VCC Magazine Fall 2019

V irginia C apitol C onnections , F all 2019 25 The way people think about health care is evolving, as is the delivery of care. And while the need for timely medical treatment will always exist, there is increased focus on upstream interventions to address social factors that can negatively influence health outcomes. In recognition of this shift, the VHHA Foundation is engaged in several exciting partnerships focused on addressing root causes of community health challenges to help people achieve better health. One such project is the Virginia Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program. HVIP is funded with a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant allocation through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. The goal of HVIP is to improve public safety and health outcomes for victims of violence in high-crime communities. Seven Virginia hospital teams have been selected to help expand resources for victims of violence during hospitalization and post-discharge. The VHHA Foundation, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association’s (VHHA) charitable arm, is facilitating this hospital-based effort to enroll victims of violence in local HVIP programs to help prevent injuries from firearms, stabbings, and assault; to reduce incidents of reinjury, retaliation, and recidivism through support services offered to victims after discharge. The Foundation is grateful to receive funding to support the vitally important HVIP collaborative work, which is just one of several innovative programs now underway. Two other five-year grants awarded to the Foundation by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also helping support work to advance population health: the LivingWell grant supports public health investments and infrastructure to prevent and manage cardiovascular and diabetes disease outcomes, and the InnoVAte grant provides a framework for implementing novel approaches to preventing diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Virginia. A data analytics approach is being applied to this work to develop hotspot maps and predictive modeling tools to identify and anticipate chronic condition clusters. These same data are informing work in the “Partnering for a Healthy Virginia” population health joint initiative involving VDH and VHHA. It is focused on improved, coordinated efforts to screen for social factors that influence health and engage communities to address upstream factors. Although each is unique, these hospital-oriented programs have a similar goal—to provide Virginians with a fair and equitable opportunity to achieve optimal health—and we are proud to contribute to this important work. Tracey A. van Marcke is the Chief Executive Officer of the VHHA Foundation. VHHA Foundation Partnerships By Tracey A. van Marcke the only person who has touched legislation in all capacities,” said Ginny. Ginny has drafted bills, done amendments and substitutes, engrossed bills, and enrolled senate resolutions. After 28 Sessions, 2017 marked a year where change would come to Ginny’s life in both planned and unplanned ways. In April of that year Ginny’s husband Tim passed away from cancer. His passing at 53 years old gave her the desire to try something new, but also stay in familiar territory, and that is how she found herself back at DLS. One of Ginny’s friends, Iris Fuentes, a long time staff assistant at DLS noted the inspiration she took from watching Ginny over the past couple of years: “There is nothing like seeing her rebuild and heal herself.” Ginny’s homecoming to DLS occurred in December 2017, where she was welcomed by old friends and colleagues to fill the role of Director of the Reference Center. The Reference Center job spoke to her lifelong interest in historical research. It was also important that she already knew how to staff a committee. As Mark Vucci, Director of DLS, stated: “Ginny’s prior experience with DLS and the experience she gained with the Senate of Virginia made her uniquely qualified for this role. A specific trait Ginny is admired for is her attention to detail. This served her well in staffing the Rules committees of the General Assembly as the output of those committees generally require uniformity and exactness. Members of the Rules committees were assured that if Ginny worked on something, it was correctly completed.” After coming back to DLS following 12 years at the Senate, one of the big changes Ginny notes is the type of legislation that comes before the Rules committees. One significant difference she has observed is now there are a lot more conflicts of interest and ethics legislation being introduced and fewer study resolutions. When she started off at DLS in 1990, around 90 studies a session would pass out of Rules going to various commissions, the Executive Branch, and other entities including joint subcommittees. Members are now much less reliant on study resolutions to initiate a study, notes Ginny. Another change that Ginny has observed is the beneficial use of communications technology in the legislature. Technology has altered how staff interacts with members, and it has allowed members to be more accessible to constituents. “It is helpful in fortifying the citizen legislature. Technology has helped enable us to remain a part-time legislature,” said Ginny. Technology will also continue to impact the Reference Center— specifically the continued digitalization of the collection of books in the Center. The future of the Reference Center will be dependent on staff looking into what is already online and available for the general public and using that knowledge to enhance the current physical collection. “The Reference Center will have to stay adaptable,” said Ginny. After coming back to DLS for two years, Ginny plans to retire in fall, 2019. She has been a dedicated legislative employee for the past 30 years. Her future plans take her to eastern side of Washington State, a place that she and her husband loved, where there is a good chance you will find her cheering on “the Blues” of Whitman College in Walla Walla. And now for the first time in three decades this upcoming January, Ginny is looking forward to waking up on a frosty morning, with a foot of snow outside, and knowing that she won’t have to drive in to a committee meeting. Will Egen is an attorney and policy analyst for the Virginia Commission on Youth. Ginny Edwards from page 22 Ginny is the ultimate professional. Susan Clarke Schaar “ ” Editor’s Note: We thank Will Egen for this story about Ginny Edwards’ retirement. If you know a “Capitol Square personality” who is retiring, please let us know. We may have space for a regular series of “swan songs.” V V