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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: West Virginia

Wild . . . But Not So Wonderful - Responding to Injection Drug Use in West Virginia
Discusses the progress of the opioid crisis, including co-occurring diseases, in West Virginia. Explores barriers and limitations to treatment, stigma, and harm reduction programs. Highlights considerations for policymakers.
Author(s): Robin A. Pollini
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 354–355
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
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Estimating the Number of People Who Inject Drugs in A Rural County in Appalachia
Demonstrates how a group of researchers conducted data collection in Cabell County, West Virginia in June and July 2018, to estimate the number of people who inject drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Features statistics including demographics and breakdowns by type of drug injected.
Author(s): Sean T. Allen, Allison O'Rourke, Rebecca Hamilton White, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 445-450
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
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Rural Hospital Closures and the Fifth District
Discusses reasons for rural hospital closures as well as the resulting consequences on communities, including decreased healthcare access, loss of jobs, and more. Emphasizes hospital closures in the Fifth Federal Reserve District and provides recommendations to policymakers and government leaders.
Author(s): Emily Wavering Corcoran, Sonya Ravindranath Waddell
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
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An Innovative Approach to Care: Integrating Mental Health Services Through Telemedicine in Rural School-based Health Centers
Presents a study on the use of telemedicine to provide behavioral healthcare to rural children and adolescents through school-based health centers. Discusses the West Virginia Children's Access Network (WVCAN) and evaluates the successes and shortcomings of both the school-based health center model and telemedicine at providing behavioral healthcare to rural children.
Author(s): Taniya Pradhan, E. Ashley Six-Workman, Kari-Beth Law
Citation: Psychiatric Services, 70(3), 239-242
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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Aging in Appalachia
Episodes of the radio program "Inside Appalachia," exploring challenges faced by elderly people in Appalachia, and the resources available to them. Topics include caregiver shortages, Alzheimer's disease, dying with dignity, and isolation and loneliness.
Date: 2019
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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Williamson Health and Wellness Center (WHWC): Community Health Worker Care Coordination Program, West Virginia
Brief overview of a care coordination program using a team of community health workers, a registered nurse, and a nurse practitioner. Discusses the program's sustainability efforts, as well as key takeaways about the program. The program was funded under the Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Grant Program from 2015-2018 and received additional philanthropic funding through a public-private partnership.
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Identifying Priority and "Bright-Spot" Counties for Diabetes Preventive Care in Appalachia: An Exploratory Analysis
Details a study of type 2 diabetes prevalence and mortality in rural Appalachian counties and compares rates with non-Appalachian counties.
Author(s): Peter J. Mallow, Michael Topmiller, Jennifer Rankin, Jene Grandmont, David Grolling
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 1(1), 27-33
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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Serum Cotinine Versus Parent Reported Measures of Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Rural Appalachian Children
Highlights a study of secondhand smoke exposure in Appalachian children. Features data collected from children aged 7-9 and compares rates to national and Appalachian-state rates.
Author(s): Samrat Yeramaneni, Kimberly Yolton, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Kim N. Dietrich, Erin N. Haynes
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 1(1), 15-26
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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The Social Determinants of Health and the Decline in U.S. Life Expectancy: Implications for Appalachia
Study explores life expectancy in the U.S. and compares these trends to those in Appalachia. Looks at social determinants of health such as substance use, injuries, and suicide, among others, as possible contributing factors.
Author(s): Steven H. Woolf, Heidi Schoomaker, Latoya Hill, Christine M. Orndahl
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 1(1), 6-14
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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Red Flags and Warning Signs Ignored: Opioid Distribution and Enforcement Concerns in West Virginia
Report highlights a U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce investigation into the opioid crisis in West Virginia. Examines the policies of the various drug distribution companies who shipped opioids into the state, as well as the effectiveness of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) oversight.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Energy and Commerce
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