Beyond the Emergency Room
The Community Impact of West Virginia ’ s Hospitals
LORI KERSEY
Throughout the Mountain State , hospitals are not only the backbone of the health care system , they are also critical in research and medical education and an essential part of their respective communities . With more than 49,000 employees statewide and $ 11.6 billion in economic activity each year , hospitals are often among their communities ’ largest employers and a major deciding factor for businesses and families looking to relocate to the state .
While most people think of emergency rooms and surgical procedures when they think of hospitals , these community pillars also offer unique programs to meet needs — from detox and substance use treatment to on-site school-based care and ATV safety courses — all while balancing a complicated payment system that has them losing money on the patient care they provide . Prominent examples include Charleston Area Medical Center ’ s Children ’ s Advocacy Center , WVU Medicine ’ s Center for Hope and Healing and Wetzel County Hospital ’ s respite care program .
“ We do 1,000 things in hospitals , yet the vast majority of them are getting paid significantly below cost ,” says Jim Kaufman , the newly appointed president of the West Virginia Hospital Association ( WVHA ). “ We ’ re doing them because that ’ s what the community needs .”
Hospital programming in West Virginia runs the gamut from teaching locals how to manage chronic illnesses to providing free fitness centers . In the state ’ s southern coalfields , Boone Memorial Hospital ’ s Black Lung Center treats coal miners with black lung and helps them file for federal benefits . The same hospital offers help for patients suffering from substance use disorder .
At Davis Health System in Elkins , a population health coach offers patients with two or more chronic diseases one-on-one education and services to help them reach their individualized health goals . In Mason County , Pleasant Valley Hospital offers school-based health care for students that includes sports physicals , annual well-child visits and immunizations as well as ATV safety courses and drug prevention programs for students of all ages .
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