CHARLESTON, W.Va. (The Hinton News) – Governor Patrick Morrisey joined hospital leaders from across the state to celebrate the West Virginia Hospital Association’s 100th anniversary and highlight the administration’s work to improve healthcare outcomes, strengthen the healthcare workforce, and help more West Virginians return to work.
Watch Governor Morrisey’s speech here.
“West Virginia hospitals are woven into the life and economy of our state,” said Governor Morrisey. “For so many years, hospitals have been there for our families and communities. Now, we have an incredible opportunity to work together to improve healthcare outcomes, get more West Virginians healthy and back to work, and build a stronger state for the next generation.”
West Virginia hospitals care for approximately 1.4 million patients annually, directly employ nearly 57,000 West Virginians, and support tens of thousands of additional jobs. Hospitals also invest more than $100 million annually in community programs and education, including efforts that bring healthcare directly into rural communities.
West Virginia secured nearly $200 million in first-year funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program. The state is already deploying those resources to improve access to care, strengthen the healthcare workforce, reduce administrative burdens on providers, and improve healthcare outcomes.
“Thanks to President Trump, West Virginia secured $199 million this year to transform rural healthcare, and we are already putting that money to work,” said Governor Morrisey. “This week alone, we announced investments at Stonewall Jackson Memorial and other rural hospitals, a new TeleHub at Broaddus Hospital, and new technology through Vandalia Health. And that’s just the beginning.”
This week’s investments include technology at rural hospitals to reduce documentation burdens and give providers more time with patients, the Mansfield Place TeleHub at Broaddus Hospital to expand access to specialty and behavioral healthcare, and technology through Vandalia Health to improve prior authorization and coding.
Improving healthcare outcomes is central to the administration’s effort to increase West Virginia’s workforce participation rate. Too many West Virginians remain outside the workforce because health conditions make it difficult or impossible for them to work. Rural health transformation provides an opportunity to improve those outcomes and help more people return to the workforce.
