West Virginia officials are trying to put more emphasis on keeping vaccinations up to date for children 2 years old and younger.
The state has among the nation’s highest immunization rates for school-age children, at 97 percent, but state health officials say the rate for children 19 to 35 months old is the lowest in the country.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail said Health and Human Resources Secretary Karen Bowling and Public Health Commissioner Dr. Rahul Gupta participated in a vaccination awareness event in Charleston on Monday. The event kicked off National Infant Immunization Week.
Gupta said the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine that children are supposed to get around age 1 is one of the immunizations young West Virginia residents are missing in large numbers.
The West Virginia Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities has announced funding opportunities for the expansion of some health services across the state.
The goal is to expand services in four behavioral health categories: recovery coaching, substance abuse, school mental health and youth behavioral health organizations.
Individuals and organizations are invited to apply for the funding, which ranges from up to $750,000 for recovery coaches to up to $2 million for youth organizations.
In a press release, Health Cabinet Secretary Karen Bowling said the funding will help the state provide West Virginians of all ages with the support they need to be successful.
Interested parties can apply for funding using the Proposal Template on the Department of Health and Human Resources website or send an email to the DHHR Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities with “Proposal for Funding” in the subject line. A DHHR spokesperson said paper copies of the proposal will not be accepted.
Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Benedum Foundation.
The state Bureau for Public Health will have a new chief beginning January 1 after a trying year for its current head.
The Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Karen Bowling announced in a press release Thursday Dr. Letitia Tierney will resign as the state’s chief Public Health Officer at the end of the year. Current Kanawha-Charleston Executive Director Dr. Rahul Gupta will take over as Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health beginning Jan. 1, 2015.
“It’s been a difficult decision to leave and I truly appreciate the opportunity to serve all West Virginians. I am confident that I am leaving the Bureau in excellent hands, “Tierney said in the release.
Tierney took the job in November of 2013 and soon after was tested by January’s chemical spill that left 300,000 people in the Kanawha Valley without water for as many as ten days. Tierney’s response to that leak was criticized at the time by some lawmakers.
Gupta’s name also became well known during the water crisis as he worked closely with the state to respond. Gupta helped lead a survey of area residents soon after the chemical spill to evaluate both local and state response.
Gupta has served as the head of the Kanawha Charleston Health Department since 2009, the largest local health department in the state.
He also serves as the executive director of the Putnam County Health Department and was previously an assistant professor of medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, and at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
“I am deeply honored to be appointed to this position by Secretary Bowling,” Gupta said. “Working with professionals and partners across our great state, I look forward to the opportunity to help West Virginians build a healthier future by achieving positive and lasting health outcomes.”
An independent research team hired by Gov. Tomblin to further study the chemical that contaminated the water supply of 300,00 West Virginians in January released their final report Thursday.
The West Virginia Testing Assessment Project, or WVTAP, began studying MCHM in February and has released results along the way. Thursday’s report includes their previously released findings and recommendations for moving forward.
The group recommends the state create a chemical storage inventory program, something they accomplished during the previous legislative session. They also say state officials should consider bringing independent experts, like them, on board as early as possible during a time of crisis.
WVTAP says a study on the health effects from long term exposure to the chemical is necessary, but is something they did not have the resources to take on.
They also recommend water utilities inventory the chemicals in close proximity to their source water and utilize early warning systems.
When the contract was initially announced in February, Tomblin said he would set aside about $650,000 for the project. Less than two weeks later, members of the team asked for an additional $112,000 to pay for unanticipated costs.
According to records from the state Auditor’s Office, the state was billed a total of $814,995 to Corona Environmental Consulting, LLC, the lead partner in the WVTAP project. As recently as June 24, the state made a payment of $57,563.
Credit Ashton Marra / West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
A screenshot from the West Virginia Auditor’s website. The list depicts every payment the state has on file with the vendor Corona Environmental Consulting, LLC.
A spokeswoman for the DHHR said Friday the list of payments above shows a discrepancy in reporting versus the actual amount spent. An invoice for $50,000 was incorrectly entered into the system in March and later canceled. According to the Auditor’s Office, the total state pay out for the program was $757,431.87.
Rosen said there are no plans yet to present their findings to the West Virginia Legislature, but water utilities around the country have already contacted his group for information about their findings.
