Tag: Veterans

Martinsburg Physicians Develop New Approaches To Rural Veteran Health Needs

A program at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center trains medical providers to better serve rural veterans, who often face a number of barriers to accessing health resources.

The Martinsburg VA Medical Center (VAMC) serves veterans across county and even state lines.

With such an expansive patient base, the medical center’s health care providers not only have to consider veteran needs, but also disparities in rural health care access — and the ways these experiences overlap.

That is where the VAMC’s local chapter of the national VA Rural Interprofessional Faculty Development Initiative (RIFDI) comes in. The voluntary program trains medical professionals to better serve rural communities, and the veterans who call them home.

Over a two-year period, the program provides physicians lectures, group discussions and project-based learning on rural health care.

So far, three cohorts have completed the program, and RIFDI is still admitting new cohorts of health care providers.

VAMC Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Zapor began the Martinsburg RIFDI program, and said that it helps fill gaps where disparities in veteran and rural health care access overlap.

Veterans living in the rural United States often have less access to stores, transit options and the internet, which limits the health care resources at their disposal, he said.

“When you’re talking about … ‘We’re going to leverage telehealth.’ Even that is not a silver bullet for everybody, because we’ve got some veterans who don’t have computers,” he said.

This requires health care providers to consider the needs of rural veterans across the region and develop strategies to better provide them with health services.

In response, RIFDI considers “innovative ways” to serve the local veteran community, Zapor said. This includes educating veterans on proper nutrition, and offering a mix of in-person and telephone-based services so veterans can choose the resources best suited to their lifestyles.

In developing these strategies, physicians also learn about the health care experiences of the patients they serve.

“We leverage all kinds of ways to be able to project that care out to the more rural remote veterans who may have more difficulty accessing it,” he said.

For more information about RIFDI, visit www.ruralhealth.va.gov.

**Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Michael Zapor founded the VA Rural Interprofessional Faculty Development Initiative (RIFDI). Instead, he launched Martinsburg’s local RIFDI program. The story has been updated with the correction.

Session Ends With Woody Williams Statue Resolution Stuck In House

The Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 30 unanimously in February. It would have placed a statue of Hershel “Woody” Williams in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.

A resolution to honor Woody Williams with a statue in the U.S. Capitol never got a vote in the House of Delegates.

The Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 30 unanimously in February. It would have placed a statue of Hershel “Woody” Williams in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.

But like hundreds of other bills during the 60-day session, it never moved in the other chamber.

Williams, who died in 2022 at age 98, was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. Williams was awarded the medal for his actions in combat in the Marine Corps at the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.

Congressional leaders paid tribute to Williams in the U.S. Capitol rotunda following his death.

His statue would have replaced that of John Kenna, a 19th century legislator. Kenna’s statue would have been relocated to the Culture Center in Charleston.

Watch West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s tribute to Williams here.

Lawmakers Talk Whether Private Schools Should Require Student Vaccinations

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there has been a lot of discussion this year about vaccines and whether they should be required in private schools, and there has been spirited debate on the topic in the last few days. Health Reporter Emily Rice spoke with Del. Chris Pritt, R-Kanawha, and Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, about this issue.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there has been a lot of discussion this year about vaccines and whether they should be required in private schools, and there has been spirited debate on the topic in the last few days. Health Reporter Emily Rice spoke with Del. Chris Pritt, R-Kanawha, and Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, about this issue.

Also, nearly 2,600 bills have been introduced this session, but fewer than 50 have completed legislative action so far. Wednesday is Crossover Day, meaning it will be the final day for bills to be passed out of their chamber of origin.

In the House, the chamber considered more than 30 bills on third reading, including proposals highlighting water service cut offs, banning mugshots, helping veterans and outlawing deep fake election material.

In the Senate, the chamber passed a bill that would require public schools to show a video on the early stages of human development – and include language that life begins at conception. They also considered bills on competitive sports teams, tobacco and exams.

And, as this year’s window for proposing new legislation draws to a close, nonprofits that support victims of domestic violence are calling for more state funding. Jack Walker has the story.

Finally, with the deadline of Crossover Day looming, committees in both chambers are working through bill after bill. Education committees in both the House and Senate moved quickly at the start of the week to advance or decline more than a dozen bills. Chris Schulz has more.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Resolution Would Place Statue Of Woody Williams In U.S. Capitol

The Senate Finance Committee approved a resolution Wednesday that will place a statue of Woody Williams in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.

War hero Hershel “Woody” Williams was honored at the U.S. Capitol following his death. Now, a statue of him could be on permanent display there.

The Senate Finance Committee approved a resolution Wednesday that will place a statue of Woody Williams in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.

His youngest grandson, Chad Graham, thanked the committee.

“We feel as a family this is such a tremendous honor and is something we were so humbled and excited to hear about,” Graham said.

Williams, the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, died in 2022 at age 98.

Lawmakers from both parties and both chambers paid tribute to Williams in the Capitol rotunda.

If the legislature approves the resolution, a statue of Williams will replace that of John Kenna, a Confederate veteran who was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

Kenna’s statue would then be moved to the Culture Center in Charleston.

Each state has two statues in Statuary Hall. West Virginia’s other notable figure is Francis Harrison Pierpont, a lawyer who became Virginia’s governor at the end of the Civil War.

The Woody Williams Foundation honors Gold Star families, those who have sacrificed loved ones in service to the country. 

Watch West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s tribute to Williams here.

Lawmakers Discuss Bill Allowing Teachers In W.Va. To Carry Firearms In Classrooms

On this episode of The Legislature Today, small and rural schools in West Virginia find it difficult to staff school resource officers and other security personnel, but a bill now making its way through the House of Delegates would allow teachers and other school staff to carry a firearm or other weapon on school grounds. Chris Schulz spoke with Del. Elliot Pritt, R-Fayette, and Del. Anitra Hamilton, D-Monongalia, for their perspective.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, in the midst of school shootings like Park View, Sandy Hook and Uvalde, school safety continues to be a pressing issue across the country.

In West Virginia, small and rural schools find it difficult to staff school resource officers and other security personnel, but a bill now making its way through the House of Delegates would allow teachers and other school staff to carry a firearm or other weapon on school grounds. Chris Schulz spoke with Del. Elliot Pritt, R-Fayette, and Del. Anitra Hamilton, D-Monongalia, for their perspective.

In the House, along with 13 bills on third reading, several resolutions were passed, and tributes were read honoring fallen West Virginia combat veterans.

In the Senate, the chamber addressed keeping West Virginia safer online. The chamber approved bills addressing ways that AI (artificial intelligence) could be used to sexually exploit children on the internet and protect the personal information of people online. Briana Heaney has more.

Also, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on Monday afternoon considered an idea as old as the nation’s founding: Creating a currency backed by gold and silver. Curtis Tate has that story.

The House and Senate Education committees started the week off by considering changes to homeschooling requirements, as well as sports outside the school. Chris Schulz has more.

Finally, West Virginia’s senior citizens took center stage this Tuesday for AARP Day at the Capitol. There is a core group of statewide AARP leaders who lobby for certain legislation just about every day of every regular session – and 2024 is no different.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

House Bills Aim To Bolster Hunting, Fishing Access For West Virginians

Two bills under consideration in the West Virginia House of Delegates aim to reinforce hunting and fishing access within the state. They passed a House committee with majority support, and will each be referred to a second committee for further deliberation.

On Wednesday, the West Virginia House of Delegates Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources voiced support for two pieces of proposed legislation that would reinforce hunting and fishing rights in the state.

House Bill 4280 would grant disabled West Virginia veterans free lifetime hunting, trapping and fishing licenses through a tax credit.

Brett McMillion, director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, testified during Wednesday’s committee meeting, and said passage of the bill would not necessarily increase the cost of hunting and fishing licenses for other West Virginians.

Still, MacMillian said it would be important for lawmakers to help the DNR access new sources of funding to offset costs incurred by the bill.

“We support our veterans one hundred percent,” he said. But “any time we have a reduction in our special revenue… it certainly does have an impact.”

Additionally, House Joint Resolution 8 would pose a new item on West Virginia ballots in the coming general election.

Under the resolution, citizens could vote to codify “the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife” in state law. The resolution stipulates that citizens must still adhere to laws on wildlife conservation and private property.

The resolution also describes hunting and fishing as a “preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife.”

Lawmakers on the committee emphasized it would be important that the resolution does not interfere with the operations of agencies like the DNR. They unanimously voted that it be referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary for discussion on the judicial implications of such a bill.

Exit mobile version