Tag: Health

Roane General Hospital Gets An Expansion and A New Vision for Community Wellness

A community hospital in Spencer, West Virginia has received a multi-million-dollar facelift with an eye on changing the health culture of the region.

Roane General Hospital dedicated on Tuesday an expansion and renovation of its facilities. The hospital noted that the $28 million project that was “as much about promotion of good health as it is on health care.”

The updates encompass about 40,000 square feet of new space. The new Center for Health and Wellness is two stories. On top are 26 exam rooms, two waiting areas and eight nursing stations. Below, on the ground level, are new spaces for physical therapy, cardiac and pulmonary rehab, as well as rooms for fitness education and also classes. There’s also a new cafe with an eye on offering healthy food choices.

The hospital, which is the area’s largest private employer, is also offering a Prescription For Your Health program aimed at connecting patients and their primary care doctors with a wellness contract. That offering is free and includes a medical plan, an education plan — with nutrition education — and a medical fitness plan.

All of it circles the wagon on a new vision for the region and a focus on community health. “Prior to the expansion, we didn’t have the space or the vision for that,” said CEO Doug Bentz in a news release. “The vision came out of our goal of focusing on health and wellness, and it drove much of the redevelopment of the hospital.”

Jim Wallace
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Artist-blacksmith Jeff Fetty created a new vase with flowers piece called “Rising Spirits” that is dedicated to hospital workers and those who have lost loved ones in the pandemic.

Other renovations in the project are focused on the front of the building, giving it a new look for visitors. That includes a sculpture created by artist-blacksmith Jeff Fetty. It features a large, colorful vase filled with flowers. Named “Rising Spirits,” the work honors hospital employees and those who have lost loved ones during the pandemic.

The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development as well as hospital contributions.

“Diseases Of Despair” Deaths Drop Slightly But Still Higher In Appalachia Than U.S.

New research shows that deaths due to the mix of substance abuse and suicides known as “diseases of despair” declined slightly in 2018. But the mortality rates throughout the Ohio Valley and Appalachian region are still higher than the national average.

A report from the Appalachian Regional Commission found that overall mortality rates from diseases of despair, which include suicide, liver disease, and overdoses, decreased between 2017 and 2018 — the first decline since 2012.

But the research, done by the Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis and Center for Rural Health Research at East Tennessee State University, shows those mortality rates are still disproportionately higher for Appalachia compared to the rest of the United States.

“What’s interesting about this is how you define the decline,” Michael Meit explained.

Meit is the director of research and programs at the Center for Rural Health Research at ETSU and an author of the report.

He said that the region’s diseases of despair mortality rate only decreased by one percentage point.

“In 2015, diseases of despair as a group was 37% higher in the Appalachian region compared to the rest of the nation and now 2018 data shows it’s 36% higher.”

By using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mortality rates, researchers are able to keep track of what’s happening in the region; 2018 is the most recent data on record.

What Meit found most interesting is the profile shift of the types of deaths within the region.

“Where things changed is that the disparity in overdose went down considerably from 65 % higher to 48% higher,” Meit explained. “But that was then balanced out by suicide which went from 20% higher to 30% higher and alcohol liver disease which went from 8% higher to 13% higher.”

He said the decline in diseases of despair mortality could be driven by a shift from opioid use to methamphetamines and the decline of overdose deaths.

“It’s easy to overdose on opioids, particularly when fentanyl came around. That led to the spike in overdose mortality. Methamphetamine does not typically lead to fatal overdose unless it is spiked with fentanyl or something else,” Meit said.

As a whole, there are still major challenges in diseases of despair within the region.

The diseases of despair mortality rate among 25 to 54-year-olds in Appalachia was 43% higher than the rest of the nation and disparities among women were larger in 2018 compared to the rest of the country.

ARC Federal Co-Chairman Tim Thomas said in a press release that the Appalachian region still needs support.

“This report highlights why ARC’s economic development efforts are so critical when it comes to addressing issues like substance abuse,” Thomas said.

Researchers are anticipating the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic may have on disease of despair mortality rates in the future.

The reports notes that “the impact of COVID-19 will likely lead to an increase in mortality from disease of despair, particularly as the Appalachian region and the rest of the United States experience economic challenges as a result of the pandemic, isolation, and limitations on access to in-person treatment and recovery support.”

Meit said anecdotal evidence suggests that there could be an increase in overdose deaths in 2020. That data won’t be available until late 2021 or 2022.

The Ohio Valley Resource is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and our Partner Stations.

WVU Researchers Tackle Lyme Disease As Climate Change Expands Its Reach

Researchers at West Virginia University have received a nearly $2 million federal grant to develop a vaccine for the tick borne illness Lyme disease.

The infusion of research dollars comes as cases of the bacterial infection, spread through the bite of an infected tick, are on the rise nationwide and in West Virginia.

Originally thought to be found primarily in colder, northern regions, today Lyme disease affects an estimated 300,000 people nationwide. In recent years reported cases in West Virginia have risen from 35 in 2000 to nearly 700 in 2018, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency now categorizes West Virginia as one of 14 states with a “high incidence” of the disease.

For many people, symptoms look like a bad cold or flu, sometimes accompanied by a bull’s-eye rash. If caught early, it can be treated with antibiotics. However, some who are infected with Lyme are left with devastating long-term health problems such as arthritis, meningitis and inflammation of the heart and brain.

“It may not have the high fatality rates, but it has a serious drain on the way people live their lives and contribute to society,” said Timothy Driscoll, an assistant biology professor and head of the Vector-Borne Disease Laboratory at West Virginia University.

The five-year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is being led by Mariette Barbier, assistant professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology.

The team is focusing on developing a vaccine that would protect against the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, called Borrelia. The team is also approaching a Lyme vaccine differently than the way most vaccines are developed.

“Rather than taking the whole pathogen, and injecting it, what we’re asking is ‘what are the most important antigens that our immune system recognizes … and [we’ll] just use those,” Barbier said.

Climate Connection

Experts say climate change is playing a role in the expansion of Lyme disease. Richard Ostfeld, a disease ecologist with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, has studied ticks for about three decades. He said Lyme disease is spreading across the country, in part because of a warming climate.

“As the climate warms, the length of the warm period of the year increases,” Ostfeld said. “So, you get more frost-free days in the fall and in the spring, and that looks like it’s important in giving the ticks a greater chance to find hosts, animal hosts, like mice and chipmunks.”

But it’s not the only piece of the puzzle. Human expansion into habitat that was once wild increases the changes people will encounter tick-carrying creatures. Ostfeld said small mammals that are often tick carriers also survive well in our new strip malls and suburbs.

“And they are crucial in the proliferation of Lyme disease because they support tick population growth, and they support tick infection,” he said.

Vaccine development could take upwards of 10 years. There are other Lyme vaccine candidates in development, but as the range of Lyme disease grows, Driscoll said so too has the need for a preventative measure like a vaccine.

“As its range has increased, and we’ve seen it coming into West Virginia, we want to try to cut it off at the pass and see if we can not get knocked back,” he said.

If the WVU vaccine is shown to work in modeling, the team will work with potential commercial partners to put it through clinical trials, and eventually on the market.

W.Va. Governor, Health Leaders Urge Caution As COVID-19 Statistics Take A Turn For The Worse

West Virginia’s governor and health officials warned in a news conference Wednesday afternoon that the state’s reproductive and daily positive rates for COVID-19 were noticeably high.

In fact, West Virginia’s reproductive rate – 1.35 as of Wednesday, per the governor – has been the highest in the country for the last four days, according to coronavirus czar Clay Marsh.

The Mountain State had a daily positivity rate for the coronavirus of 7.78 percent Wednesday, the highest since reaching roughly 12 percent in mid-April, according to data posted on the state’s COVID-19 response website.

“West Virginia, we are absolutely getting worse by the day,” Gov. Jim Justice said Wednesday, shortly after listing off four new coronavirus deaths to reporters at a virtual press briefing. More than 250 West Virginians have died of COVID-19 since March. 

“You need to all know that everyone is trying their hardest to do the very best that they possibly, possibly can for you,” Justice said. “But West Virginians, you’re going to have to buckle down.”

The state’s dreary outlook hit less than a month after the governor was touting the state’s lower coronavirus-related statistics – throughout the first four weeks of August, the DHHR reported that West Virginia had daily positive rates of less than 4 percent. 

“It’s really, really important that everybody be particularly committed to protecting yourselves and protecting each other,” Marsh said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding close contact with individuals outside of one’s household and wearing face coverings in public settings. 

Forty-six out of 55 county school districts opened for in-person classes on Tuesday. Nine counties with high daily averages of coronavirus cases, according to a color-coded county alert system from the state, were not allowed to hold in-person classes this week.

On Wednesday, Justice announced Pocahontas County toward the southeast end of the state was the latest to go orange, referring to the second worst color on the map.

“We’re reviewing to make absolutely certain that Pocahontas County is absolutely, legitimately orange, but for what we know at this moment, it is,” Justice said.

West Virginia Public Health Officer Ayne Amjad later clarified that the county went from yellow to orange this week after 10 new people tested positive for the coronavirus in the 8,400-person county on Tuesday.

“We are going to review some information for that county over the next day or so,” Amjad said.

Outbreaks And Testing

The governor reported on Wednesday there were 32 outbreaks in long-term care facilities throughout the state and four church-related outbreaks.

According to data from the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation posted Wednesday, there were more than 30 active cases of COVID-19 among prisoners at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex in Fayette County. The DCR reported that more than 130 prisoners at Mount Olive have recovered from the coronavirus, and roughly 60 test results for that facility are still pending.

The governor said Wednesday more than 20 employees for Mount Olive have active COVID-19 cases.

Two more prisoners in the regional jails also have active coronavirus cases, one in Charleston and another in Cabell County.

Statewide, West Virginia health officials report there have been more than 463,000 coronavirus tests since March.

West Virginia has had 11,800 confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus, nearly 2,800 of which were active Wednesday.

The DHHR reported more than 8,700 West Virginians have recovered from the virus since March. However, experts nationwide are still learning how COVID-19 continues to impact patients following recovery from the disease.

“Most people need to follow up with their health care providers for those questions,” Amjad said Wednesday. “Of course, we know of the case of the child that was here in West Virginia [who was diagnosed with Multi-Inflammatory Syndrome in Children], and it’s very important for children who have COVID-19 to follow up with their health care providers. As far as adults go, we do think it’s important as well, and we do see a lot of aftereffects. We’ve seen things with the heart, definitely, and even vascular issues.”

Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member. 
 

Coronavirus Claims 9 More Senior Citizens In West Virginia

The toll on West Virginia’s older population during the coronavirus pandemic kept mounting with the reported deaths Thursday of nine senior citizens from six different counties.

One of the deadliest days yet during the virus outbreak pushed the number of deaths statewide to 199, an increase of 71% this month alone. West Virginia began the month of August with 116 deaths.

The deaths reported Thursday by the Department of Health and Human Resources included three residents of Logan County, two from Monroe County and one apiece from Clay, Fayette, Kanawha and Mercer counties.

The deaths were reported a day after West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice made yet another plea for residents to wear masks, keep their distances and self-quarantine upon returning from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a favorite vacation destination.

“We have got to be more careful for our elderly,” Justice said Wednesday.

The virus usually results in only mild to moderate symptoms, but is particularly dangerous for the elderly and people with other health problems.

West Virginia has the nation’s third-oldest population with nearly 20% of its 1.8 million residents over age 65.

City of Charleston Hires New Mental Health Coordinator Amid COVID Concerns

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing added stress and anxiety across the nation and the globe. West Virginia’s capital city has responded by hiring a mental health coordinator to respond to growing local needs.

“This is a really stressful period, even for those who were not experiencing challenges before,” said Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin, acknowledging financial stressors, evictions, childcare and other health issues that are impacting mental health.

Goodwin said Charleston has seen an increase in calls to 9-1-1 from people wanting help and needing somebody to talk to. She says a mental health coordinator will help increase the city’s capacity to get that assistance to more families.

The funds to support this new position will come from the CARES Act, federal money that Congress passed in March in response to the COVID crisis. The CARES Act contains additional funding that cities can apply for, through the Community Development Block Grants Program. 

The Mental Health Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating the work of a Mental Health Response Team. The team will include City of Charleston staff, mental health experts, homeless shelters and social service providers. 

If you want someone to talk to or need mental health assistance, West Virginia has a free emotional strength helpline for COVID-19-related stress. Call: 1-877-HELP304 Or text 1-877-435-7304 Chat: http://help304.com  This hotline can connect you to a crisis counselor for stress-management strategies, community resources and referrals.

 

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