News from Eastern Shore Rural Health

Diem Completes Safety Net Leadership Program

Heather Diem, case management coordinator at Eastern Shore Rural Health System, Inc., recently completed 

the Community Health Center University Leadership Program. This one-year program targets emerging leaders from community health centers, free health clinics, and other safety-net providers across Virginia. Safety net providers care for those with limited income and insurance. Rural Health is a Community Health Center.

The program addresses the demands for developing leaders in healthcare organizations to help support the growth of their organization’s operations, succession planning, and leadership development in participants. Diem’s capstone presentation focused on launching a mobile medical unit.

Albano Certified in Lifestyle Medicine

Nurse Practitioner Jyn Albano, who serves as the Eastville center clinical director, has been certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Lifestyle medicine focuses on helping people prevent and manage chronic conditions like diabetes by making healthy changes to their daily habits, such as what they eat, how active they are, and how they manage stress. Clinicians trained in lifestyle medicine help patients improve their health by focusing on everyday habits and helping them make healthier changes.

Rural Health Delegation Advocates for Community Health Center Priorities in D.C.

Rural Health leaders met with elected officials in Washington, D.C. recently to share Community Health Center priorities. Community Health Centers focus on providing affordable, high‑quality care, improving access to services, and addressing the health needs of the communities they serve, including caring for under- and uninsured individuals. Rural Health serves two out of every three people living on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

CHCs are urging lawmakers to prioritize stable funding, protect Medicaid and 340B savings, strengthen the health care workforce, and expand access to affordable care—especially in underserved communities. The 340B program permits CHCs to buy prescription drugs at lower prices and offer them at a discount to needy patients. 340B savings, the difference between the full price reimbursed by insurance and the cost paid by CHCs, are then plowed back into patient care, which is mandated by law. 340B savings played a key role in the construction of Eastville Community Health Center.

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Wayne Creed

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