Rural Health
Resources by State: West Virginia

Surgical Care Improvement Project Measures among Rural and Urban Hospitals in West Virginia
Reviews data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) from 10 rural community hospitals in West Virginia to determine the quality of surgical care given by rural providers. Data reported was compared to a set of process measures demonstrating the rates of surgical morbidity and mortality, surgical site infections, and other complications following surgery.
Author(s): Yuya K. Kudo, Linda V. Davis, Dustin M. Long, John C. Honaker, Don K. Nakayama
Citation: American Surgeon, 82(1), E20-E22
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
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Using i2b2 to Bootstrap Rural Health Analytics and Learning Networks
Describes a project to connect and share data among rural healthcare sites and researchers using the open-source Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) data model in building the West Virginia/Kentucky Health Analytics and Learning Network. Includes map showing locations of clinics.
Author(s): Daniel R. Harris, Adam D. Baus, Tamela J. Harper, et al.
Citation: Conference Proceedings of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 2016, 2533-2536
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
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Adoption of a Tai Chi Intervention, Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance, for Fall Prevention by Rural Faith-Based Organizations, 2013-2014
Results of a study of fall-prevention exercises geared toward adults ages 65 or above, conducted by 19 trained instructors through faith-based organizations in 7 rural West Virginia counties.
Author(s): Dina L. Jones, Rachael W. Starcher, Jennifer L. Eicher, Sara Wilcox
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 13
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
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Perceptions of the Role of West Virginia's Cooperative Extension Service in Tobacco Control Coalitions
Examines the Cooperative Extension Service's involvement in county-level coalitions addressing tobacco use in West Virginia with a focus on prevention for elementary students. Identifies methods to increase the role of the Extension Service that will improve lives, reduce economic hardships on families, and lessen the healthcare costs on state government.
Author(s): Donald Reed, Dana Lester, Kathy Danberry, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 4, 83
Date: 05/2016
Type: Document
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15 Million Kids in Health Care Deserts: Can Telehealth Make a Difference?
Highlights healthcare access problems for children of vulnerable populations living in rural and poverty stricken areas. Discusses how telehealth can be implemented to overcome these barriers. Describes several case studies focused on improving access to healthcare services for children, including a rural school-based telehealth program.
Author(s): Dale Alverson, Julie Hall-Barrow, Denise M. Dion, et al.
Date: 04/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Children's Health Fund
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Improving the Care of Dual Eligible Patients in Rural Federally Qualified Health Centers: The Impact of Care Coordinators and Clinical Pharmacists
Discusses a care coordination project that included 3 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and 502 patients in rural West Virginia and a tertiary care referral hospital in southern West Virginia to determine if expanded use of care coordinators and clinical pharmacists could improve the care experience and healthcare outcome of dual eligible patients.
Author(s): Daniel Doyle, Mary Emmett, Amber Crist, Craig Robinson, Michael Grome
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 7(2) 118-121
Date: 04/2016
Type: Document
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Association of Blood Lead Levels in Children 0-72 Months with Living in Mid-Appalachia: A Semi-Ecologic Study
Compares the blood lead levels in children ages 0–72 months in Mid-Appalachia with children of same age throughout the U.S. Includes a relational comparison of the number of housing units built before 1950 and 1940 in both regions.
Author(s): R. Constance Wiener, Richard J. Jurevic
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 16(2), 3597
Date: 04/2016
Type: Document
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Community-Based Diabetes Screening and Risk Assessment in Rural West Virginia
Reports on a cross-sectional study to assess diabetes risk among 540 individuals, 18 years or more, from 12 rural counties in West Virginia. A noninvasive survey combined with a glycosylated hemoglobin or A1C blood test was used to identify individuals with prediabetes, or at high risk for diabetes. Discusses the factors contributing to the high rates of diabetes and prediabetes, and the need to effectively lower the risks of diabetes in the state.
Author(s): Ranjita Misra, Cindy Fitch, David Roberts, Dana Wright
Citation: Journal of Diabetes Research, 2016
Date: 01/2016
Type: Document
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Increases in Acute Hepatitis B Virus Infections - Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, 2006-2013
Reports on increased rates of hepatitis B infections in three Appalachian states, particularly among injection drug users and in non-urban areas.
Author(s): Aaron M. Harris, Kashif Iqbal, Sarah Schillie, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 65(3), 47-50
Date: 01/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Rural Disparities in Cancer Care: A Review of Its Implications and Possible Interventions
A literature review about the disparities in cancer care in rural Appalachia, specifically West Virginia. Discusses possible solutions to bridge the gap, such as teleoncology, virtual tumor boards, patient support groups, and physician training programs. Includes data and statistics for rates of cancer and oncologist availability.
Author(s): Lynne J. Goebel
Citation: West Virginia Medical Journal, 112(3), 76-82
Date: 2016
Type: Document
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