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.
Got a tip or story idea? Email me at emily@cardinalnews.org.
Free dental clinic coming to Wytheville
A free dental clinic will come to Wytheville this month, offering preventative, restorative and surgical dental care to people living in Southwest Virginia.
The clinic marks the first major Missions of Mercy, or MOM, event of 2026 and the 30th anniversary of the Virginia Dental Association Foundation, which coordinates and funds the charitable outreach program.
The foundation partnered with Bland Ministry Center, a nonprofit Christian social ministry serving Wythe and Bland counties, to organize the clinic.
Over the past 27 years, MOM has brought pop-up dental clinics to underserved areas of Virginia that lack enough dental providers to meet the oral health needs of the community, according to a press release from the dental association.
Through the program, 74,000 patients have received care, adding up to $52 million in free dental services. This year, about 300 dentists, dental clinicians and volunteers from the dental association, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry and community partners will participate, according to the foundation.
Although Virginia’s 2019 Medicaid expansion increased dental coverage, many communities still face shortages of Medicaid providers and pediatric dentists. Others fall into the Medicaid coverage gap, earning too much to qualify for public insurance but lacking the income or coverage needed to afford dental care. Virginia has about 100 low-cost dental clinics, but many struggle with lengthy waitlists.
The clinic will operate June 26-27 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Wytheville Meeting Center at 333 Community Blvd.
Care will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Patients can preregister June 17 at Big Walker Clinic or call 276-228-4711 to schedule an advance preregistration appointment. Organizers will also offer optional on-site preregistration beginning at noon June 25 at the Wytheville Meeting Center.
The meeting center does not allow overnight parking. Organizers recommend attendees wear comfortable clothing and bring food and drinks for the day.
“MOM projects seek not only to alleviate the current pain and hardship caused by oral health issues, but to serve as a catalyst to create the infrastructure for local and lasting dental care,” according to the release. “Virginia communities that have utilized MOM projects to build momentum and eventually launch permanent community dental clinics include Martinsville, Orange, Gloucester, and Wise.”
Ballad Health expands orthopedic network
Ballad Health announced a partnership last week that connects patients in far Southwest Virginia and Tennessee with more than 60 orthopedic physicians and clinicians, according to a press release from the health system.
Ballad partnered with Campbell Clinic, an orthopedic care provider, to create the Appalachian Highlands Orthopedic Network. According to Ballad Health, the network will expand access to orthopedic subspecialties and advanced surgical expertise closer to patients’ homes.
A 2025 study published in the National Library of Medicine projects the supply of orthopedic surgeons will decline by 510 full-time equivalent positions, or 2%, by 2036, while demand will increase by 3,140 positions, or 10%.
“We have a responsibility to ensure families across the Appalachian Highlands have access to the highest quality care, delivered by experienced specialists they can trust,” Eric Deaton, chief operating officer of Ballad Health, said in the press release. “This network expands access to nationally recognized orthopedic expertise while strengthening our ability to recruit and retain top physicians who want to practice in a collaborative, high-performing environment.”
Campbell Clinic is headquartered in Tennessee and operates 30 locations across Tennessee, Mississippi and Virginia.
Appalachian College of Pharmacy names rural health leader
The Appalachian College of Pharmacy named Dr. Jennifer Hammons director of the Rural Health Advancement last week, according to a press release from the college.
Hammons earned both her Doctor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Public Health degrees from the college.
The Rural Health Advancement program prepares future healthcare professionals for rural practice and integrates community and rural health concepts into the curriculum, according to the ACP website.
Susan Mayhew, provost and dean at ACP, noted that Hammons was the first student to graduate from the school’s public health program.
“In her new role at ACP, she will not only be teaching our students, but she will also be overseeing rural health access programming and advocating for pharmacists’ roles in underserved communities like ours,” Mayhew said.
Hammons will teach pharmacy practice and public health while overseeing pharmacist-led interventions connecting clinical care, prevention and rural health access. She will advocate for pharmacist provider status and the expansion of pharmacists’ roles in underserved communities, according to the press release.
