A nonprofit is changing lives by getting West Virginians moving. When a business is considering moving into an area, after asking about infrasture, the next question is always the same—what is the workforce like? That’s why, in 2014, the New River Gorge Development Authority spun off a new nonprofit called Active Southern West Virginia (ASWV) to encourage physical exercise throughout…
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Experts at WVU Medicine address the state’s opioid epidemic with new treatment and prevention methods. Addiction, or substance use disorder, is a chronic disease. Like many chronic conditions, it is no respecter of persons—striking people of all ages, genders, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. And like some chronic diseases, such as diabetes, choices are involved in the development and perpetuation…
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West Virginia’s first female fire chief is saving lives with her compassionate approach to dealing with addicts. Long before the opioid crisis became national news, Jan Rader could see what was coming. The RN-turned-firefighter watched as her adopted hometown of Huntington became the “overdose capital of America.” She saw people reusing needles, rapidly spreading blood-borne disease. So, in 2014, she…
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The Health Plan goes the extra mile in helping members manage chronic conditions. If you’ve lived in West Virginia for a while, you’ve probably noticed a bright green apple on a billboard, in your doctor’s office, or even on your insurance card. The Health Plan’s apple logo has long been a symbol of good health and well-being, and the employees…
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The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine’s graduates and programs are making a difference in small communities throughout the state. For a small osteopathic medical school nestled in the southern West Virginia mountains, the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) is making a big impact on healthcare. As of October 2018, there were a total of 796 WVSOM graduates…
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