Rural Health
Resources by State: West Virginia
West Virginia Rural Obstetrical Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in West Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in West Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Factors Associated with Externalized Anger among Early Adolescents in Rural Appalachia: A Conceptual Proposition with Implications for Violence Prevention
Study investigates correlations between externalized anger and various sociodemographic characteristics to identify risk and protective factors. The study includes 1,564 rural 6th grade students in West Virginia. Offers recommendations for psychiatric nurses and other healthcare professionals working with rural adolescents.
Author(s): Rosalina Mills, Christa L. Lilly, Robin A. Pollini, et al.
Citation: Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 60, 151998
Date: 02/2026
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Study investigates correlations between externalized anger and various sociodemographic characteristics to identify risk and protective factors. The study includes 1,564 rural 6th grade students in West Virginia. Offers recommendations for psychiatric nurses and other healthcare professionals working with rural adolescents.
Author(s): Rosalina Mills, Christa L. Lilly, Robin A. Pollini, et al.
Citation: Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 60, 151998
Date: 02/2026
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Designing Communication Strategies to Increase Rural Participation in Clinical Trials using the Health Belief Model and Strategic Communication
Evaluates communication strategies for increasing participation in clinical trials among people in rural areas using health beliefs survey data drawn from 402 West Virginians. Discusses how rural and Appalachian culture, access to care, personal beliefs, and more influence clinical trial utilization.
Author(s): Dannell Boatman, Stephenie Kennedy-Rea, Jay Mason, et al.
Citation: Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 50, 101610
Date: 02/2026
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Evaluates communication strategies for increasing participation in clinical trials among people in rural areas using health beliefs survey data drawn from 402 West Virginians. Discusses how rural and Appalachian culture, access to care, personal beliefs, and more influence clinical trial utilization.
Author(s): Dannell Boatman, Stephenie Kennedy-Rea, Jay Mason, et al.
Citation: Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 50, 101610
Date: 02/2026
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Perceived Water Safety and Elevated Liver Enzymes in Rural West Virginia: Links between Drinking Water, Beverage Habits, and Liver Health
Analyzes associations between perceived home tap water quality, liver enzyme levels, and other clinical indicators among 272 adults in rural West Virginia. Discusses how perceived environmental health and access to affordable filtration may influence health outcomes in rural, Appalachian areas.
Author(s): Joanna Bailey, Terezia Lilly, Adam D. Baus
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 26(1)
Date: 02/2026
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Analyzes associations between perceived home tap water quality, liver enzyme levels, and other clinical indicators among 272 adults in rural West Virginia. Discusses how perceived environmental health and access to affordable filtration may influence health outcomes in rural, Appalachian areas.
Author(s): Joanna Bailey, Terezia Lilly, Adam D. Baus
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 26(1)
Date: 02/2026
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Rural Health Transformation Program State Initiatives Summaries: Rural Healthy Aging Program Initiatives
Highlights activities supporting rural aging in state Rural Health Transformation Programs applications.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Highlights activities supporting rural aging in state Rural Health Transformation Programs applications.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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AHECs and Their Role in Sustaining the Rural Healthcare Workforce, with Dwain Harris, Brianna Sheppard, and Meredith Lair
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Dwain Harris, Chief Executive Officer of the National AHEC Organization, Brianna Sheppard, PhD, Director of West Virginia Area Health Education Centers, and Meredith Lair, Executive Director of the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center. Focuses on the role of the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program in developing and maintaining the rural healthcare workforce.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Dwain Harris, Chief Executive Officer of the National AHEC Organization, Brianna Sheppard, PhD, Director of West Virginia Area Health Education Centers, and Meredith Lair, Executive Director of the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center. Focuses on the role of the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program in developing and maintaining the rural healthcare workforce.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) Program: 2021 Cohort Final Report
Highlights the work of the second cohort of Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (Rural MOMS) networks, funded to address rural maternal health challenges and improve access to maternal healthcare. Provides an overview of the work of the awardees: Families First: Rural Maternity Health Collaborative in Minnesota, RMOM-Southeast Missouri Partnership, and West Virginia Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Collaborative. Shares information about the populations served, as well as discussing key network coordination strategies used by the 2021 cohort and the 2019 cohort.
Additional links: Full Report (PDF)
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Maternal Health Data Support and Analysis Program
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Highlights the work of the second cohort of Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (Rural MOMS) networks, funded to address rural maternal health challenges and improve access to maternal healthcare. Provides an overview of the work of the awardees: Families First: Rural Maternity Health Collaborative in Minnesota, RMOM-Southeast Missouri Partnership, and West Virginia Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Collaborative. Shares information about the populations served, as well as discussing key network coordination strategies used by the 2021 cohort and the 2019 cohort.
Additional links: Full Report (PDF)
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Maternal Health Data Support and Analysis Program
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Leveraging Community Health Workers' Deep Community Knowledge to Address Food and Nutrition Security in Appalachia
Examines professional characteristics and knowledge of rural Appalachian community health workers in Kentucky and West Virginia, based on data from online surveys and phone interviews conducted from January to May 2019. Identifies culturally sensitive practices around food insecurity.
Author(s): Alexis Kimbro Scott, Melissa D. Olfert, Dawn Brewer, Makenzie Barr, Julie Plasencia
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 7(4), 89-99
Date: 12/2025
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Examines professional characteristics and knowledge of rural Appalachian community health workers in Kentucky and West Virginia, based on data from online surveys and phone interviews conducted from January to May 2019. Identifies culturally sensitive practices around food insecurity.
Author(s): Alexis Kimbro Scott, Melissa D. Olfert, Dawn Brewer, Makenzie Barr, Julie Plasencia
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 7(4), 89-99
Date: 12/2025
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Impact of a Workshop on Rural Healthcare Delivery on Medical Student Attitudes
Results of a study evaluating the effect of an educational workshop on Appalachian West Virginia medical students' attitudes toward rural healthcare barriers. Explores whether targeted education can enhance students' interest in rural practice.
Author(s): Robert L. Snedegar, Ryan Hayes, Jun Xiang, et al.
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 7(4), 100-115
Date: 12/2025
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Results of a study evaluating the effect of an educational workshop on Appalachian West Virginia medical students' attitudes toward rural healthcare barriers. Explores whether targeted education can enhance students' interest in rural practice.
Author(s): Robert L. Snedegar, Ryan Hayes, Jun Xiang, et al.
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 7(4), 100-115
Date: 12/2025
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Developing a Research Agenda to Improve Rural Health Access and Quality in West Virginia
Presents a research agenda to identify health problems, infrastructure issues, and healthcare workforce gaps in rural West Virginia. Discusses interventions to improve access, create policy, and address knowledge and data gaps. Provides county-level maps showing health and social issues across the state.
Author(s): Julia Rollison, Zara Fatima Abdurahaman, Lisa H. Jaycox, Viviana Mercado
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Presents a research agenda to identify health problems, infrastructure issues, and healthcare workforce gaps in rural West Virginia. Discusses interventions to improve access, create policy, and address knowledge and data gaps. Provides county-level maps showing health and social issues across the state.
Author(s): Julia Rollison, Zara Fatima Abdurahaman, Lisa H. Jaycox, Viviana Mercado
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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