Recent years have brought a whirlwind of challenges and change to the availability of healthcare for all Virginians, particularly the uninsured and medically underserved. The expansion of Medicaid coverage and addition of adult dental benefits to Medicaid have had a very positive effect. The stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, were devastating for many, and resulted in overwhelming demand for mental health services, which continues today.

The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) has treated all of those changes as opportunities to fulfill its mission. Its high-caliber, creative team have developed a variety of innovative initiatives to help address service shortages and to maximize health coverage. VHCF’s Health Access (HA) Program Officer (PO) will be an instrumental part of this engaged, supportive, and nimble group.

The PO and HA colleagues will work together in supporting valuable community-based initiatives; exploring effective new opportunities; and elevating the delivery and number of needed medical, dental, and basic behavioral health services throughout the Commonwealth. Among other things, the PO will take a leadership role in helping nurture VHCF’s dental initiatives, including convening stakeholder roundtables, spearheading special initiatives, and supporting existing programs and resources.

The HA grantmaking team practices venture philanthropy, ensuring that VHCF invests in well-designed local initiatives that can demonstrate impact and long-term financial viability. The team manages a semi-annual grant cycle and periodic special initiatives. The PO collaborates with the Grant Operations Administrator and reports to the Chief Program and Impact Officer.

About Us

VHCF is a public/private partnership initiated by the General Assembly and its Joint Commission on Health Care. Its mission is to increase access to primary health care for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians. During its 31 years of service, VHCF’s nimble approach and results-oriented initiatives have enabled more than 800,000 Virginians to obtain needed health care.

VHCF values the role of diversity and inclusion in the success of fulfilling its mission. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain talented individuals from a diverse candidate pool. VHCF is committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and job applicants in compliance with both the letter and spirit of applicable law. Its work environment values employees for all they bring to the position.

Core Responsibilities

• Review and analyze all concept papers and submitted proposals for soundness of project design and ability to meet other key criteria.
• Develop funding recommendations and prepare written analysis of each proposal for the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
• Negotiate Letters of Agreement and monitor progress for grants and special projects.
• Provide technical assistance to grantees via orientation sessions for new grantees, site visits, and one-on-one consultation to ensure grantees meet stated goals.
• Prepare correspondence to applicants and grantees.
• Develop content rich quarterly newsletters to help inform and engage VHCF stakeholders.
• Engage regularly with grantees.

  Stakeholder and Community Relationships

• Maintain relationships with leaders in Virginia’s health and dental safety net practices, nonprofit behavioral health providers, and similar organizations with the goal of understanding existing and coming challenges and opportunities within the field.
• Look for opportunities to highlight and promote the work of VHCF’s grantees and other similar organizations and their positive impact on the individuals they serve and the communities in which they are located.
• Communicate information about grant initiatives to Foundation constituents, supporters, and the general public.
• Represent VHCF at selected events and activities.

  Program Planning and Collaboration

• Identify challenges to health access for the uninsured and medically underserved, and potential opportunities for special projects and new initiatives.
• Identify and engage with potential partners, opportunities for collaboration, and possible synergies with organizations, experts, stakeholders, and others working in related areas.

  Dental Initiatives

• Nurture VHCF’s dental initiatives to maximize their potential.
• Plan and lead semi-annual Tooth Talk roundtable meetings for professionals from Virginia’s health and dental safety net organizations and other stakeholders.
• Ensure the oral health related information on VHCF’s website is up-to-date, and rich in content.
• Lead the implementation of special dental initiatives, in collaboration with Executive and Deputy Directors.

• Strong and diverse experience in health service delivery, public health, health policy, health philanthropy, human services, and nonprofit operations.
• Strong analytic and communication skills, ability to write clearly and succinctly under time pressure and to make well-organized verbal presentations
• The ability (through analysis, interviews, informal research) to determine the feasibility and viability of submitted proposals;
• The ability to think creatively and strategically about the broad goals of the Foundation, while remaining focused on the detail-oriented work and follow-through required by the position.
• Strong organization and time management skills.

• Smart, high-energy, self-motivated, self-confident, intellectually curious, and fun
• Ability to work as a team member in a collegial workplace where well-thought out opinions and give and take are expected and encouraged
• Creative problem-solving skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence
• Mission-driven and proactive seeker of solutions – does not accept the status quo

• A sense of humor and a constructive outlook are a plus.