Health Care
Like community revitalization projects, partnership and collaboration are important in the health care industry. Justin Turner, MBA, chief executive officer of Logan Regional Medical Center, says the hospital works closely with the Logan County Chamber of Commerce, City of Logan and Logan County Commission to better serve patients.
One collaboration that has happened between Logan Regional, Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and the City of Logan is the Logan Medical Education Housing Complex. Through $ 1.2 million in congressionally directed funding, this one-of-a-kind facility will be designed to provide housing and support space for surgical residents training in rural Appalachia.
“ One thing in the region that’ s always been a burden is trying to find housing for medical students, residents and sometimes even doctors,” Turner says.“ I think this complex will really help.”
Logan Regional also engages with Marshall through the general surgery residency program at the hospital.
“ To my knowledge, it’ s the only one of its kind across the country because it’ s a rural residency program, and they have three residents each year that come here,” Turner says.“ It’ s a five-year program that will allow us to produce general surgeons right here in Logan.”
In addition to the residency program, other specialists from Marshall come to the hospital to help provide care.
“ Right now, somebody from Marshall Orthopaedics comes in one or two weeks a month and helps the employed orthopedic doctors we have,” Turner says.“ We are trying to bring health care closer to home for our region.”
Serving Logan, Mingo, Lincoln, Boone and Wyoming counties in West Virginia and part of Eastern Kentucky, the hospital is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
“ This hospital has been serving the region since 1926,” Turner says.“ We have an event planned that will take place on the football field at Logan High School. We’ re working with some folks right now to make this event special to commemorate the hospital’ s 100 years of service.”
BMH is also working to bring high-quality health care close to home. Harrell says the hospital is currently embarking on several new capital projects.
“ These projects include renovations and infrastructure improvements that will support the development of a new BMH Cancer Center in partnership with WVU Medicine,” he says.“ We are also expanding observation capacity at the hospital to better serve patients who require short-term monitoring and treatment.”
Harrell says the Rural Health Transformation Program has been a promising development for care in the area.
“ This first-year federal investment of nearly $ 200 million represents a significant opportunity to rethink how health care is delivered in rural communities,” he says.“ While specific projects are still being developed, the program focuses on improving access to care, strengthening the workforce and supporting innovative models of care delivery.” Wayne County has also launched its own EMS organization.“ This new service represents a major milestone for our community, ensuring reliable, around-the-clock emergency care for residents and visitors,” Thompson says.“ Its success is vital not only for public safety but also for supporting economic development and long-term growth across our county.”
The Wayne County Commission is also partnering with HealthNet Aeromedical Services on this project.
“ They have been instrumental in professionally developing and managing our new EMS startup,” Thompson says.“ Choosing a local West Virginia partner was a top priority for us, and HealthNet has been outstanding to work with every step of the way.”
Outdoor Recreation & Tourism
Outdoor recreation in Logan County is thriving thanks to the continuous growth of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails. Fekete says 13 trail systems have been built across nine counties in the region. There is a 10-year strategic plan with a long-term strategy focusing on linking these trail systems, connecting to Virginia’ s Spearhead Trails and driving sustainable economic redevelopment in Southern West Virginia through increased tourism, lodging and infrastructure.
“ We sold a little more than 93,000 trail passes in 2025,” he says.“ We are looking at a busy spring season.”
Director of Chief Logan Recreational Center Chad Akers says the building is undergoing renovations.
“ We’ re adding another building to our existing one that will house two basketball courts, two tennis courts and four pickleball courts,” Akers says.“ With this expansion, our goal is to be able to host everything from basketball tournaments, cheerleading events and wrestling to trade shows and expos.”
Akers also says a mountain coaster is being built across the street from the recreational center. The goal is to be open by Halloween and make it themed for holidays.
Locally owned businesses are opening in downtown Logan, which will enhance the visitor experience for those interested in riding the trails.
One new business is The 1910 in downtown Logan opened by owners Joanna and Rafael Rodighiero. They renovated a vacant historic building into a restaurant and are creating unforgettable experiences for customers with great food.
Main Street Coffee, another new business, provides a variety of coffee and lunch options. Several new boutiques are now open in storefront locations, and an elk-viewing platform has recently been completed as well.
Beautification projects are currently underway at Appalachian Outpost. Occupancy rates are up thanks to Dirt Trax magazine promoting Appalachian Outpost. Barnette says the company aims to focus on corporate retreat offerings in this next chapter.
“ I think that’ s something the trails have been missing,” she says.“ We have had two corporate retreats, one in 2025 and one this year. Companies can rent out all the cabins. We have a conference room and a full-service restaurant. We can put together a whole package for companies interested in a one-stop-shop experience.”
Ruffner Woody, director of operations at Devil’ s Backbone Adventure Resort, says the goal has always been to deliver a complete experience to visitors.
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