Bill Text: VA SJR137 | 2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the Heart of Virginia Healthcare Cooperative.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-03-07 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ137ER) [SJR137 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-SJR137-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, heart disease represents the second leading cause of death in Virginia; it also causes serious illness, disability, and lower quality of life for many Virginians; and
WHEREAS, heart disease leads to substantial financial costs for Virginia families, businesses, communities, and public agencies; and
WHEREAS, primary care providers are on the front lines of delivering vital services to help Virginians prevent and manage heart disease; more than 60 percent of primary care in the Commonwealth is provided by small and medium sized practices; and
WHEREAS, these types of practices are facing increasing challenges in adapting to the complex healthcare needs of the Commonwealth; support and guidance have been difficult to obtain, resulting in gaps in care and physician burnout; and
WHEREAS, the Heart of Virginia Healthcare Cooperative was awarded a $10 million grant as one of seven grantees nationally in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's three-year EvidenceNOW initiative, which is dedicated to using the latest evidence to improve heart health in the primary care setting; and
WHEREAS, Heart of Virginia Healthcare is a physician-directed initiative led by faculty at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in partnership with Eastern Virginia Medical School, the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute; and
WHEREAS, Heart of Virginia Healthcare is also supported by the Virginia Center for Health Innovation, George Mason University, Community Health Solutions, Health Quality Innovators, and the National Academy for State Health Policy, with each providing program management, practice coaching, and evaluation expertise, as applicable; and
WHEREAS, more than 200 Virginia practices representing health systems, federally qualified health centers, clinically integrated networks, and private practices have joined the Heart of Virginia Healthcare Cooperative to improve the health of their patients; and
WHEREAS, Heart of Virginia Healthcare is the largest primary care initiative undertaken in Virginia, working with more than 1,000 clinicians who collectively have 50,000 patient visits every week; and
WHEREAS, the goal of Heart of Virginia Healthcare is to ensure that primary care practices have the evidence they need to help patients adopt the "ABCS" of cardiovascular disease prevention: Aspirin in high-risk individuals, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation; and
WHEREAS, primary care practices enrolled in Heart of Virginia Healthcare have utilized research and information from EvidenceNOW: Advancing Heart Health in Primary Care to help transform health care delivery by building critical infrastructure to help improve the heart health of their patients by applying the latest medical research and tools; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Heart of Virginia Healthcare Cooperative for its primary care practices' outstanding service and dedication to providing exceptional care to their patients and the citizens of the Commonwealth; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Heart of Virginia Healthcare Cooperative as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for its participants' dedication to providing evidence-based care for Virginians.
