Katherine Hill Calloway, D. O., MPH
Chief Medical Director, HospiceCare West Virginia, and Regional Assistant Dean, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Written by Megan Bevins
As young Katherine Hill Calloway spent time with her grandfather, a coal-camp doctor who cared for West Virginians for over 50 years, she learned an important lesson that would stick with her forever— when you see a need, you step into it. Eventually, this mindset led her to pursue a career in health care.
Calloway studied sports medicine and medical anthropology at Wake Forest University, going on to pursue a Master of Public Health at Boston University.
“ My education gave me two things: perspective and purpose,” Calloway says.
In 1992, Calloway began international work in border camps in Cambodia. This experience inspired her to pursue a path of global service, leading to roles such as health officer for worldwide organizations; work on HIV and AIDS initiatives with the Clinton Foundation and Emory in Mozambique and Rwanda; rural community health care work in Honduras; and diabetes initiatives in rural Italy.
After returning home to West Virginia, Calloway decided to further her education at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine( WVSOM).
“ I was drawn to the philosophy of treating the whole person— mind, body and spirit— and to the belief that
Photo by Jesse Jones.
connection, compassion and hands-on care are central to healing,” she says.
In 2010, Calloway’ s family experienced the devastating loss of her sister. As they navigated profound grief, hospice became a source of great comfort, opening her eyes to how this kind of support system can bring peace to the most difficult experiences. This inspired Calloway to pursue hospice in her own career.
“ I knew I wanted to contribute to that same mission here in West Virginia— to help strengthen hospice care across our state and ensure families receive the kind of compassionate, human-centered support that helped mine,” she says.
In totality, Calloway practices family medicine, hospice, palliative care and osteopathic medicine, with additional work in chronic disease management and integrative approaches. She works in academic medicine as well, a field which came with an additional pull: the opportunity for mentorship, something she says has been one of the most meaningful parts of her career.
“ Guiding students through clinical challenges, career decisions and personal growth reminds me that leadership
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