Health Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Hundreds Gather For Martinsburg Veteran Suicide Prevention Walk

In the United States, former military service members are more likely to die by suicide than their non-veteran peers.

While the number of suicides among veterans decreased in 2020, advocates in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle say keeping this momentum going requires new conversations about mental health.

Mark Mann serves as chief of staff for mental health services at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center. Before that, he served in the Vietnam War.

In working with veterans, Mann said he sees firsthand how societal stigma around discussing suicide can make it harder to seek help. For him, a first step toward better supporting veterans is being proactive in discussions about mental health.

“It’s about not being scared to ask the question when you see somebody struggling,” he said. “We know from the research and the literature and even folks that have survived very serious suicide attempts that if somebody had stopped and asked and took the time that it could have interrupted that.”

Raising awareness and understanding around suicide in the veteran community is what brings more than 600 people to the hospital campus every September.

On Wednesday, the facility hosted its eighth annual suicide prevention walk. The event began as an effort to honor those veterans who have died from suicide and raise awareness about the issue.

Each year, community members walk a loop around the facility to show veterans how many people are ready and willing to support their mental health needs. The event also features booths with informational resources and educational pamphlets.

Yul Song, chaplain at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center, passes out merch and informational materials to an attendee at the suicide prevention walk Wednesday.

*Photo Credit: Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Jill Finkle, suicide prevention coordinator at the hopsital, organizes the event. She described it as a way to physically embody the network of support available.

“It’s part of that stigma reduction,” she said. “Addressing that and normalizing that we’re together, we’re connected.”

Mann, Finkle and the staff at the hospital also know addressing suicide among local veterans takes more than talk. The annual walk is just one part of the facility’s broader mental health programming, Finkle said.

The hospital also offers outpatient services, on-site therapy, residential mental health treatment and specialty services for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma and substance use disorder.

A recent surge in resources like these can be traced back to 2007, when the position of suicide prevention coordinator was created at every VA medical facility in the United States, Finkle said. Having a staff position dedicated to suicide prevention helped establish a more intentional approach to mental health care.

Expanding mental health resources for veterans in the Eastern Panhandle has also included out-of-facility, community-focused programming, according to Jennifer Kelley, community engagement and partnership coordinator at the hospital.

Not all veterans are willing to visit the hospital in person to access mental health services, Kelley said. But hosting less formal programming out in local towns can help establish networks of support for veterans to lean on. Recently, this has included coffee socials led and attended by veterans.

Individuals “who are volunteering their time, they’re connecting with each other,” she said. “They’re building social support networks with each other, and many of them are veterans.”

This year marks the eighth annual suicide prevention walk hosted by the Martinsburg VA Medical Center.

*Photo Credit: Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Addressing suicide among veterans has also meant looking at related mental health challenges that can harm veteran wellbeing, like substance use disorder, according to Brigit Kirwan, substance use disorder pharmacist at the hospital.

Kirwan said staff at the hospital often encourage patients to take small steps toward improving their situation, rather than making sweeping changes. This can be more sustainable and lay the groundwork for healthier habits, a practice known as “harm reduction,” she said.

This entails “small steps to meet patients where they’re at, what they’re comfortable with and reduce any type of harm,” she said. “Medication isn’t the only way.”

In recent years, there has been a national push to make veterans and the public at large aware of the suicide prevention resources available, Mann said. This includes the 2022 creation of a 988 suicide and crisis hotline.

By dialing the hotline, callers can get connected with support and mental health resources.

Mann said he hopes that the growing number of resources like these can strengthen mental health nationwide, especially among veterans.

But he also hopes to see barriers to accessing help reduced even further. It is why he and hundreds of members of the community gather on the grounds of the hospital every September.

“As a community, I think we really have to lean into that if we’re going to stop this,” he said. “Because it’s not just veterans.”

Social Media Is Making Eating Healthy More Confusing, Here Are Some Tips

Social Media is filled with life advice from 5 minute crafts to how to live a healthier lifestyle. However some information can be harmful or down right untrue.

Briana Heaney spoke with Dietitian Gina Wood at the West Virginia University Extension to discuss navigating food and diet information on social media

Social Media is filled with life advice from 5 minute crafts to how to live a healthier lifestyle. However some information can be harmful or down right untrue.

Briana Heaney spoke with Dietitian Gina Wood at the West Virginia University Extension to discuss navigating food and diet information on social media

Bri: So what are some ways that West Virginians can have a healthy and balanced diet?

Wood: You know, healthy eating obviously means different things to different people. But I think the easiest way, and the best way to have a balanced diet is to eat a wide variety of foods. Obviously, lots of vegetables and fruit, lean protein sources, low fat dairy, if you in fact, include dairy in your diet, and whole grains.

Bri: There is a lot, and a growing amount, of information out there on social media, about, you know, eating this food, not that. How can people navigate that space and use that information in a way that empowers them instead of a way that, you know, might contribute to worse habits?

Wood: Sure. So I think obviously, understanding that there is a difference between the two terms registered dietitian and nutritionist. In many states, nutritionist is not a protected term, so that term registered dietitian is protected in most states. So looking for social media accounts from registered dieticians, you know that that person is licensed and credentialed, to practice nutrition, which is not always the case with the term nutritionist. So being aware of that, I think, is one way. Following social media accounts that are government based, so from the USDA, or my plate.

Bri: If I just go through, and I’ve seen different videos saying all kinds of things like you shouldn’t eat apples, because there’s poison in the seeds, or you shouldn’t drink milk, because there is something wrong with milk, or you should drink raw milk because it’s actually healthier for you than normal milk. I mean there is just so much stuff out there that it can almost become paralyzing, you almost feel like no matter what you do, you’re doing something wrong. And then you just almost don’t even know how to move forward from there. So do you have any advice for people who feel like they are kind of stuck in that space right now?

Wood: Yeah, I think, you know, try to avoid consuming media that demonizes a particular food or a particular food group. You know, those things are rarely reputable. But again, be careful of the accounts that you follow.

Bri: Sometimes you’ll see posts saying, there is this ingredient in this food or there is this chemical in this food, and it is toxic to humans. How do you stay safe?

Wood: Dosing is important. I mean, just as an example, some of our fat soluble vitamins, which we need for good health can be toxic in really, really high doses. So looking at USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) sources of information, for the levels of nutrients that could be considered toxic at exceptionally high doses, would be the place to look. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has a list of ingredients that are called G.R.A.S or generally recognized as safe.

Bri: You’ll see on social media, all kinds of different advice from ways to lose weight or just advice on how to eat, when to eat, what to eat. Again, how do people navigate this landscape of information?

Wood: Yeah, so I would be asking yourself, you know, what foods make my body feel good and energized. Right? It’s not always about the number on this scale. So before embarking on any major changes to your current dietary habits, I would be asking, What am I eating now? You know, what kind of quantities and frequencies are I eating these foods in? In addition to the number on the scale, How’s my blood pressure? How is my cholesterol? How is my blood sugar? How do I feel? Do I feel healthy? Do I feel energized? Do I feel vibrant? Or do I feel sluggish? And like I have a lack of energy or, or motivation to be active. You know, those are sort of the fundamental questions. Should I really be looking online for alternate dietary information? Do I really need to change anything? and then if you feel like you need to make some changes then look for myplate.gov look for information from the USDA.gov websites are the ones that are going to provide you with reliable information.

Protection Against Ticks And Recognizing Declining Mental Acuity, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, as summer kicks into full swing and people head outside, exposure to ticks increases. Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice spoke with West Virginia state entomologist Eric Dotseth who urges vigilance against tick bites that could cause major health issues.

On this West Virginia Morning, as summer kicks into full swing and people head outside, exposure to ticks increases. Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice spoke with West Virginia state entomologist Eric Dotseth who urges vigilance against tick bites that could cause major health issues.

Also, in this show, as the presidential race speeds toward election day, there has been a lot of discussion about age and declining mental acuity. But a lot of families are facing the same questions every day.

News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Teresa Morris, the West Virginia program director for the West Virginia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, about what to look for in our own families.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Chris Schulz produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

MSHA Holds Panel Discussion As Silica Dust Rule Implementation Draws Closer

A new federal silica dust rule is about to take effect. Monday, a panel of Black Lung experts expressed hope for the future of young miners — if they’re educated about their rights.

Experts in black lung, mine safety, labor and employment law and physicians gathered at the Mine Health and Safety Administration’s (MSHA) office in Beaver on Monday to discuss a new silica dust rule that will take effect on June 17.

Coal producers will have 12 months to comply. Metal and nonmetal mine operators will have 24 months.

The panel discussion, moderated by Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson focused on the prevention of black lung in young miners and how the administration’s new silica dust rule can help if used by the miners.

“Everybody’s in this room because we care about this issue and we don’t want others to suffer from entirely preventable occupational lung diseases,” Williamson said.

MSHA issued its final rule lowering silica dust exposure for coal miners on April 16. This rule is a long-awaited change amid growing concern about black lung disease.

“When this rule finally comes into play and is implemented, it’ll be exciting to watch it unfold and see everyone’s health improve, but I don’t think that that’s going to happen right away,” Black Lung Clinic Director and respiratory therapist Lisa Emery said. “I hope that with … the dangers of silica coming out and being more publicized, that the miners will come in more often and get screened more often.”

The new rule lowers the maximum exposure to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air during an eight-hour shift. The current limit is 100 micrograms per cubic meter.

Respirable crystalline silica is a carcinogen. It can cause lung disease, silicosis, lung cancer, progressive massive fibrosis and kidney disease. Coal dust containing silica dust has been shown to increase the severity of black lung cases and affect miners in their 30s and 40s.

“I don’t want to see our younger miners going through what we are going through,” said National Black Lung Association President Gary Harrison, who also suffers from black lung. “And I know this silica dust rule is gonna help eventually. I know it will take a while for it to come in.”

The silica dust problem is thought to be caused by the mechanization of mining, especially in central Appalachia. Large machines grind through larger volumes of rock to maximize coal production.

Mine operators are supposed to ventilate mine work areas to lower the concentration of coal and rock dust, as well as methane.

Under the Part 90 regulation, coal miners who have already developed a pneumoconiosis can exercise rights that allow them to continue working in healthier parts of the mine.

“I’d like for the younger miners to start feeling more confident about speaking up, more confident about exercising their Part 90 rights,” Emery said. “That’s huge for me and our clinic, and I think that miners need to understand that the rights afforded to them under the mine act will protect them even if they’re not a Part 90 miner to make a safety complaint to talk about what’s going on in their mine and that MSHA is going to protect them. But what we’re seeing in the clinics is very scary.”

Grant Money

On Tuesday morning, Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., announced that the state will receive $2,172,386 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support health services and treatment programs for West Virginians suffering from Black Lung Disease.

“After their enormous sacrifices, West Virginia’s brave coal miners are entitled to the vital medical care and treatment they need,” Manchin said. “I’m pleased HHS is investing more than $2.1 million to support Black Lung clinics across West Virginia, and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of the funding. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for resources to ensure all West Virginia miners can access the health care they deserve.”

The West Virginia Black Lung Clinics program is under the West Virginia Division of Primary Care, one of four divisions within the Office of Community Health Systems and Health Promotion, under the West Virginia Department of Health, Bureau for Public Health.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

First Extraordinary Legislative Session Of 2024 Began Sunday

The West Virginia Legislature met Sunday evening in response to a call from Gov. Jim Justice to address issues with the state budget passed during the regular session, among others.

The House of Delegates met first and completed the first reading of 16 bills. The body then sent three bills to the House Finance Committee for further discussion.

One of those, House Bill 101, if passed, sends more than $9 million to the West Virginia Department of Health and the Department of Human Services.

Bills must be read over three successive days unless a chamber suspends rules and allows it to be read three times on one day.

The Senate did just that with about half of the introduced bills. But first, Senate Finance Chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, offered a strike and insert amendment on Senate Bill 1001. His amendment replaced the original bill, changing how some funding is allocated for state hospitals.

The Senate passed eight bills and sent them to the House for consideration and advanced six other bills to second reading, or the amendment stage.

The Senate did not take up the 16th bill introduced in the House regarding having the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) pay for certain weight loss medications. That bill was not on the call from the governor.

The Senate also entered two resolutions to encourage the U.S. Department of Education to expedite processing of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications and extended the governor’s state of emergency regarding student aid.

State Awards Company $5 Million To Test Medicines With Artificial Intelligence

GATC West Virginia, a health tech hub, was awarded $5 million to hire new staff. The company uses artificial intelligence to test the efficacy of new medications.

As overdose rates continue to rise nationally, a health company with West Virginia ties will soon receive $5 million in state funds to further research on substance use disorders.

GATC West Virginia — an in-state hub of the health technology company GATC Health — will use the new investment to develop medical treatments through artificial intelligence.

The company uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict how effective and safe new medicines will be, and to preemptively identify side effects.

New treatments must still be tested using clinical trials. But GATC claims using simulations can increase the likelihood of a medication’s success and expedite the development process.

Provided by the West Virginia Economic Development Authority and West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust, the new funding will allow GATC to hire tens of new employees at their location in Morgantown.

In a Friday press release, Gov. Jim Justice said the collaboration would put West Virginia at the forefront of developing health technology.

“West Virginia is leading the way in revolutionizing the pharmaceutical industry and making a huge difference in medicine discovery,” Justice said. “This initiative places West Virginia on the map as a leader of innovation as we bring cutting-edge technology right to our backyard to find effective medicines.”