May Is Mental Health Month

Mental Health America and their affiliates across the country observe May as Mental Health Month and this year's theme is "Back to Basics." After the last two years many people are realizing that stress and uncertainty have taken a toll on their well-being. Are you feeling like something is not quite right and looking for a place to start to address your mental health? Try online screening - it is free, anonymous and always confidential. Online screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. And recovery is possible.

VHF Annual Meeting - RSVP By Friday, June 10th!

Join VHF at the Virginia Crossings Hotel & Conference Center in Glen Allen on Saturday, June 25th for our Annual Education Meeting!

Annual Meeting Highlights and Sessions Include: Keys to effective grassroots advocacy on the state and federal level, Aging with a bleeding disorder, Managing your mental health as a caregiver, Musculoskeletal ultrasound and more; Lyman Fisher Scholarship recognition; VHF chapter updates; on-site children and teen programming with Camp Holiday Trails; and on-site childcare for 5 and under.

You Do Not Want To Miss our Community Event – Richmond Flying Squirrels Baseball Game on Sunday, June 26th! » Go here to learn more and register *Community event is optional and is not a part of the annual meeting.

Register Today for the Unite For Bleeding Disorders Walk!

REGISTER TODAY to help us raise $35,000 for this year’s Unite Walk! Every dollar raised for the Unite Walk stays 100% local to VHF and goes toward supporting our many educational events, advocacy efforts, and community programs.

Then, plan to gather yourself and your friends and family to celebrate with us on Sunday, October 16th at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA – if you are unable to join us for the walk you can still register as a virtual walker and fundraise or donate!

HFA Symposium Award Winners: VHF And George Stone!

VHF is honored to have received the Member Organization Spotlight Award at this year's Hemophilia Federation of America's (HFA's) Symposium award ceremony on April 21st! We are thrilled by this recognition and are continuously grateful for the opportunity to serve the bleeding disorders community. Congratulations are also in order for VHF member and HFA board member, George Stone for receiving the "It Takes A Village Award" - the Virginia bleeding disorders community is lucky to have you as a volunteer and advocate George!

Go here to view event photos.

HFA Symposium Wrap-Up

Debbie Baugher | VHF Constituent, Board Member and VHF Travel Scholarship Recipient

First, let me thank the Scholarship Committee for allowing me to attend the Symposium!! What a great time I had at the Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) Symposium! This year’s theme was “Family Reunion” and after over two years of virtual meetings, it was so good to see familiar faces in person!

NHF National Research Blueprint Workshop

Kelly Waters | VHF Executive Director

Seven VHF constituents headed to Washington, DC on April 8th - 9th for the National Hemophilia Foundation's (NHF’s) Building the National Research Blueprint (NRB) – SME Workshop. VHF attendees included women who had participated in the NHF State of the Science Research Summit, as well as board members. It was a great opportunity to learn more about NHF’s work on developing a research blueprint to move research forward into the next decade and how to engage community members in those discussions. Sessions included understanding more about research protocol, equity, inclusion and research, the various working groups and their responsibilities, as well as how Subject Matter Experts (SME) can be a catalyst for change. This is an exciting time for research and an opportunity for consumers to have a voice. If you are interested in learning more about research and/or this latest NHF initiative please do not hesitate to reach out to Kelly Waters at kelly@vahemophilia.org or 804-740-8643.

Go here to view event photos.

Let's Celebrate The Graduates In Our Community!

We are so proud of the bleeding disorders community! Do you have a high school, college, and/or trade school graduate that you would like to celebrate? Send us an email by May 27th with a photo and a few words highlighting their accomplishments and future plans so that we can share and celebrate them in our June newsletter! Send email to heather@vahemophilia.org.

Thank You To Our February, March, And April Facebook Birthday Fundraisers!

We want to give a big thank you to the people who chose VHF for their birthday fundraisers on Facebook. Because of your generosity you helped us raise over $900! Want to start your own birthday fundraiser for VHF on Facebook? Go here to learn how.

Many thanks (and Happy Birthday) to:

Doug Coventry

Brooks Eppley
Amy Lambert

Chloe Lambert

HFA Washington Wire: ACA's "Family Glitch"

The so-called "family glitch" is one of the persistent deficiencies in the Affordable Care Act. In the April 2022 Hemophilia Federation of America's (HFA's) Washington Wire, they explain what the family glitch is – and how the Administration proposes to close this gap and expand access to subsidized ACA insurance. Read on, too, for news about Maine's passage of a bill to prohibit harmful copay accumulator adjusters; the renewal of the public health emergency; and much more. Read more ››

Join Us!

Join your bleeding disorders community for both in-person and virtual events! Go here to view our calendar page and learn more ››