FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions: 

  1. What is the Healthy Appalachia Institute?

  2. Who established and leads the Institute?

  3. What is the focus of the Institute?

  4. What is the Institute doing to advance the field of telemedicine?

  5. Does the Institute accept proposals or make grants?

  6. Where is the Institute located?

  7. How do I find out about employment opportunities at the Institute?

  8. How is the Healthy Appalachia Institute affiliated with the Southwest Virginia Health Authority?

  9. What are the hours of operation?

  10. How can I get more information concerning health conditions in the Appalachian region?

  11. How can I get more information concerning the Healthy Appalachia Institute?

  12. Are there any other health institutes similar to the Healthy Appalachia Institute in the United States?

 

 

1) The HAI is a think tank, community data resource and an integrated array of programs and projects set within The University of Virginia’s College at Wise and integrated into the College’s mission, curriculum, departments and programs. The HAI does, by design, exist within the context of a larger community including the business, education, governmental and healthcare sectors.  The Healthy Appalachia Institute is a unit at The University of Virginia's College at Wise and reports to the Chancellor of the College.  HAI is led by co-directors from UVA Wise and UVA

 

 

2) The Healthy Appalachia Institute grew from a regional response to the overwhelming geographic health disparities.  The University of Virginia's College at Wise and the University of Virginia, along with the Southwest Virginia Health Authority, the Graduate Medical Education Consortium and the local health districts, spurred it forward.  The UVA Wise College at Wise Board named the institute in October 2008.  See Mission & History.

 

 

 3) The focus of the Healthy Appalachia Institute includes listening to the needs of citizens; ensuring a continuous assessment of the region's health status; supporting ongoing strategic health partnerships and planning; designing and implementing innovative models of health education, workforce development and health care delivery; promoting service learning for undergraduate and graduate students; advancing community-based participatory research opportunities; providing evaluation expertise for health improvement projects; developing resources to support the work of HAI and its partners; exploring the history of health in the mountains of Appalachia;fostering intellectual, artistic and emotional expressions of understanding at the interface of Appalachian culture and health; and servings as an incubator for new ideas to ensure an improved quality of life for all residents.

 

 

4) The Healthy Appalachia Institute works closely with the U.Va. Office of Telemedicine to expand the telemedicine services in the region. For example, Healthy Appalachia Works, an initiative of the U.Va. Cancer Center supported by the Virginia Tobacco Commission, is championing cervical cancer screenings in far Southwest Virginia.  Dr. Peyton Taylor, a professor of gynecologic oncology at U.Va. and Dr. Sue Cantrell, the Lenowisco Health District Director and HAI Medical Director, are piloting a successful video-colposcopy program connecting the Wise County Health Department to U.Va.  This established telemedicine link provides women in far Southwest Virginia with the opportunity to receive a nurse practitioner-guided video-colposcopy in Wise while Dr. Taylor mentors in Charlottesville.  Dr. Taylor has seen over 100 women and has facilitated colposcopy training for five nurse practitioner in our region.

 

 

5) Currently, the Healthy Appalachia Institute is not accepting proposals or making grants.

 

 

6) The Healthy Appalachia Institute is located on the campus of UVA Wise in the Winston Ely Health & Wellness Center. Please view HAI's Leadership page for contact information.  View travel directions and a campus map.

 

 

7) Employment opportunities, when available, will be posted on the UVA Wise Human Resources page and Jobs@UVA.

 

 

8) The Southwest Virginia Health Authority has designated HAI as its strategic partner.

 

 

9) The Healthy Appalachia Institute operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and adheres to UVA Wise's operational calendar, including closings for inclement weather.

 

 

10) See the Our Health tab on this website or Request More Information.

 

 

11) Complete our Request More Information form.

 

 

12) The Healthy Appalachia Institute is proud to be a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes, a coalition of public health institutes from throughout the nation.  In Virginia, one other public health institute serves Northern Virginia and the Washington, DC area, the Institute for Public Health Innovation.