Health Story Archives - Page 4 of 21 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Roads, Bridges And The State’s First ‘Dementia Friendly’ Town On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, it’s Dementia Friendly Day in St. Albans. The Kanawha County town is the first location in the state that has been recognized as being dementia friendly. For his special radio series, “Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents,” News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Walter Hall, the vice mayor of St. Albans, and one of the founders of the Dementia Friendly program, to find out what it’s all about.

On this West Virginia Morning, it’s Dementia Friendly Day in St. Albans. The Kanawha County town is the first location in the state that has been recognized as being dementia friendly.

For his special radio series, “Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents,” News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Walter Hall, the vice mayor of St. Albans, and one of the founders of the Dementia Friendly program, to find out what it’s all about.

Also, in this show, between the Roads to Prosperity and the federal infrastructure law, there is a lot going on when it comes to roads and bridges. In our latest episode of The Legislature Today, Curtis Tate spoke with state Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston and Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to discuss the state’s progress.

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 West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

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

Health Legislation And Ending Book Deserts On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, book deserts are places without nearby libraries or bookstores, which can be very hard for children just learning to read. Morgantown High School senior Rania Zuri is trying to fight that and bring books to kids in West Virginia. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with her.

On this West Virginia Morning, book deserts are places without nearby libraries or bookstores, which can be very hard for children just learning to read. Morgantown High School senior Rania Zuri is trying to fight that and bring books to kids in West Virginia. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with her.

Also, in this show, a number of health-related issues have been on the table this legislative session — from gender-affirming care, to PEIA coverage and even foster care splitting up DHHR. For our Friday reporter roundtable on The Legislature Today, Chris Schulz spoke with WVPB’s Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice and Allen Siegler from Mountain State Spotlight.

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 West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

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

Health Centers Receive Millions To Bolster Services

Health care services in West Virginia will receive $3.4 million to strengthen services.

In a joint press release, Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin and Republican U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito announced the funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The money will be divided among the Monongahela Valley Association of Health Centers, the Tug River Health Association and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

“Our healthcare providers continue to go above and beyond to care for their fellow West Virginians, and we must ensure they have the resources they need to support healthy, safe communities,” Manchin said. “I’m pleased HHS is investing more than $3.4 million to strengthen job training services and technical assistance projects at the Monongahela Valley Association of Health Centers and the Tug River Health Association, as well as enhance maternal and child health services throughout the state. I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of this funding, and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to ensure quality, affordable health services for every West Virginian across the Mountain State.”

The HHS Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects Program awarded $21,100 to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources to support maternal and child health services throughout the Mountain State.

This program provides funding to states and non-profit organizations across the U.S. to help provide critical services, including parental education, pregnancy support and home visit resources.

The HHS Health Center Cluster Program awarded $1,749,862 to the Monongahela Valley Association of Health Centers and $1,664,105 to the Tug River Health Association to strengthen job training and technical assistance projects.

“This vital funding empowers health care workers across West Virginia to continue and improve their services across the state,” Capito said. “HHS’s multi-million dollar investment will improve the Monongahela Valley Association of Health Centers, Tug River Health Association and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources to educate workers and help new parents get access to what they need. I look forward to seeing the opportunities this funding offers our state.”

Lung Association Encourages More Screenings

The American Lung Association is encouraging West Virginians to get screened for lung cancer.

In West Virginia, about 2,050 people are expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer this year and more than half, 1,190, will die from the disease. It’s the leading cause of cancer death in the country. The association says the key to survival is early detection.

The Preventive Services Task Force recently expanded guidelines of who should be screened. Now, anyone aged 50 to 80 who has a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smokes or has quit within the past 15 years should be screened.

The screening involves a CT scan or special X-ray that takes multiple images. Those images are then put together on a computer. Contact your healthcare provider to get started.

DHHR Organizational Structure To Be Reviewed By Consulting Firm

The structure of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is being reviewed to identify potential inefficiencies within the organization.

The DHHR oversees multiple government health agencies, including the Bureau for Behavioral Health, Bureau for Child Support Enforcement, Bureau for Children and Families, Bureau for Medical Services, Bureau for Public Health, Office of Inspector General, and the West Virginia Children’s Health Insurance Program.

A contract was awarded to the McChrystal Group to direct the review process and develop a new organizational and financial plan for the department going forward. The McChrystal Group is a management consulting firm based in Alexandria, Virginia.

The assessment comes after Gov. Jim Justice vetoed House Bill 4020 last March. The bill would have split the department into two distinct agencies. A Request For Proposal was then posted by the West Virginia Purchasing Division in April.

In a press release, the DHHR estimated the assessment and upcoming plan development will cost over $1 million.

NIH Grant Boosts Vision Research At WVU

A large federal grant will help researchers at West Virginia University understand vision problems.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded West Virginia University an $11 million Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant for a visual sciences research center.

The funding will help WVU recruit researchers and clinician-scientists who will work together to develop innovative ways to prevent, treat and slow the progression of vision problems and blinding eye disease that are currently incurable.

West Virginia has one of the highest rates of visual disability in the U.S. The CDC estimates four percent of West Virginians live with blindness or severe difficulty seeing even with glasses.

In a press release from WVU, the principal COBRE investigator Visvanathan Ramamurthy said the center’s research could have implications across—and beyond—West Virginia.