Ritchie Regional Health Center (RRHC) held their annual 5K race in Harrisville, WV, on August 6, 2022. This year’s theme - Stepping on Hunger - was geared towards helping combat hunger in the surrounding communities. All proceeds and donated non-perishable food items were given to local food pantries and families in need, including school food backpack programs.

Please make plans to join us at this year’s WV Value-Based Summit and Annual CHC Leadership Forum at Stonewall Resort. 

We are looking forward to seeing you at Stonewall! If you have questions, please contact the WVPCA office at (304) 346-0032.  

A formal invitation will be sent out the first week of October. In the meantime, if you have any questions or suggested topics, please feel free to contact Ellen J. Potter at Ellen.J.Potter@wv.gov or Joylynn Fix at Joylynn.Fix@wv.gov.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated guidance on at-home COVID-19 antigen tests. The updated guidance from the FDA advises people to perform repeat, or serial, testing following a negative result on any at-home COVID-19 antigen test. This can reduce the risk that an infection may be missed (false negative result). It will help prevent people from unknowingly spreading COVID-19 to others. If you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, the FDA recommends repeat testing at 48-hour intervals for a total of at least three tests, regardless of whether you have COVID-19 symptoms.

Leaders in the behavioral health pipeline, education and practice, as well as leaders in emergency medical services and EMT/EMS training and education, are invited to join the Behavioral Health Workforce Summit to be held in South Charleston on September 13 from 10:30am-2:30pm. 

The 2022 Behavioral Health Workforce Summit is hosted by the WV Higher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Health Sciences. The summit brings together stakeholders and leaders in emergency medical services, behavioral health practice and education, and workforce development to strengthen partnerships and collect feedback to help shape ongoing efforts to grow the state’s behavioral health and EMS workforce through the educational pipeline.

Registration is now open for the Annual Appalachian Addiction & Prescription Drug Abuse Conference. Last year, there were over 450 attendees representing eleven (11) different disciplines. This conference is being held September 22 – 24, 2022 at the Waterfront Marriott in MORGANTOWN, WV. The schedule of quality speakers include topics of relevance such as: the prescription drug abuse crisis, suicide prevention & resources, proper prescribing and integrating opioid addiction treatment with MOUD, transformation of the brain, from addiction to recovery, substance induced vs co-occurring disorders with clinical vignettes & trauma therapy and adjuncts-EMDR, acupuncture, polyvagal theory and psychedelics and showcase of West Virginia’s drug diversion courts to just name a few.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Marlene Hall, mdhall@wvmphp.org or 304-933-1030.

August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month! More than 100,000 people are currently on the national transplant waiting list, with more than 60% representing racial and ethnic minorities. Although 2021 saw a record-breaking 40,000+ transplants, involving more than 18,000 racial and ethnic minorities receiving the gift of life, the gap remains staggeringly high. On average, 20 people die every day waiting for a transplant.

The WVPCA invites health centers to join HRSA in:

Use the #NMDAM hashtag in your National Minority Donor Awareness Month social media messages.

In 2019, 41.5 percent of medical spending for mental disorders occurred during office-based and outpatient visits, representing the largest expenditure source. (Source: AHRQ, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #539, Healthcare Expenditures for Treatment of Mental Disorders: Estimates for Adults Ages 18 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2019.)

A pair of reports developed in response to President Joe Biden’s Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 are now available to help Americans affected by long COVID:

People with long COVID have disease symptoms that persist for weeks or months after acute COVID-19 infection. It remains difficult to measure precisely, but an estimated 7.7 to 23 million Americans have developed long COVID, and roughly one million people may be out of the workforce at any given time due to the condition.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), through the American Rescue Plan, will invest in two new funding opportunities.

Remember to sign up for the WVPCA’s Workforce Listserv to receive timely updates on workforce topics and resources. To sign up, contact Shannon Parker at shannon.parker@wvpca.org. 

Justin M. Harrison is a labor & employment lawyer with Jackson Kelly PLLC. He is available for consultation through a special retainer relationship with the WVPCA. Justin can be reached at 304.340.1358 and via email at justin.harrison@jacksonkelly.com.

The Risk Management Manual for Health Centers is now available on the ECRI Institute Clinical Risk Management Program website! Designed to support a proactive approach to risk management at health centers and free clinics, the Manual provides background, tips, and how-tos in a manageable format.

View an archived webinar that provides a guided tour of the Manual and key features. For access to the ECRI Institute Clinical Risk Management Program website or any other questions, email clinical_rm_program@ecri.org.