Before an audience of more than 350 guests, including Governor Timothy Kaine, legislators, business, health care and community leaders, the Virginia Health Care Foundation presented awards to 11 Heroes in Health Care from throughout Virginia.  VHCF presents these awards annually to those who have made extraordinary efforts to help Virginia’s uninsured receive the care they need. 

Unsung Hero Physician Award:   Dr. Amy L. Price (Portsmouth)

Dr. Amy Price led the way in establishing the Maryview Foundation Healthcare Center, despite holding two jobs, and having two small children.  In addition to providing medical care to the center’s uninsured patients, she helped recruit and train the staff, organized fundraising events and promoted its services throughout the community.  Under her direction, the clinic has already provided more than $9 million worth of care via 12,000 patient visits

In addition to the awards, each of those receiving an Unsung Hero award was honored with a $2,000 contribution from the Virginia Association of Health Plans (VAHP) to the local health care project with which he or she is involved. This is the fifth consecutive year that VAHP has issued these checks, which serve both to honor the Unsung Hero and help improve efforts to increase access to primary care for uninsured Virginians facing barriers to care.

The Virginia Health Care Foundation is a non-profit public/private partnership dedicated to increasing access to primary care for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians by strengthening and growing Virginia’s health care safety net. Initiated by the General Assembly and the Joint Commission on Health Care in 1992, the Foundation is celebrating its 15th anniversary.  Since inception, it has funded more than 250 community based projects across the Commonwealth, and its programs and partnerships have touched the lives of more than 500,000 uninsured Virginians.