Blogs

Shining a Light on Youssef Abdelkader

By Mike Beasley posted 01-24-2025
At BRP, we celebrate the incredible journeys of our community members as they navigate their academic and professional paths. Today, we are excited to spotlight Youssef Abdelkader, a passionate and driven student with a clear vision for his future in healthcare. Choosing a Purposeful Career Path For Youssef, the decision to pursue a medical career stemmed from a desire to make a positive and lasting impact. During his junior year of high school, he decided he wanted to dedicate his life to doing good, and a career as a physician stood out as the perfect avenue to achieve this goal. Emergency Medicine piques his interest due to the dynamic and unpredictable ...

George Mason University's Center for Health Workforce Receives $921,000 HRSA Grant

By Maria Abramova posted 04-23-2024
Exciting news for the George Mason University community! The Center for Health Workforce has been awarded a substantial grant of $921,000 from the Health Services Research Administration (HRSA). This grant, received as part of a federal initiative to address healthcare workforce shortages, underscores Mason's commitment to tackling critical issues in the healthcare sector. The funding will serve as a catalyst for regional health workforce planning and development, aiming to understand and address challenges related to the supply, demand, distribution, and deployment of healthcare workers in Virginia. With a collaborative approach involving various stakeholders ...

Exploring Healthcare Education? Here Are Resources for Financial Aid

By Ali Le posted 01-11-2024
Healthcare careers are in high demand, and getting the right education is the first step towards joining this vital industry. For prospective students with financial constraints, there are numerous resources available to help you fund your education. We've compiled a list of some valuable resources from various educational institutions that offer healthcare programs and their financial aid links to assist you in your educational pursuit. Centra Health A hub for healthcare education, Centra Health provides a wealth of information for students seeking financial aid. Their dedicated page offers guidance on how to navigate the ...

Explore Healthcare Jobs Across Virginia

By Ali Le posted 01-11-2024
Search and apply for jobs in hospitals and healthcare across Virginia with one click on this helpful site hosted by the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. Are you still figuring out where to start? Learn more about Virginia’s hospitals and regions here. https://jobs.onboardvirginia.com/results https://onboardvirginia.com/why-virginia/ https://www.vhwda.org/healthcare-careers The Virginia Health Careers Catalog is a tool designed to spark the interest of students, young professionals and others who may have an interest in health care careers. The catalog provides background information, school preparation, average salary, among ...

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 ...