Virginia Health Care Foundation Grant expands mental health services on the Eastern Shore

Eastern Shore Rural Health System to add a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

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The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) has awarded the Eastern Shore Rural Health System (ESRHS) $132,100 to underwrite the salary of a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Eastville Community Health Center. The new Psych NP will treat ESRHS patients both onsite at Eastville and at other ESRHS sites via tele-health appointments.

ESRHS, established in 1976, is a community health center system that has traditionally provided primary health services and dental care at five sites on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. ESRHS also operates two school-based dental clinics. With this grant, Eastville will be the first ESRHS location to offer integrated mental health services.

“The Virginia Health Care Foundation applauds this important addition of mental health services at Eastern Shore Rural Health System and is happy to help make it possible,” said Deborah Oswalt, VHCF’s Executive Director. “Addressing the shortage of mental health services in Virginia is one of VHCF’s priorities. This has become even more important with the stresses created by the COVID-19 pandemic. This grant will help residents of the Eastern Shore obtain the mental health services they need.”

The grant to ESRHS is one of 11 grants, totaling more than $1.2 million, recently awarded by VHCF to health safety net organizations throughout Virginia. These grants will increase access to medical, dental, and behavioral health care services for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Virginia Health Care Foundation is a non-profit public/private partnership with a mission to increase access to primary health care for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians. The Foundation was initiated by the General Assembly and its Joint Commission on Health Care in 1992. Since its inception, it has funded 437 community-based projects across the Commonwealth, and its programs and partnerships have touched the lives of more than 700,000 uninsured Virginians.

For more information about VHCF and its programs, visit http://www.vhcf.org or call (804) 828-5804.

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