West Virginia’s local health departments have served as the cornerstone of public health initiatives for decades. Providing services such as immunization, family planning, harm reduction, environmental and food inspections, and much more, local health departments deliver a holistic approach to ensuring health and wellness for West Virginia residents across the state. They have been crucial…
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Athens Messenger - Eight Athens County organizations were among the 34 recipients of grant funding in support of our vision of “healthy people in healthy communities”. At its most recent meeting, the Board of Directors approved a total of $387,500. Read the full article. Nine organizations that provide direct services, such as food and emergency…
Parkersburg News and Sentinel - The Sisters Health Foundation awarded grant funding to 34 nonprofit organizations in the Mid-Ohio Valley in support of its vision of “healthy people in healthy communities.” Read the full article. At its most recent meeting, the Board of Directors approved a total of $387,500. Nine organizations that provide direct services, such…
As COVID-19 cases rise across the country and throughout the state, West Virginia’s correctional facilities continue to be at heightened risk of outbreaks. Outbreaks are particularly concerning in these facilities because incarcerated people tend to have both more health challenges and less access to quality medical care than the general populace. With the state entering…
One of the most significant bills passed during the 2020 legislative session is expected to go into effect on January 1, 2021. SB 648 adds a dental benefit to the state’s adult Medicaid program, extending this important coverage to an estimated 310,733 West Virginia adults. The legislation provides for each adult Medicaid recipient to be…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - A volunteer-run harm-reduction group in the city of Charleston called SOAR has come under fire from city officials for distributing syringes as part of its “mobile outreach” efforts. Read the full article. A representative from SOAR (Solutions Oriented Addiction Response) says group members started distributing syringes some time after the…
This blog was guest written for WVCBP by Jill Kriesky, former associate director of the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project and author of our upcoming report on the cost of the addiction epidemic in Kanawha County. Someone, let’s say your sister, partner, or friend, gets hooked on opioids or stimulants, or a combination of both. We…
WDTV - Even after a decade the affordable care act still has an uncertain future as an oral argument will be held by the US supreme court on Tuesday and this could play a huge roll in West Virginia if repealed. Read full article. “No state benefited more from the affordable care act than West…
Beckley Register-Herald - Today, the Supreme Court of the United States will take up a case that could upend our health care system. California v. Texas, a lawsuit brought by 18 state Attorneys General including West Virginia’s Patrick Morrisey, seeks to overturn the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA). Read the full article. If all or…
Mountain State Spotlight - A blurry eye and a numb foot. Those were Rachel Montgomery’s earliest symptoms when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis about nine years ago. When she’s on medication, she lives normally. Without it, she loses her balance. Fatigue sets in and numbness spreads throughout her body. Read the full article. Montgomery is…