Hi, Cardinal readers. Welcome to The Pulse, a weekly roundup of health-focused news. Each Thursday, we’ll bring you updates on health policy, community surveys, new clinical studies, programs and services in Southwest and Southside Virginia.
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Nonprofit organizations made strides this month, aiming to make health care more affordable, accessible and comprehensive in Southwest Virginia.
Virginia Tech also earned a federal grant to expand research into mosquito-borne diseases.
Dental charity doubles gift to support expansion
The Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Charities announced earlier this month that it had successfully matched an initial $150,000 donation, securing $300,000 total for its expanding dental clinic.
The Secular Society, a philanthropic organization based in Blacksburg, made the original gift.
[Disclosure: The Secular Society is one of our donors, but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.]
The dental charity operates as the nonprofit arm of the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center in Abingdon, which serves uninsured and underinsured patients across Southwest Virginia.
Crews began construction on the expansion in September. The project will add seven operatories, bringing the total to 21 at the facility, and will add 1,903 square feet to the existing dental center.
“This was an incredible community-driven success, made possible by the generosity of The Secular Society,” Rachel Helton, executive director of Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Charities, said in the press release. “Seeing our community and donors rally so that every dollar could be doubled was deeply moving.”
Donors have met the original $1.3 million goal, Helton said by email Wednesday. However, as the project has gotten underway, two additional needs were identified: a parking lot expansion and a generator. Once these are funded the capital campaign will be complete.
About 70% of the center’s patients are covered by Medicaid, while 30% are uninsured. The clinic currently has approximately 3,100 patients on its waiting list.
Washington County, where the center is located, has a federal Health Professional Shortage Area score of 17 out of 26. Nearby Smyth and Lee counties score 25, indicating a significantly higher level of need. The designation ranks areas based on clinician shortages — the higher the score, the greater the priority for recruiting providers.
New nonprofit seeks to support organ transplant recipients and donors
A new nonprofit focused on supporting organ transplant recipients and donors is launching at Smith Mountain Lake.
Healing Words was founded by Tim Pearson and Dana Montgomery after Pearson received a lifesaving liver transplant in 2025. His experience with end-stage liver failure and transplant surgery highlighted the need for stronger emotional, educational and peer support throughout the transplant journey, according to a press release.
“Our community needs more than medical care,” Pearson said in the release. “We need connection, understanding, encouragement, and a place where real healing can flourish. Healing Words was created to nurture hope, honor donors, uplift every voice, and remind people that they are never alone in this process.”
Research published in the American Journal of Transplantation found that both patients and the broader community often lack awareness about the complexities of organ transplantation. The study suggests that sharing patient stories can improve understanding and help recipients cope with the long-term maintenance required after the surgery.
The nonprofit will host a launch event on March 7 at Hot Shots Bar and Grill Pavilion in Moneta. Organ transplant recipients, donors, caregivers and supporters will gather to raise awareness about transplant needs and highlight the life-saving impact of both living and deceased donors.
Virginia Tech receives grant to study a mosquito-borne virus
Virginia Tech has received a $191,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to study Mayaro virus, a mosquito-borne illness, according to a press release from U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem.
Griffith chairs the House Subcommittee on Health.
Mayaro virus has circulated in parts of South and Central America and the Caribbean. No locally acquired cases have been identified in the United States, though infections have been identified in travels returning from affected regions.
There is currently no vaccine or medication for Mayaro, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Virginia Tech houses a research program dedicated to vector biology and vector-borne, which are human illnesses caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria transmitted by living organisms.
To mitigate impacts of vector-borne diseases, researchers must understand the biology, behavior and ecology of both the insect vectors and the pathogens they carry, according to the Virginia Tech website.
In 2022, researchers in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences identified unique cellular interactions in five mosquito species. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, could help scientists develop strategies to block mosquitoes from transmitting malaria and other diseases in the future.