West Virginia Resources

State Strategies for Strengthening Rural Health: Insights from NASHP's 2025 Annual Conference
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.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Enhancing Primary Care Capacity for Cardiovascular Disease Management Through the ECHO+ Model: A Multistate Rural Collaboration Among West Virginia, Arkansas, and Oklahoma
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.
Author(s): Dru Ricci, Hannah Schmitt, Heidi Ngov, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 09/2025
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Selected Rural Healthcare Facilities in West Virginia
Shows the state's Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), as well as Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) sites and short term/PPS (Prospective Payment System) hospitals located in rural areas.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2019-2023 American Community Survey Chartbook
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.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Sara Srygley, Nurfadila Khairunnisa, Diana Elliott
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, Population Reference Bureau
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Bringing Virtual Behavioral Health Care Access to Rural Youth in West Virginia
Podcast episode that discusses a virtual collaborative behavioral healthcare model for children in rural West Virginia. Focuses on early behavioral health interventions, access, and improved health outcomes.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Adrienne Coopey, Jordan Steiger
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Study Protocol of Sustaining Home Palliative Care for Patients with Heart Failure (Hf) and Their Family Caregivers in Rural Appalachia: A Mixed Methods Randomized Clinical Trial
Study protocol to examine an integrated nurse-led intervention bundle for patients with heart failure and their family caregivers regarding home supportive end-of-live palliative care in rural West Virginia. Discusses the assessment of the intervention's sustainability with rural stakeholders, visiting volunteers, and the West Virginia Faith Community Nurse Network.
Author(s): Ubolrat Piamjariyakul, Stephanie Young, Angel Smothers, et al.
Citation: BMC Palliative Care, 24(1)
Date: 03/2025
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Current Attitudes and Barriers Among Appalachian Patients Towards Orthopaedic Surgery
Describes challenges faced by southern West Virginia rural residents in accessing orthopedic care, due to geographic and socioeconomic barriers. Uses data from 132 electronic surveys collected from patients during an appointment with their primary care provider at an affiliated outreach clinic.
Author(s): Dylan Smith, Justin B. West, Wade Smith, et al.
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(4), 67-80
Date: 01/2025
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Investigating Suicide Risk Factors Among Appalachian West Virginian Adults
Results of a study exploring lifetime suicide risk in West Virginia. Identifies factors driving urban-rural differences in suicide risk, using survey data from the 2021 Mountain State Assessment of Trends in Community Health. Features demographics and statistics with breakdown by urban or rural residence.
Author(s): Erin D. Caswell, Angela M. Dyer, Summer D. Hartley
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(4), 41-66
Date: 01/2025
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Rural Reflections of Appalachia: A Qualitative Study of Health Professional Students' Experiences from a Rural Immersion Experience in West Virginia
Results of a study to explore health professional students' experiences in a community-based rural immersion. Uses information from 62 reflective essays by students in the West Virginia Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Scholars Rural Immersion Program in 2019-2021.
Author(s): Treah Haggerty, Jessica Stidham, Stephan Brooks, et al.
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(4), 10-27
Date: 01/2025
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Engaging Local Government to Promote Health and Prosperity in West Virginia
Provides a guide for community organizations engaging with local government to promote health and economic development in West Virginia. Provides insights on understanding local government, effective engagements, and partnership-building. Discusses rural communities throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Build Healthy Places Network, West Virginia Center for Rural Health Development, Wild, Wonderful & Healthy West Virginia
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