Trigon to fund community health practicum at Longwood

Dr. Frank Brown (left) and Mr. Ron Nash (far right), of Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield, present to Longwood President Patricia Cormier a check for $100,000 on March 1 in Lancaster Hall. This gift will fund practica for five years for students in the new community health education major approved last November.

Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield has announced a $100,000 grant to Longwood College to endow a new Practicum in Community Health Education program. The grant will fund field experiences in settings such as schools, nursing homes, health departments and community centers for students studying to become community health educators.

In November Longwood announced a new bachelor of science degree in community health education beginning fall 2001. Community health educators are needed in health departments, community organizations, hospitals, government agencies and corporations. Longwood developed the major in response to prospective students' interest and expanding career opportunities. The U. S. Bureau of Labor projects that health and allied services occupations, which include community health education, will increase by 64.9 percent by 2008. Longwood is only the second public Virginia institution to offer an undergraduate major in this field.

Said Longwood College President Dr. Patricia Cormier, "I believe that, in partnership with Trigon, Longwood College can make a fundamental difference in community health education in Virginia and prepare young professionals who have the skills necessary to continue that work effectively once they leave Longwood College." She added, "We envision that the residents of these communities will benefit significantly from the Trigon Practicum in Community Health Education as well as the students who are involved in this level of training. We are grateful to Trigon for its vision in supporting preventive health practices in our communities"

The Trigon practica will help students develop skills necessary to assess individual and community health needs; plan, implement and evaluate community health education programs; coordinate provision of services; help resolve community health problems; and communicate needs and resources through both traditional means and new technologies. "

At Trigon, we recognize the importance of field experience as part of a complete education, and we are extremely pleased to be able to support this hands-on community health education for students at Longwood College," said Tom Snead, Trigon chairman and chief executive officer. "Upon graduation, these new professionals will contribute to improvements in public health all across the commonwealth by providing health information to people in their local communities where care is delivered."

Trigon is Virginia's largest managed health care company, providing a broad range of health, wellness and health care financing programs and services to two million members.