone residency program was the first of its kind in the state. Although it closed in 2004, because it lacked proximity to a hospital, it became a model. Similar residency programs in Virginia continue to put the principles and practices of the Blackstone program to work in their settings. Most of the program's 107 graduates practice in underserved communities. Dr. Steve Spence accepted the award on behalf of the VCU Blackstone Family Medicine Residency program.