West Virginia resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

News: WV Gives $2 Million in Rural Health Transformation Funds to Community Health Centers

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:21:28 -0500

West Virginia will provide $1,656,432 in Rural Health Transformation Program funds to the West Virginia Primary Care Association and $500,000 to the Monongahela Valley Association of Health Centers. The money is intended to improve coordination among providers, strengthen data sharing, and modernize clinic operations to provide more efficient and accessible healthcare.

News: WVU Heart and Vascular Institute Hosts First Rural Cardiovascular Care Symposium

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:49:50 -0500

Describes discussions at the inaugural Rural Cardiovascular Care in the U.S. Symposium, a West Virginia gathering on heart healthcare delivery in rural and underserved communities. The event provided connections for clinicians, administrators, and innovators with the goal of creating partnerships that lead to new models of care and improved heart health outcomes.

News: HHS Launches Newborn Essentials Support Toolkit Program to Support Mothers and Babies

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 09:29:49 -0500

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched the Newborn Essentials Support Toolkit in West Virginia. The program aims to offer families supplies and information in the days following delivery of a baby. One goal of the program is to reach rural and other medically underserved families.

Resource: Factors Associated with Externalized Anger among Early Adolescents in Rural Appalachia: A Conceptual Proposition with Implications for Violence Prevention

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:12:11 -0500

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.

News: Telehealth, AI Technology Among Plans to Bump Rural Healthcare Access

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:29:33 -0500

Describes awarded projects as part of West Virginia's Rural Health Transformation Program's first year of funding. Projects include telehealth upgrades, mobile healthcare, training, staffing, and artificial intelligence.

Event: West Virginia Ripple Effects Mapping Facilitator Training

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Charleston WV
October 28, 2026 -- West Virginia Center for Rural Health Development

Resource: The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey Chartbook

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:20:17 -0500

Provides state- and county-level information on population, age, household characteristics, housing occupancy, education, labor force, employment, transportation, income, health insurance coverage, disability, and veteran status for the 13 Appalachian states. Features statistics with breakdowns by 5 levels of population density. Includes data explorer options for Appalachian categories such as population and age, education, income and poverty, computer and broadband access, rural Appalachia versus rural America, and employment and commuting. -- Appalachian Regional Commission, Population Reference Bureau

Resource: Rural West Virginia Health Center Helps Patients Access Prescriptions

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:46:19 -0500

Features Mountain Laurel Integrated Healthcare (MLIH), which started its own onsite pharmacy to help patients fill prescriptions the same day they see their provider. MLIH offers medication management, compliance packaging, and assistance addressing access barriers. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: Telehealth Broadband Project

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:53:47 -0500

Provides information and data on rural broadband access and its impact on healthcare. Profiles rural community partnerships in four states - Alaska, Michigan, Texas, and West Virginia - designed to better understand connectivity issues. -- Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center

Resource: From Conversation to Completion: Identifying Conversation Elements to Support Effective Shared Decision-Making for Lung Cancer Screening in Rural Primary Care

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:44:43 -0500

Evaluates how aspects of the shared decision-making (SDM) process influence lung cancer screening behaviors and attitudes among rural adults via a survey of 173 rural Appalachian West Virginians. Discusses information sources, provider conversation elements, topics discussed, practical considerations, and more.

Event: 2027 West Virginia Infectious Disease and Immunization Summit

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Bridgeport WV
May 19, 2027 -- West Virginia Center for Rural Health Development

Resource: West Virginia Rural Health Transformation Program Grant Opportunities

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:12:35 -0500

Lists funding opportunities available through the West Virginia Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to help implement West Virginia's approved RHTP initiatives and activities. -- West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

Resource: Rural Health Transformation Program State Initiatives Summaries: Rural Healthy Aging Program Initiatives

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 10:04:37 -0500

Highlights activities supporting rural aging in state Rural Health Transformation Programs applications. -- National Rural Health Association

Event: 2027 Appalachian Health Leadership Forum

Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Roanoke WV
April 8, 2027 -- West Virginia Center for Rural Health Development

Event: 2026 34th Annual West Virginia Rural Health Conference

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Morgantown WV
November 11, 2026 -- West Virginia Rural Health Association

Resource: Glioblastoma Survival in Rural America: A 10-Year Experience from a Quaternary Care Center

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:21:43 -0500

Examines factors influencing glioblastoma survival and overall prognosis among West Virginians, using medical record data of 380 adults treated at WVU Ruby Memorial Hospital between January 2015 and August 2025. Includes data on patient rurality, sex, treatment received, and more. Discusses the role of referrals in mitigating rural access barriers for cancer care and improving rural cancer outcomes.

Resource: West Virginia Rural Primary Care Workforce

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:48:32 -0600

Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in West Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: West Virginia Rural Obstetrical Workforce

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:47:03 -0600

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. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: West Virginia Rural Behavioral Health Workforce

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:41:16 -0600

Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in West Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: Perceived Water Safety and Elevated Liver Enzymes in Rural West Virginia: Links between Drinking Water, Beverage Habits, and Liver Health

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:38:07 -0600

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.

Resource: Impact of a Workshop on Rural Healthcare Delivery on Medical Student Attitudes

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:38:51 -0600

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.

Resource: Leveraging Community Health Workers' Deep Community Knowledge to Address Food and Nutrition Security in Appalachia

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:24:48 -0600

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.

Resource: Developing a Research Agenda to Improve Rural Health Access and Quality in West Virginia

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:55:37 -0600

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. -- RAND Corporation

Resource: 2025 West Virginia Health Sciences and Rural Health Report

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:56:42 -0600

Review of medical school enrollment, licensing rates, student debt ratios, residency training, and retention rates in West Virginia, with special focus on the Rural Health Initiative Program. Includes dental and pharmacy program profiles, and describes the Medical Student Loan Program and the Health Sciences Service Program, providing financial awards to health professionals who agree to practice in underserved areas of West Virginia.

Resource: West Virginia Rural Health Transformation Program

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:30:58 -0600

Provides information on West Virginia's Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Includes links to West Virginia's application, RHTP leadership, resources and webinar recordings, and more. -- West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

Funding opportunity: American Connection Corps

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 15:06:59 -0600

A 1-year fellowship program that trains and mobilizes leaders to work in rural and emerging communities to coordinate broadband development and digital inclusion. -- AmeriCorps

Resource: A Twenty-Year Review: Revisiting the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Funding Needs and Gaps in the Appalachian Region

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:25:28 -0600

Provides county, state, and metro versus nonmetro data on water and wastewater infrastructure in the Appalachian region. Discusses funding and collaborative possibilities to improve critical infrastructure in Appalachian communities. -- Appalachian Regional Commission

Resource: State Strategies for Strengthening Rural Health: Insights from NASHP's 2025 Annual Conference

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:13:08 -0500

Summarizes a session from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 2025 Annual Conference regarding state strategies to improve access to care in rural communities. Highlights policies from North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia related to workforce and capacity challenges, broadband and telehealth, behavioral health access points, and linking health and social care. -- National Academy for State Health Policy

Resource: Enhancing Primary Care Capacity for Cardiovascular Disease Management Through the ECHO+ Model: A Multistate Rural Collaboration Among West Virginia, Arkansas, and Oklahoma

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:50:33 -0500

Examines quality of care and clinician capacity impacts of the ECHO+ cardiovascular disease (CVD) tele-education course, which included asynchronous pre-recorded lectures and a quality improvement learning collaborative for 41 rural primary care providers in West Virginia, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Provides data on ECHO+ impacts on CVD quality indicators, patient outcomes, and participant feedback.

Organization: Northeast/Mid-Atlantic CMS QIN-QIO

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:46:58 -0500

A Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) led by IPRO that works with eligible hospitals, nursing homes and community outpatient providers to implement data-driven initiatives that achieve national health quality goals in the Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) and Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) regions.