Blogs

Welcome to the VCI Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP)!

By Anne Blackstone posted 08-01-2023
In this virtual community, you will be joined by peers to share information and advice, problem solve, and give and receive support. The main community is the VCI VCoP. Everyone who registers is a member of the main community. When you post a discussion or a resource, it goes to everyone in the VCI community. You also have the option of joining one of our four sub-communities: For Parents For Schools For Community Healthcare Clinics For Community Sports & Recreation Leagues You can connect with peers facing similar challenges, share experiences and successes, and build relationships in these sub-communities. In all of the VCI communities, ...

Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion

By Anne Blackstone posted 08-01-2023
Know the Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion Your child just experienced a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, and the first thought that crosses your mind is if he or she may have a concussion. A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that affects how the brain functions. If you know the signs and symptoms of a concussion, you can more easily detect it and quickly begin the recovery process . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , signs and symptoms of a concussion include: Signs Symptoms ...

Concussion Policy Team or Concussion Management Team - What's the Difference?

By Anne Blackstone posted 07-31-2023
By ensuring your policies are current and that you have the right people in place, schools can help reduce student concussion risk and support timely recovery . What is a Concuss ion Policy Team (CPT)? A CPT is a multidisciplinary, school division or district level team created to evaluate the school division’s current concussion policies, regularly review and refine division concussion policies, and guide the implementation of concussion policies for its division. Team members should consist of a wide variety of stakeholders, which may include a school administrator, an educator, a counselor, a psychologist, ...

Are there concussion resources to support neurodiverse individuals?

By Anne Blackstone posted 07-31-2023
A c oncussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that results in a change of how the brain works following a bump, jolt, or hit to the head or body. We now know that the best concussion management begins with quick identification of an injury and individualized support. These supports must continually change to make sure we are doing all that we can to assist recovery while making sure we are not doing the things that can slow down recovery for the injured person. Many credible organizations have developed tools and resources for home, school, work, and sport leagues. These resources track concussion symptoms, provide recovery and management ...

How Do I Support Recovery From a Concussion?

By Anne Blackstone posted 07-24-2023
Most children recover from concussion within two to four weeks . If symptoms are not gradually improving and the c hild is n ot trending toward returning to his or her normal activities by two weeks, referral to a concussion specialist is recommended. How do I monitor and support recovery? After an initial day or two of rest, support the ch ild’s recovery by gradually introducing low - level cognitive and non-contact physical activities. Notify the concussion management team at the child’s school to begin coordinating return-to-school activities. Use the checklist below to coordinate ...

How do I know if it's a concussion?

By Anne Blackstone posted 07-19-2023
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or the body that causes the brain to move rapidly in the skull . The sudden movement of the brain in the skull stretches and damages the brain cells, creating chemical changes in the brain. To learn more about what a concussion is, watch this video. But how can you really know that you have a concussion after an injury? According to the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, below are some things to look for following the injury: One or more clinical signs ...

Blue Ridge Partnership Ambassador Program

By Maria Abramova posted 07-14-2023

Roanoke College partners with Carilion Clinic to advance education, workforce development

By Maria Abramova posted 07-14-2023
SALEM, Va. – In a press release Monday, Roanoke College announced its partnership with Carilion Clinic to provide healthcare across the Roanoke Valley, as well as prepare students for future careers. Jeanne Armentrout, Carilion Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, talked about how partnerships can make a huge impact, both in communities and in education. “In many ways, our region’s success has been built on a foundation of partnerships between health care and higher education,” said Armentrout. “Carilion has benefited from hiring many talented Roanoke College graduates in the past. Their skills and abilities, combined with a ...

Students at one Roanoke County school took it upon themselves to organize a club to explore health care careers

By Maria Abramova posted 07-14-2023
The Medical Explorers Club at Hidden Valley High School is devoted to introducing students to career options in a region where demand for healthcare professionals is only growing. by Betsy Biesenbach March 23, 2023 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) The LifeGuard 10 crew with the students in the Medical Explorers Club at Hidden Valley High School. Photo by Shae Torrence. Want more health care news? There’s ...

Partnership supports future employees of healthcare industry

By Maria Abramova posted 07-14-2023
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - In Southwest Virginia, the health care industry is on the hunt for future employees. It’s a growing market that employs more than 41,000 people in the Roanoke Region and by 2029 the local experts expect 7 percent more jobs to come to the area. So to talk about the opportunities and how companies are inspiring the next round of researchers and healthcare providers, Here @ Home spoke with area leaders including Cynthia Lawrence with the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers , Jason Suhr with Roanoke County Public Schools and Dr. William Hazel Jr. with the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation. During ...

Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Sciences Careers helps Virginia Western students make connections

By Maria Abramova posted 07-14-2023
A student panel addresses attendees of the Health Sciences Career Advisory Conference hosted by the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Sciences Careers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institue at VTC on Oct. 20, 2022. Photo courtesy of Clayton Metz, Virginia Tech Students usually are the ones seated in classrooms, listening to a speaker, but two Virginia Western students experienced a role reversal this fall. Hannah Young and Joshua Long served as panelists at a conference hosted by the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Sciences Careers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in Roanoke on Oct. 20, 2022. The partnership is a collaboration of educators, ...

Eagle Rock Science Festival full of interactive family activities

By Maria Abramova posted 07-14-2023
EAGLE ROCK, Va. (WDBJ) - The Eagle Rock Science Festival is a free community event designed to be a day full of interactive activities for families to experience science up close – from health careers to agriculture to exploring nature. Dr. Beth Leffel with the Eagle Rock Ruritan Club visited 7@four with information about the festival. The fest will be May 13 from 11am-4pm, rain or shine, at the Blue Ridge Vineyard in Eagle Rock, VA. There will be a science fair under the main event tent with children from elementary and high schools presenting poster displays of experimental research. More than 20 organizations and small businesses will surround ...

Virginia Tech Carilion: Small yet Mighty

By Maria Abramova posted 07-06-2023
VTCSOM is state’s most competitive medical school – Way back when, Roanoke was a train city — the headquarters for Norfolk and Western Railway and a late-1800s hub for the Shenandoah Valley Railroad. The scenic mountain community, however, has grown into a bustling region with a variety of successful industries, including one standout: health care. With the formation of Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM), the product of a public-private partnership between the university and the nonprofit Carilion Clinic health system, Roanoke has become a hotspot for medical talent, research and development. What was once just a brownfield a little south ...

Austin, Hazel and Lawrence: A strategic approach to health sciences education and career development in Virginia

By Maria Abramova posted 07-06-2023
An examination of the current health sciences curriculum in the Roanoke and New River Valleys revealed that our respective school systems are teaching in silos. If a health sciences student transfers from one school system to another, he or she would likely have to start from square one, regardless of knowledge and experience already acquired. That determination was the genesis of a regional initiative to standardize and raise the rigor of health sciences education to support the talent needs of our growing health sciences ecosystem. Far too often, we hear of graduates who are not properly qualified for current and future job opportunities. The health care ...

New Health Care Workforce Website Promotes Clinical Careers in Virginia, Seeks to Attract Professionals to Work and Live Here

By Maria Abramova posted 07-06-2023
On Board Virginia Website is a One-Stop Portal for Information About Health Care Career Opportunities in Virginia that Features an Interactive Job Board for Finding Hospital Jobs, Information about Virginia Hospitals and Communities, and Health Care Educational Programs and Incentives RICHMOND, VA – In support of strengthening Virginia’s health care delivery system for patients and communities, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) has launched the On Board Virginia website to attract clinical professionals to pursue their career in the Commonwealth. The On Board Virginia site features information about health care career paths ...

Board of Education Approves 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning

By Diamond Andress posted 05-22-2023
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has launched a new program called the "CTE Classroom Readiness Pilot" to help career technical education (CTE) instructors succeed in the classroom. The program is designed to train and support CTE teachers new to the profession or transitioning into a new subject area. The program aims to improve teacher retention rates and increase student achievement in CTE fields. The CTE Classroom Readiness Pilot program will be offered to selected CTE teachers across the state, focusing on teachers new to the profession or transitioning into a new subject area. The program will provide teachers with targeted training and support ...

Virginia to ease teacher licensure requirements amidst shortage of school staff

By Diamond Andress posted 05-15-2023
Virginia is facing a severe shortage of teachers, particularly in career technical education (CTE). In response, the Virginia Department of Education has taken steps to lower the barriers to teacher licensure, making it easier for aspiring CTE teachers to enter the profession. This move is expected to have benefits and drawbacks for the state's education system. One of the main benefits of lowering the barriers to licensure is that it will make it easier for schools to fill open positions with qualified teachers. With fewer obstacles to becoming a licensed CTE teacher, more individuals may be willing to pursue careers in education. This could help alleviate ...

Virginia relying more heavily on provisional licenses to fill teacher shortages

By Diamond Andress posted 05-08-2023
As career technical education (CTE) teachers, we are all aware of the challenges we face in our profession. One of our most significant challenges is the shortage of qualified teachers in our field. Virginia is currently grappling with this issue, and the solution they have come up with is to rely more heavily on provisional licenses to fill teacher shortages in public schools. While provisional licenses may be a quick fix to the problem, they also raise concerns about the quality of education our students receive. As CTE teachers, we are responsible for ensuring that our students receive a quality education, and we need to be part of the conversation about ...

CEE Webinar of STEM in Healthcare

By Diamond Andress posted 05-03-2023
The Council for Economic Education (CEE) is hosting a webinar titled "STEM in Healthcare" to highlight the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in the healthcare industry. This webinar allows educators, students, and industry professionals to come together and explore the intersection of STEM and healthcare. The webinar will feature several speakers from the healthcare industry, including medical professionals, researchers, and educators. They will share their experiences and insights on how STEM education is vital to the success of the healthcare industry. Participants can engage with the speakers and ask questions during ...

Hospital loses claim for Medicare reimbursement

By Nikhil Gudupalli posted 03-02-2023
Where the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, denied a hospital’s request for Medicare reimbursement because it failed to submit information in a form that could be audited, that decision was affirmed. Relevant HHS regulations require the data to be “capable of verification by qualified auditors” and “capable of being audited.” Background The Medicare program provides federally funded health insurance for the elderly and people with disabilities. Under the program, healthcare providers enter written agreements with the HHS Secretary to supply services to Medicare beneficiaries. Lancaster Hospital Corporation operates an inpatient rehabilitation ...