Every other week, VA-SORH publishes an e-newsletter sent directly to subscribers' email inboxes. These newsletters feature VA-SORH updates, information and resources for providers, upcoming meetings and webinars, and funding opportunities.

To access previously published editions of the e-newsletter or to subscribe, click here.

The Virginia State Office of Rural Health will be publishing a monthly series of rural health briefs. The intention of these

 briefs is to provide the reader a better understanding of the challenges rural and underserved communities have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each brief will address different health-related topics and provide opportunities for improvement on how to build a healthier rural Virginia during, and following the pandemic.

To access the monthly VA-SORH Rural Health Briefs, click here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CSTLTS) has awarded funding to 108 recipients of a two-year, non-research grant — CDC-RFA-OT21-2103: National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities.

The allocation of Virginia’s rural carveout amount is facilitated by the VA-SORH and is distributed equally to 18 Local Health Districts with an eligible rural footprint according to the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy’s FY21 definition of rural. The CDC Virginia Rural Response & Relief (CDC-VR3) Program, will address COVID-19-related health disparities and advance health equity by expanding state, local, US territorial and freely associated state health department capacity and services to prevent and control COVID-19 infection or transmission among populations at higher risk and that are underserved, including racial and ethnic minority groups and people living in rural communities.

For more information about the CDC-VR3 Program, click here.

For more information about Rural Health Partner Mobilization Mini-Grants, click here.

For 30 years, the VA-SORH has provided funding that bridges small, rural communities to state and federal resources with the goal of developing long-term solutions to address the root causes of rural health disparities. VA-SORH accomplishes this goal by awarding funds to grant sub-recipients or “grantees”. Each grantee utilizes the funding to implement innovative programming in rural communities across the Commonwealth.

• The application cycle for grant year 2024 will open on Tuesday, October 1o^th, 2023.
• Application submissions must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31^st, 2023

For more information and to apply, click here.

To access information from the 2023 VA-SORH Photo Contest, click here.

The Virginia State Office of Rural Health will be sharing a digital calendar page every month of 2024. Each page will feature a winning photograph from the 2023 VA-SORH Photo Contest.

Pro tip: Print out the calendar page or download it to use as your computer's desktop background!

For more information, click here.