CHARLESTON, W.Va. (The Hinton News) – Governor Patrick Morrisey announced a $1,339,077 Rural Health Transformation Program award to the WVU Cancer Institute to replace the aging Bonnie’s Bus mobile mammography unit and expand access to potentially life-saving breast and lung cancer screenings in rural communities across West Virginia.
Watch the Governor’s announcement here.
“Early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve health outcomes and save lives,” Governor Morrisey said. “As we recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this investment builds on that message by helping bring cancer screenings directly into communities, reducing barriers to care, and making it easier for West Virginians to access preventive services close to home.”
The award comes through the Connected Care Grid initiative, part of West Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation Program. The investment advances Governor Morrisey’s efforts to improve healthcare outcomes by bringing preventive services closer to home, identifying serious illnesses earlier, and helping more West Virginians remain healthy, stay in the workforce, or return to work.
The award will build upon one of the nation’s most established mobile cancer screening programs. Since 2009, the WVU Cancer Institute’s mobile screening program has delivered more than 40,000 screenings and identified more than 300 cancers, helping connect rural residents with potentially life-saving breast and lung cancer screening services. Funding will replace the original Morgantown-based Bonnie’s Bus mobile mammography unit, which has been in service since 2017 and is nearing the end of its operational life, helping preserve a critical screening resource for rural and medically underserved communities across the state.
In addition to replacing the unit, the project will expand mobile screening events in high-need communities, with plans for up to 168 screening events annually and the capacity to serve more than 5,300 patients each year. The investment will optimize electronic health record (EHR) systems to identify patients due for recommended screenings, strengthen connectivity through technologies, and deploy resources to help residents navigate cancer screening, follow-up care, and other healthcare resources. These enhancements are designed to reduce barriers to preventive care while improving care coordination and early detection.
“WVU Cancer Institute has built a strong track record of bringing preventive services directly to the communities that need them most,” Dr. Arvin Singh, Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health said. “This award supports much more than a replacement vehicle. It strengthens a comprehensive statewide system that combines screening, outreach, patient navigation, and technology to help identify cancer earlier and connect patients with care sooner.”
“The Trump Administration’s Rural Health Transformation Program is giving states the resources to strengthen rural health care and better serve the people who depend on it,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “These investments will help West Virginia expand access to preventive care, detect disease earlier, and improve health outcomes for rural families across the state.”
By combining mobile screening services, patient navigation, advanced technology, and stronger community partnerships, the project will help reduce disparities in cancer screening and improve access to care across rural West Virginia. The investment supports the long-term goal of identifying cancer earlier, improving outcomes, and ensuring more West Virginians can access high-quality care close to home.
Additional awards will be announced as WV continues implementing its RHTP to improve healthcare outcomes, expand access to care, strengthen the healthcare workforce, and help more West Virginians get healthy and return to work.
This press release is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of the financial assistance award totaling $199,476,098.72 with 100% funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor endorsement by, CMS/HHS or the U.S. Government.
