amount of medically necessary care going unpaid , which is a problem for hospitals .
“ Not only does this cause a burden for hospitals , but employers are also left with increased costs ,” Yingling says . “ If PEIA would pay the full costs of providing services and state laws prohibited technical denials of medically necessary services , hospitals would have greater flexibility to invest in new technology and provide West Virginia residents advanced care close to home .”
According to Harrison , West Virginia ’ s drug use epidemic is the most important health-related issue the state needs to address .
“ West Virginia leads the nation in drug-related deaths , by a large margin ,” he says . “ This has to change .”
While the state ’ s health care system faces challenges , hospital leaders say there are opportunities the state could be missing out on in areas like telehealth . In order for telehealth services to expand , the state ’ s broadband infrastructure needs to improve .
“ Telehealth is the talk of everyone , but again , without the last mile of connection or cell access at home , this is useless ,” says Stephen Whited , CEO of Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center in Grantsville .
To Yingling , there are many opportunities for growth that start with investment in the state ’ s broadband .
“ Continued investment in broadband to allow for increased use of telehealth and remote patient monitoring would help address access issues for state residents who often do not have transportation to and from medical appointments ,” Yingling says .
Bowling explains both telehealth services and recruitment can help hospitals increase access in rural areas of the state .
Bailey says it ’ s important that Raleigh General explores how it can leverage remote care teams and strengthen community partnerships to augment the way it delivers care .
“ We must align with primary care providers , clinicians and nurses to make sure that we are driving solutions that allow us to take care of our patients and making sure that we can keep people close to home for their care ,” Bailey says .
The leaders of Vandalia Health , which is comprised of Charleston Area Medical Center and Mon Health System , say the state should consider new ways to encourage people to move to West Virginia for health care jobs .
Similarly , Weber explains that there is an opportunity for collaboration among competing health care providers to attract and retain talent , resources and technology .
It is evident West Virginia ’ s hospitals are facing complex challenges ; however , there is hope and opportunity to grow and develop as a state and improve care for West Virginia ’ s residents . •
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