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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: West Virginia

Health Disparities in Appalachia
Measures population health in Appalachia and explores disparities within the region and between Appalachia and the country as a whole. Features statistics on mortality, morbidity, behavioral health, child health, community characteristics, lifestyle, healthcare systems, quality of care, and social determinants, with breakdowns between urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Julie L. Marshall, Logan Thomas, Nancy M. Lane, et al.
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, PDA, Inc., The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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A Guide to Establishing Syringe Services Programs in Rural, At-Risk Areas
Intended to explain basics of syringe services programs, to identify the need for them in at-risk rural communities, and to provide guidance on considerations when establishing programs. Includes examples of programs in Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, and North Carolina and information about syringe services-related regulations and laws in select locations.
Author(s): Regina La Belle
Date: 07/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Comer Family Foundation
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Williamson Health and Wellness Center
Video highlighting a West Virginia community health worker program that helps patients with chronic illness connect with services and manage their health.
Date: 07/2017
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Medicaid Expansion: Behavioral Health Treatment Use in Selected States in 2014
Report to Congress describing the population of Medicaid expansion enrollees with behavioral health diagnoses in 2014, and the use of behavioral health treatment among the enrolled population. Results are based on the experience of four states: Iowa, New York, Washington, and West Virginia. Includes a discussion on rural/urban geographic distribution of enrollees and the barriers to accessing treatment for enrollees living in rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural Health Philanthropy Partnership: Leveraging Public-Private Funds to Improve Health
Highlights the work of two grantees funded through the Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Program, a combined effort of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and philanthropy organizations. Discusses how the coordinated efforts of the grantees and their philanthropy partners benefit patients.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Substance Use in Rural Central Appalachia: Current Status and Treatment Considerations
Examines the factors in rural Central Appalachia that influence substance misuse and the treatments, strategies, and interventions to curb drug misuse and improve treatment outcomes. Discusses how the combination of poverty, work-related distress, lack of healthcare coverage, and the shortage of qualified providers of substance use treatments affect the need for a multifaceted policy approach in the region.
Author(s): Lara Moody, Emily Satterwhite, Warren K. Bickel
Citation: Rural Mental Health, 41(2), 123-135
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
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Harm Reduction – West Virginia Local Health Departments Lead Efforts to Mitigate Human and Financial Costs of Opioid Epidemic
Describes West Virginia public health departments' efforts to promote harm reduction programs, as a response to the opioid crisis and resulting overdose deaths. Gives examples of successful programs from across the state.
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: West Virginia Association of Local Health Departments
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Examination of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Rurality in Appalachian Children
Results of a study to examine risk factors in a representative sample of 73,014 5th grade students from West Virginia. Features statistics including breakdowns by six levels of population density, sex, race, mother's education, body-mass index, blood pressure, and levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.
Author(s): Christa L. Lilly, Amna Umer, L. Cottrell, L. Pyles, W. Neal
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 17(1), 4200
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
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Antifibrinolytics in a Rural Trauma State: Assessing the Opportunities
Retrospective review evaluating the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) at a level 1 trauma center located in a rural area as a treatment to improve mortality and prevent hemorrhagic death in trauma patients. Documents the number of rural trauma patients who met the criteria for receiving TXA treatment, and determines if patients experiencing longer transport times and/or transfers from other hospitals such as Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) would be regarded as ineligible for effective TXA treatment.
Author(s): James M Bardes, Amanda Palmer, Jorge Con, Alison Wilson, Gregory Schaefer
Citation: Trauma Surgery and Acute Care Open, 2(1)
Date: 2017
Type: Document
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Community Adaptations to an Impending Food Desert in Rural Appalachia, USA
Reports on a study examining how rural Alderson, West Virginia addressed the forthcoming food desert when the only grocery store in town closed. Addresses the impact of a new food hub on the food desert.
Author(s): Wayne Miller, Denver Rogalla, Dustin Spencer, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 16(4), 3901
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
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