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2013 SESSION

13104640D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 423
Offered February 15, 2013
Commending A New Lease on Life project partners.
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Patrons-- Favola, Barker, Ebbin, Howell and Saslaw; Delegates: Brink, Herring, Hope, Krupicka and Lopez
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WHEREAS, A New Lease on Life project partners—the Alexandria Community Services Board, the Arlington Community Services Board, and Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc.—were honored for their collaborative efforts to serve the health care needs of the uninsured and seriously mentally ill with a 2012 Virginia Health Care Foundation Unsung Hero Award in the Teamwork category; and

WHEREAS, A New Lease on Life, an innovative, collaborative effort among the Alexandria Community Services Board, the Arlington Community Services Board, and Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc., received generous grant funding from the Virginia Health Care Foundation; and

WHEREAS, the grant provided funding that allowed Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc., to hire a physician and nurse to provide primary care services onsite at community-based clinics in Arlington and Alexandria; and

WHEREAS, the Arlington and Alexandria Community Services Boards estimate that approximately 62 percent of their seriously mentally ill clients have untreated, chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic lung disease, that are often caused by the very medicines that control the symptoms of mental illness and can result in a life span shortened by as much as 25 years; and

WHEREAS, since its inception in 2010, A New Lease on Life has significantly improved the health of patients; for example, 64 percent of Alexandria Community Services Board patients with hypertension reached blood pressure reading goals after six months of care, while 53 percent of those with diabetes reached HGBA1c goals; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Michael Gilmore, Cindy Kemp, and Martha Wooten, the executive directors of the Alexandria Community Services Board, the Arlington Community Services Board, and Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc., respectively, have provided outstanding leadership to A New Lease on Life; and

WHEREAS, Drs. Giese and Morris and their staffs have given skilled, compassionate, and professional care to their patients, resulting in enhanced doctor-patient relationships and improved health care for a traditionally underserved population; and

WHEREAS, all of the personnel at the Alexandria Community Services Board, the Arlington Community Services Board, and Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc., have demonstrated great team work, compassion, and dedication as A New Lease on Life partners; and

WHEREAS, A New Lease on Life, which serves as a role model for other communities, has made a significant difference in the quality of life for its patients; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend A New Lease on Life project partners on their selection as the 2012 Virginia Health Care Foundation Unsung Hero Award in the Teamwork category; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to A New Lease on Life project partners as an expression of the General Assembly’s congratulations and admiration for the organizations’ commitment to serving those in need.