WATCH: VDA Members Share Testimony with House Select Committee on Advancing Rural and Small Town Health Care
The Chair of the VDA Council on Government Affairs Dr. Roger Palmer and Dr. Laura Settles, who serves on the VDA New Dentist Committee testified before the Virginia House Select Committee on Advancing Rural and Small Town Health Care on Monday, July 15, 2024. The committee was formed by House Speaker Don Scott to study challenges faced by rural counties and small towns in accessing quality health care, including workforce issues, staffing shortages, lack of broadband access, and travel/transportation issues.
Dr. Palmer, who practices in Emporia, and Dr. Settles, who practices in Wytheville, shared testimony around issues including workforce challenges, CODA requirements, patient transportation, Medicaid, student debt, and referring patients in rural areas to specialists. WATCH:
Jernice Giles, DDS, MBA, District Dental Director – Virginia Benevis also submitted written testimony to the House Select Committee. The next meeting of the committee is expected to take place in September on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
More information about the committee can be found here.
