Matthew Christiansen Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

An Earthquake, A New Attorney General And The First Lady Of Gospel, This West Virginia Week

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State.

On this West Virginia Week, whoa, was that an earthquake? We’ll speak to a geologist about an earth-shaking event around Huntington. We’ll catch up with the state’s health officer as he leaves his post. And we’ll ask West Virginia’s incoming attorney general about his priorities for the office.

We’ll also hear the latest on a controversial water bottling plant proposed for Jefferson County. We’ll remember West Virginia’s first lady of gospel, and we’ll see why Google has asked to participate in a case before the West Virginia Public Service Commission.

Curtis Tate is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Caelan Bailey, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Following His Resignation, Health Officer Reflects On 4 Years In W.Va. Government

After two years as West Virginia’s State Health Officer and four years working to improve the state’s health through the government, Dr. Matthew Christiansen resigned on Friday, Dec. 13. On Monday, he spoke with West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Health Reporter, Emily Rice about his time in state government and what the future may hold.

The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.

Rice: State Health Officer was just one of the many hats that you wear in the healthcare industry in West Virginia. What made you decide to step down from this position?

Christiansen: This is really a personal decision. I’ve been in state government for about four years now, and never imagined myself being here quite this long. I brought a lot from my time in practice in medicine, experience from that practice, and don’t want to overstay my time in government where I lose sight of some of the real problems and issues that people are facing on the ground. So for me, from a career standpoint, this is really time for me to get back to the practice of medicine and get back to rolling up my sleeves on the ground in the community and trying to do work and make progress for health in West Virginia in a little bit of a different way.

Rice: Who will make the decision on who your replacement will be?

Christiansen: So I don’t know the full answer to that. I presume that that will be up to, you know, either negotiations between Governor Justice and Governor-elect Morrissey, or Governor-elect Morrisey when he takes over at the beginning of next year.

Rice: Just in general, I was wondering, what does a state health officer do? What all was under your purview by the time all was said and done, kind of leading into what qualifications will the new state health officer need to have?

Christiansen: The state health officer role is a is a very dynamic role. It does require you to be a physician, but also to be a good administrator and a good communicator. You work with a lot of multi-disciplinary teams across the state, not only in the Bureau for Public Health and the Department of Health, but if you’re doing the job well and doing it to its fullest extent, you’re also engaging with other outside entities like health care organizations, hospitals, community health centers, traditional public health organizations like local health departments and WIC programs and many, many others. And so it is predominantly a health strategist role where you think about some of the biggest problems that West Virginia is facing, and what sort of assets West Virginia has, you know, whether it’s whether that’s from a funding standpoint, a political capital standpoint, a human resources standpoint, to try to be able to address some of those issues.

Rice: Do you know who will run the West Virginia fatality and mortality review team?

Christiansen: We have a strong team there that’s working on that program, Deputy Commissioners and others, the process that we redesigned lives in the office of Maternal, Child, and Family Health, but it also works very closely with our vital statistics unit and the office of chief medical examiner. And so those processes will all continue as well as will all of the boards and commissions and panels that run through the Bureau for Public Health will continue on.

Rice: What were your favorite or most impactful initiatives during your time as West Virginia’s state health officer?

Christiansen: Well, I’m really, I’m really proud of the work that we did in rebuilding trust in the Bureau for Public Health and in the institution of public health in West Virginia after COVID-19, obviously, there has been a big deterioration of trust in public health, which at its core is a misunderstanding about the goals of public health. And we did a lot of work to rebuild stakeholder engagement groups, teams with healthcare, with, again, traditional public health organizations and other nontraditional partners to talk about the really great work that happens behind the scenes in public health. One of the things I’m proud of is going out and visiting every single health department in the state, which is a first, as far as I know, a first for a health officer, and again, rebuilding that relationship so that when, when the next crisis hits, when the next whether it’s a flood or a pandemic or an issue that comes that threatens the health of West Virginians, there will be a strong infrastructure and backbone there to support action and to support the solution for West Virginians. I’m also really, I’m really proud of the statewide anti-vaping campaign that we started. It has reached every county but two, as I understand as we currently sit. And we also built internal processes like leadership development programs for staff and a process for establishing outcomes for each office and division and every unit across the Bureau for Public Health, so that we can have clear, measurable outcomes for every office. And most of all, I’m proud of all the friendships and the relationship that I’ve built over the course of four years in state government, that the people that do the work in these agencies that is oftentimes thankless work, come to work every day with clear-eyed vision to protect the people West Virginia and advance their health. And it’s just been an honor to work with them and lead such a dedicated group of public servants.

Rice: What is next for you? Will you focus your work on the West Virginia First Foundation?

Christiansen: That will be a component of my work. I’m looking at options, but you know, certainly, I am dedicated to the health of West Virginia and finding new ways to address health issues here in the state, I do look forward to getting back to the practice of medicine and to seeing patients again, which for me, is a joy like no other. You know, to be able to sit down across from someone and have them share some of their critical issues and share trust is something that, as a physician, something that has been, over the past few years, very, very difficult for me to give up, and so I really look forward to getting back to that, but certainly staying active in public health as well.

State Health Officer Discusses Legacy And W.Va’s Seismic Activity, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia’s state health officer discusses his legacy after his resignation, and understanding the state’s seismic activity after an earthquake in the Ohio Valley Monday.

On this West Virginia Morning, after two years as West Virginia’s State Health Officer and four years working to improve the state’s health through the government, Dr. Matthew Christiansen resigned on Friday, Dec. 13. He spoke with health reporter, Emily Rice about his time in state government and what the future may hold.

And earthquakes are relatively infrequent in West Virginia, but one on Monday was strong enough to be felt in the Huntington area. Curtis Tate spoke with Tom Pratt, a U.S. Geological Survey research geophysicist, about seismic activity in the region.

Also in this episode, a Kanawha County teacher is awarded for his excellent work, and Gov. Jim Justice certifies the results of the General Election.

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 and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Eric Douglas 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

W.Va. State Health Officer Resigns

Updated on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024 at 4 p.m.

The West Virginia Department of Health (DH) announced Monday that the state’s health officer had resigned.

The resignation from Dr. Matthew Christiansen was submitted on Friday. He told West Virginia Public Broadcasting he plans to return to his medical practice and serve his local community.

Christiansen has worked in West Virginia’s state government for about four years, first overseeing the Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP) until he was appointed state health officer by Gov. Jim Justice in January 2023.

In announcing Christiansen’s departure on Monday, the West Virginia Department of Health (DH) highlighted his achievements as State Health Officer and thanked him for his service.

“I would like to thank Dr. Christiansen for his time serving as state health officer,” DH Secretary Sherri Young said in a press release. “We wish him nothing but the best as he explores new opportunities.”

During his tenure, Christiansen worked to rebuild the public’s trust by visiting all 48 local health departments in West Virginia and launching monthly engagement calls to coordinate support for those departments.

“One of the things I’m proud of is going out and visiting every single health department in the state, which is a first, as far as I know of, for a state health officer and rebuilding that relationship, so that when the next crisis hits, when the next whether it’s a flood or a pandemic or some of an issue that comes that threatens the health of West Virginians, there will be a strong infrastructure and backbone there to support, to support action and to support the solution for West Virginians,” Christiansen said.

Christiansen also said he is proud to have launched the state’s first anti-vaping campaign targeting youth.

According to the DH release, Christiansen established outcome measures for every office and division within the Bureau for Public Health (BPH) and restructured the Fatality-Mortality Review Team process.

Christiansen told West Virginia Public Broadcasting on Monday afternoon that he is ready to return to his medical practice.

“(I) don’t want to overstay my time in government, where I lose sight of some of the real problems and issues that people are facing on the ground,” Christiansen said. “So for me, from a career standpoint, this is really time for me to get back to the practice of medicine, and get back to rolling up my sleeves on the ground in the community.”

Christiansen will continue to represent Region Five on the board of the West Virginia First Foundation, the nonprofit responsible for dispersing the state’s opioid settlement money. He is also the organization’s vice chair.

With upcoming swearings-in and administration changes in January 2025, it is currently unclear who will appoint West Virginia’s next state health officer.

A representative from Gov. Jim Justice’s office provided West Virginia Public Broadcasting with a copy of Christiansen’s resignation letter via email and directed reporters to ask the Gov. during his next briefing if he plans to appoint Christiansen’s replacement before he is sworn in as a U.S. Senator in January 2025.

The following day, during Justice’s Dec. 17 administrative briefing, he said he will leave the appointment of the state’s next Health Officer to Governor-elect Patrick Morrisey.

“I think we should leave that to Patrick and his team,” Justice said. “You know, it’s too tight and everything. And I think they’ll do a good job picking somebody, and I think that ought to be their pick.”

Governor-elect Morrisey’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

**Editor’s Note: This story was updated to include Gov. Justice’s decision not to appoint a state health officer, which allows Gov.-elect Patrick Morrisey to fill the position after he takes office.

Opioid Settlement Foundation Commits $20 Million To New Program

The organization responsible for West Virginia’s opioid settlement money committed $20 million to an outcomes-based addiction recovery project.

In a special meeting of the West Virginia First Foundation (WVFF), the nonprofit’s board approved $20 million for the Appalachian Continuum of Care for Overdose Reduction Network (ACCORN) project.

While the board approved the $20 million commitment, a Monday afternoon press release clarified that WVFF must submit a formal application to the federal government for approval and funding. Final decisions are expected in early 2025.

This allocation is not part of the foundation’s Initial Opportunity Grant cycle, which was approved in September with a total of $19.2 million available in funding.That money will be sent to communities and organizations that apply for the money.

Executive Director Jonathan Board said while working through those grant applications, the foundation discovered other programs that might help fight the opioid epidemic.

“These things were happening all sort of concurrently, along with our Initial Opportunity Grants process, and we’re excited to have an opportunity to discuss one of these that has gone through this process here today,” Board said.

Dr. Matthew Christiansen, Region Four representative and state health officer, presented the financial structure of the ACCORN project to the board.

“It’s outcomes-based,” Christiansen said. “We wouldn’t pay unless they meet the measures on the front end. This is not money that goes out the door without accountability.”

Board told the WVFF board the ACCORN project has three measures it will focus on to improve outcomes to qualify to receive ARPA-H HEROES funding.

The first measure aims to reduce the number of infants born exposed to illicit drugs in West Virginia, called neonatal abstinence syndrome, also known as NAS.

West Virginia leads the nation in rates of infants born with NAS, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with 68 out of every 1,000 babies born in the state exposed to drugs in 2020.

The criteria for payment by the state will be a 10 percent reduction in rates of NAS after year two and a 15 percent reduction after year three.

The second measure aims to reduce the state’s rate of recidivism, the tendency for an offender to relapse into criminal behavior after their release from custody.

According to the most recent available data from West Virginia’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2020, West Virginia’s recidivism rate was 29.25 percent over a three-year period.

In a 2020 press release, DHS said among all the individuals released in 2016, nearly 21 percent had been convicted of drug-related offenses and their recidivism rate was 24 percent.

Jeff Sandy, former cabinet secretary of the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security and WVFF board member, said during Monday’s virtual meeting he is hopeful the ACCORN project will bring rates of recidivism down.

“I stress the importance of trying to do something to make life better for our convicted individuals in the state who have served their time and they’ve come out and they need help,” Sandy said. “They need help so they do not go back to their future ways, and this program has a branch of it that is designed to help those individuals who, when they get out of prison, they need support.”

The third and final measure requires participants in any ACCORN-funded program to be drug-screened twice per month.
The foundation’s most recent financial statement available on the website is from Oct. 31 and reflects a balance of about $226 million in the account.

W.Va.’s First Case Of Measles In More Than A Decade Contained

West Virginia’s first case of measles in 15 years was reported on April 22.

The Department of Health announced Friday that West Virginia’s first case of measles in 15 years is officially contained.

The case was reported on April 22 in Monongalia County and linked to international travel.

According to a press release from the Department of Health (DH) Friday, May 10 marked the last day when all first-degree contacts with the infected individual passed their monitoring period.

“Thanks to a swift and comprehensive response through aggressive contact tracing and cooperation from the public, I am pleased to report no additional cases of measles have been reported,” said Health Secretary Sherri Young.

Local health departments and the DH tracked more than 150 people who were potentially exposed, including 128 West Virginia residents from 30 counties and four states.

According to state Health Officer Matthew Christiansen, this case of measles was contained because West Virginia has strong herd immunity against the disease.

“The reason this case of measles was able to be contained is because West Virginia has strong herd immunity, which protects vulnerable people – infants, immunocompromised people, and older adults – from the spread of deadly diseases like measles. The MMR vaccine is the best defense against measles, not only to protect yourself but your loved ones as well,” said Dr. Matthew Christiansen, State Health Officer. “While this case was contained, outbreaks of the virus continue to plague other states. We encourage all West Virginians to check their vaccination records and get vaccinated if they are not immune.”

Despite recent legislative challenges, both doses of the measles vaccine are required for a child to enter kindergarten in West Virginia.

On March 27, Gov. Jim Justice vetoed a bill to ease vaccine requirements for many of the state’s school-age children.

On the final day of bill signing from the 2024 regular legislative session, Justice vetoed House Bill 5105.

The controversial bill would have changed West Virginia’s vaccination requirements by allowing virtual public school students to be exempt from vaccination policies and for private and parochial schools to institute their own policies either exempting students or not.

According to a press release from the DH this measles case highlights the importance of staying up to date on vaccinations.

The measles vaccine is typically given in two doses with the first recommended between 12 and 15 months of age. The second dose is recommended between four and six years.

Unless they have other evidence of immunity, adults born after 1956 should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine, and two appropriately spaced doses of MMR vaccines are recommended for healthcare personnel, college students and international travelers.

The Bureau for Public Health recommends MMR vaccination as part of a routine vaccination schedule for all children and adults.

MMR vaccines are available through healthcare providers and local health departments across the state. To find a local health department near you, visit dhhr.gov. To learn more about MMR vaccines, visit the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention’s website.