Today marked the ribbon cutting ceremony for a pulmonary rehabilitation center in Lincoln County. Named after Grace Anne Dorney – a COPD patient and wife of longtime Nightline anchor Ted Koppel – the new clinic will provide exercise, education and support to help patients learn to breathe better.
Advocates for the program call it “life changing” and working to open new centers around the state.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, affects more than 10 percent of West Virginians. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Despite the high numbers, few programs exist to help rehabilitate COPD patients.This is the fourth Grace Anne Dorney Center in West Virginia. The others are at Cabin Creek Health, New River Health, and Boone Memorial Hospital.
Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Benedum Foundation.