Welcome to The Pulse, a weekly roundup of health-focused news. Each Thursday, we bring you updates on health policy, community surveys, new clinical studies, programs and services in Southwest and Southside Virginia.
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New primary care practice set to open in Martinsville
As physicians in rural areas retire and primary care access shrinks, Martinsville Urgent Care is stepping in to fill the gap. The clinic will expand into primary care next month, aiming to serve patients who have been left without a regular provider in the region.
Amber Patterson, a nurse practitioner, took over ownership of the urgent care facility in 2020. She was born and raised in Martinsville and said she sees an opportunity to give back to her community.
“I’ve owned it for six years and in those six years, I’ve seen the need in the community,” Patterson said.
That need is growing as local physicians retire. Many providers have practiced in the area for decades, and when they leave, they often leave behind patient populations with few options for continued care, she said.
Rural communities experience more acute provider shortages than urban areas. Martinsville ranks 71st in the state out of 133 localities for primary care access and utilization, according to data from the Virginia Center for Health Innovation.
“The problem is, if you don’t have a primary care doctor you don’t get routine, preventative care, problems tend to worsen,” Patterson said. “Then you end up in urgent care where we’re trying to backtrack and get things under control when it should really be managed routinely.”
Some patients travel an hour to Roanoke or to nearby North Carolina cities like Greensboro and Winston-Salem for care. Others lack reliable transportation, making regular visits difficult.
To expand services, the clinic renovated its lower level, which will house the new primary care practice. The medical director for the urgent care clinic will provide services for the primary care practice. Patterson is also working to hire nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Both clinician types are able to practice autonomously in Virginia.
All private insurance plans will be accepted for primary care services, but the number of Medicaid patients will be capped, Patterson said. Medicaid recipients will make up about 25% of the patient population, Patterson said.
Martinsville has one of the highest concentrations of Medicaid patients in the state, with about 29% of the population relying on the public health insurance, according to data from the Commonwealth Fund.
Patterson said the cap on Medicaid patients in the practice is due to cost restrictions, as reimbursement for these services is typically much lower than the cost of delivering care.
State launches Perinatal Health Hubs Pilot Program
The Virginia Department of Health has awarded grants for a pilot program to expand coordinated care as part of a broader effort to reduce infant mortality and improve maternal health outcomes.
Johnston Memorial Hospital and Rockbridge Area Health Center will receive funding, along with Strength in Peers in Harrisonburg and Child Development Resources in Williamsburg.
The Perinatal Health Hubs Pilot Program aims to improve access to doulas, community health workers, peer support specialists and other perinatal specialists.
These hubs are designed to create a more coordinated network of care, according to the health department.
Lawmakers approved $2.5 million for the program during the 2025 General Assembly session. The state received more than 40 applications, which a review committee evaluated based on organizational capacity, community engagement, project quality, data planning and long-term sustainability.
Each hub will customize its services to specific local needs, including an implementation plan, with contracts running through June 2027, according to the release.
Virginia Tech receives nearly $3 million in grants
Virginia Tech was awarded nearly $3 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to a press release from Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem.
The funding will support a range of research efforts, including cardiovascular disease, cancer treatment, biomedical research and training, drug use and addiction programs, and child health and human development.
The grant awards include:
- $927,818 for cardiovascular diseases research
- $360,632 for cancer treatment research
- $390,069 for biomedical research and research training
- $681,235 for drug use and addiction research programs
- $618,848 for child health and human development extramural research
