The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE, VA (VR) – Local leaders, healthcare executives, and residents packed a May community gathering in Clifton Forge to confront one of the Alleghany Highlands’ most urgent concerns, access to healthcare close to home.
Hosted as the May 2026 Clifton Forge Community Gathering, the event focused on chronic disease, mental health, and substance use, as well as local hospital partnerships and physician recruitment.
Alleghany County Supervisor Miller Brantley opened the program, noting that the Board of Supervisors has set access to care as a priority for the year. He thanked community groups for helping organize what he described as part of “an ongoing conversation” about regional health.
A central presentation walked residents through findings from a recent Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) for Alleghany County, Covington, and nearby localities.
Dr. Sandra McHenry shared that the 110-page CHA documents high rates of chronic disease, mental health challenges, and substance use, with Covington’s drug overdose death rate outpacing Alleghany County and the state average.
From that analysis, partners identified two main priorities:
Chronic disease prevention and management
Mental health and substance use disorder.
For chronic disease, the CHIP sets three goals:
1. Fostering a culture of wellness and healthy living, described as changing “community habits” by modeling healthy behavior.
2. Expanding education programs and resources around nutrition, physical activity, and safe exercise.
3. Reducing barriers to care, including transportation and safe access to groceries and prescriptions.
A separate set of goals addresses mental health and substance use, focusing on:
Creating judgment-free access to services.
Expanding local resources, including a community services board mobile crisis unit and walk-in recovery support.
Strengthening prevention programs supported by a dedicated substance-use prevention team.
“It’s 2026 and people are still afraid to reach out because of the stigma,” the presenter said, arguing that reducing stigma is essential to getting people into care.
The presenter highlighted several initiatives already tied to the CHIP:
Clifton Connects, funded by the Virginia Walkability Action Institute, aims to make the busy walking route between Clifton neighborhoods and the CVS/Kroger corridor safer. Organizers said it supports both physical activity and access to essentials for residents who walk.
Community nutrition classes, backed by “flash funding,” include a two year curriculum that introduces young children to a new fruit or vegetable each month, with work underway to embed the program in local schools.
Mountain Toppers Healthy Aging, a partnership with the Alleghany Highlands Regional Library, YMCA and Connections Plus, brings up to 45 older adults together monthly for education, light exercise, and lunch, with recent topics such as brain health, added sugars, and simple at home balance exercises.
A bullying prevention program for fifth graders features a short play followed by a discussion with a counselor on how to respond to bullying. Organizers hope to repeat it for new fifth-grade classes in the fall.
A youth vaping and tobacco education campaign, funded by the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, uses YMCA programming and JRTC marketing
students’ graphics, with plans to expand into middle school.
The presenter urged more partners, ideas, and funding, adding that even $1,000 to $3,000 can seed high-impact projects, from meals at educational events to targeted youth outreach.
The gathering also featured a presentation from HCA LewisGale Hospital Alleghany leaders Nicole Tucker, chief executive and nursing officer, and Erin Via, assistant administrator and ethics and compliance officer.
They described the hospital’s role within HCA Healthcare, which operates 190 hospitals and 2,500 ambulatory sites in 20 states and the United Kingdom. Locally, they said, LewisGale Alleghany is among the region’s largest employers and a key economic anchor.
“Our mission, above all else, is the care and improvement of human life,” Vice said, highlighting the Your Cause program, which links employee volunteer hours to stipends that can be directed to local charities.
Tucker and Vice also noted recent recognition, including the 2025 Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year award and strong national safety and quality ratings.
To address workforce shortages, they pointed to:
HCA’s large physician training pipeline.
Partnerships with Mountain Gateway Community College and Galen College of Nursing.
A nurse extern program that allows second year nursing students to work and earn income at the hospital.
They also described the rollout of Expanse, a new electronic medical record system with AI-enabled documentation support, representing a multimillion-dollar investment in the local facility.
Tucker cited HCA’s record of disaster response, including mobilizing generators, drilling wells, and standing up temporary services after major hurricanes.
Panel tackles travel and recruitment
A panel discussion, moderated by Supervisor Courtney Howard, closed the evening. Panelists included Dr. Scott Just of UVA Physicians Group, Greg Madsen of Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital, Dr. Jane Russell of Bath Community Hospital, and Tasha Walsh of Connections Plus Healthcare and Hospice.
Panelists pointed to telemedicine, mobile clinics and community paramedicine as realistic strategies to bring more care into rural communities, reduce emergency department reliance and cut down on long-distance travel. Madsen and Just stressed the role of state and federal policy, particularly telehealth reimbursement, and highlighted local incentives, including the Alleghany Highlands physician recruitment grant, as tools to attract
and retain providers.
“We’re just a group that meets once a month,” one speaker said.
“So, we need the community to tell us what they need and help us build it together.”
