U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Story Archives - Page 2 of 6

West Virginia University Receives Federal Funding for Alzheimer’s Research

West Virginia University has been awarded federal funds to expand research into Alzheimer’s disease.

WVU was awarded more than $420,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for research into stroke and Alzheimer’s disease related dementias.

In a joint statement, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin said that Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 39,000 West Virginians, and that stroke is the seventh leading cause of death in West Virginia.

“Having cared for both of my parents who suffered from Alzheimer’s, I understand the impact that this disease and others can have on caregivers and families,” Capito said.

The announcement comes after WVU chemistry major Rachel McNeel presented her research on early detection of Alzheimer’s to Congress earlier this week.

Nationally, the CDC estimated in 2020 that nearly 6 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease. Officials expect that number to triple by 2060.

Five W.Va. Health Centers To Receive $8.3 Million In Grants

Five health centers in West Virginia will receive a total of $8.3 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

West Virginia’s two U.S. senators, Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Shelley Moore Capito, announced the funding.

“Providing the resources these facilities need is a crucial component to maintaining operations and helps our health professions do their jobs safely and efficiently,” Capito said in a news release.

Manchin said the centers need adequate funding to provide care for West Virginia residents, especially as the coronavirus pandemic further strains providers.

The awards are $2.2 million to Cabin Creek Health Centers; $1.9 million to Wirt County Health Service Association, $1.8 million to Lincoln Center Primary Care Center, $1.2 million to Valley Health Care and $1.19 million to Belington Community Medical Services Association.

Report: West Virginia Has One Of The Highest Death Rates In The U.S.

A new report shows that West Virginia is one of five states with the highest death rates in the country. The leading cause is heart disease.

In 2017, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia had the highest death rates in the U.S., according to a report released Thursday from the National Center for Health Statistics.

States with the lowest death rates in 2017 were California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnesota and New York. Death rate is calculated as the percent of a population that dies within a given time.

Along with heart disease, other leading causes of death were cancer, stroke and lower respiratory diseases like pulmonary disease.

If you were a young or middle aged adult living in one of the five states with the highest death rates in 2017, you were more than twice as likely to die than your peers living in one of the states with the lowest death rates.

Nationwide, deaths among men were higher than women.

The older you get, especially for people in the 85 plus range, the gap between states with the highest rates and lowest death rates closes.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from Marshall Health and Charleston Area Medical Center.

W.Va. Black Lung Clinics to Receive $1.9 Million

Nearly $2 million in federal funds will be awarded to West Virginia to help support the state’s black lung clinics.

West Virginia is expected to receive $1,954,576 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin made the announcement in a Friday news release.

The funding will support the West Virginia Black Lung Clinics Program, which aims to provide primary and specialized health care services for coal miners and their families.

These clinics conduct outreach and education in the communities where they operate to provide holistic care to those suffering from black lung and other respiratory illnesses.

According to an NPR investigation in 2018, at least 2,000 former coal miners are suffering with Black Lung Disease across the United States, with many of those cases found in Central Appalachia.

Federal Government Awards $1.7 Million for West Virginia Health

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $1.7 million for health care programs in West Virginia.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said in a news release the funding is to combat mental health disorders and provide primary care services for mothers and children.

Of the total, $1.5 million will go to maternal and child health services, $102,000 is for suicide prevention and education at Marshall University and $95,000 is for the Statewide Family Network Program.

Medicare Stops Payments at Psychiatric Hospital

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says Medicare has halted payments to a West Virginia psychiatric hospital because it is not in compliance with the program’s requirements for a psychiatric hospital.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports Medicare will not make payments for beneficiaries who are admitted to William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital effective Wednesday. Officials say it will continue to make payments for up to 30 days for beneficiaries admitted before Wednesday.

The department’s termination letter does not specify the requirements with which the Weston hospital did not comply, but state officials said they were aware of the details.

“The main reasons for the decision were due to inadequate documentation and insufficient treatment plans and follow up,” DHHS spokeswoman Allison Adler said. “Secretary (Bill) Crouch continues to work with CMS regarding this issue in regards to the final determination.”

She added, “The health and well-being of the patients will remain our priority.”

Federal officials did not respond to the newspaper’s request for additional information about the Sharpe Hospital termination.

Sharpe Hospital is one of two state-run psychiatric hospitals in West Virginia. The 150-bed acute-care facility opened in 1994.