INSIDE WVSMA
Editor’ s Letter
Strengthening Organized Medicine in West Virginia
Linda S. Nield, MD
GUEST AUTHOR: Matthew A. Davis, DO, MBA, MHA
Happy 120th birthday to the West Virginia Medical Journal! The inaugural issue of our journal appeared in August 1906, and the first editor’ s letter was written by our first editor-in-chief, Dr. S. L. Jepson of Wheeling. 1
The journal is one of the long-standing membership benefits of our West Virginia State Medical Association( WVSMA), which has continually sought to improve healthcare delivery and organized medicine in the state. The strength of organized medicine in West Virginia( WV) has always been rooted in collaboration, shared purpose, and a collective commitment to advancing the health of our communities. The ongoing partnership between the WVSMA and the West Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association( WVOMA) reflects that enduring commitment and serves as a model for how physicians across specialties, training backgrounds, and practice settings can work together to address the evolving challenges facing healthcare today.
At a time when medicine continues to navigate workforce shortages, access concerns, regulatory pressures, and rapid transformation across the healthcare landscape, unity among physicians has never been more important. This spirit of collaboration will once again be showcased through the Mountain State House of Medicine Continuing Medical Education( CME) Summit at The Greenbrier, scheduled for November 5-7, 2026, in White Sulphur Springs. Under the theme Learning Together, Leading Together, the summit represents more than a CME conference; it is a statewide gathering of physician leaders dedicated to strengthening professional relationships, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, and advancing high-quality patient care across WV.
The conference will provide timely educational programming, leadership development opportunities, and discussions focused on the future of healthcare delivery, advocacy, physician wellbeing, innovation, and policy. Equally important, the CME Summit symbolizes the continued commitment of the House of Medicine to speak with a unified voice on behalf of physicians and patients throughout the Mountain State. By bringing together members of WVSMA and WVOMA in a collaborative environment, the conference reinforces the idea that medicine is strongest when physicians work together toward common goals. The partnership between these organizations continues to demonstrate that despite differences in specialty, geography, or training pathways, physicians across WV remain united in their dedication to professional excellence, patient-centered care and the longterm health of the communities they serve.
This issue’ s first scientific article highlights the importance of the role of non-physician health professionals in strengthening organized medicine in WV. Julia Miller and colleagues describe the clinical impact of a pharmacist collaborative practice agreement on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services quality outcomes for one of the state’ s most prevalent chronic disease. 2 In the second article, Abigail Rosiello and colleagues share their findings concerning the incidence of bacterial vaginosis prior to hysterectomy and discuss standardized screening of this infection. 3 In the third article, Tatiana Henriksson and Catherine Brown provide a case report about a child with refractory Kawasaki disease and confounding laboratory values. 4
REFERENCES
1. Jepson SL. Editorial: Here we are. WV Med J. 1906; 1( 1): 26.
2. Miller J, Gannon K, Wen S, Betras C, Zheng M, Hammonds W. Clinical impact of a pharmacist collaborative practice agreement on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services quality measures for diabetes. WV Med J. 2026; 122( 3): 12.
3. Rosiello A, Henderson E, Markopoulos C, Hashmi M. Incidence of Bacterial Vaginosis Prior to Hysterectomy- Should We Standardize Screening? WV Med J. 2026; 122( 3): 16.
4. Henriksson T, Brown C. A Case of refractory Kawasaki disease in a patient with confounding laboratory studies. WV Med J. 2026; 122( 3): 20.
SAVE THE DATE! May 14-15, 2027
2nd Annual Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
Have you heard about this new conference series in our state? We are spreading awareness about this great opportunity for our clinicians throughout the state and beyond to come together, exchange ideas, and strengthen the care we provide our children and families, as we strengthen organized medicine in West Virginia.
4 • www. wvsma. org