West Virginia is the state with the largest single natural scenic and outdoor recreational area in the eastern United States; the Allegheny Highlands. Eighty percent of the state is forested with over 110,000 square miles of hardwood forest, wind-swept mountains and photo-perfect valley landscapes. West Virginia covers 24,078 square miles, with a 2010 estimated population of 1,852,994 people – with 820,244 people living in rural West Virginia (USDA-ERS). Charleston is the state capital. The state’s largest cities are Charleston, Huntington and Parkersburg. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 93.9% of the state’s population is white, 3.4% is Black/African-American, and 1.2% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2010).
There are 52 hospitals in West Virginia, 18 of which are identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (Sept. 2010). There are 50 Rural Health Clinics in West Virginia (Kaiser, 2012), and 28 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 174 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2010). 15.0% of West Virginia residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2008-2009).
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for West Virginia residents in 2009 was $32,080, although rural per-capita income lagged at $29,695. Estimates from 2010 indicate a poverty rate of 20.2% exists in rural West Virginia, compared to 16.6% in urban areas of the state. 2010 ACS data reports that 21.5% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 15.3% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural West Virginia is 9.7%, while in urban West Virginia, it is 8.7% (USDA-ERS, 2010).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)
Federal government
Supports economic and social development in all of West Virginia and parts of twelve other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: West Virginia (CDBG)
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Mountain State Centers for Independent Living (MTSTCIL)
State/regional organization
Provides advocacy, networking, and resources to persons with disabilities and their families in the state of West Virginia.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Southeastern/Atlantic Region (NN/LM SE/A)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health care providers, librarians, and the public in Alabama, the District of Columbia,
Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia.
Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD)
State/regional organization
One of four regional rural development centers in the nation. Focuses on rural issues including community and economic development, food systems, natural resources, and entrepreneurship. Serves a 12 state area in the Northeast region which includes CT, DE, MA, NJ, NY, RI, PA, WV, NH, ME, MD, VT.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: West Virginia (HUD)
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development West Virginia State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
West Virginia Bureau for Child Support Enforcement (BCSE)
State government
Works to help West Virginia's children by supporting effective child support establishment, payment, and disbursement.
West Virginia Community Action Partnership (WVCAP)
State/regional organization
Association of community action agencies in West Virginia. Works to address the needs of low-income people in West Virginia.
West Virginia Department of Commerce Business & Work Force
State government
West Virginia's economic and community development agency. Works to improve the quality of life for all West Virginians by strengthening the state's communities and expanding its economy to create more and better jobs.
West Virginia Department of Education: Office of Special Programs, Extended and Early Learning
State government
Provides services, support and leadership in special education for West Virginia.
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR)
State government
Administers programs that benefit the citizens of West Virginia, including social services, family assistance, and health programs.
West Virginia Division for Developmental Disabilities
State government
Provides leadership for services for both children and adults who have developmental disabilities.
West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)
State government
Helps people with disabilities in West Virginia prepare for, get, keep or advance in competitive employment.
West Virginia Division of Rural Health & Recruitment
State/regional organization
Serves as the focal point for rural health issues in West Virginia. Addresses rural health care needs by planning and developing policy, providing technical assistance and providing statewide coordination of rural health activities. A division of the WV Office of Community Health Systems and Health Promotion.
West Virginia Head Start Association
State/regional organization
Represents 24 Head Start programs in West Virginia, which provide services to children and families in their communities.
West Virginia Health Information Network (WVHIN)
State/regional organization
Facilitates public and private use of health care information in West Virginia, while protecting the privacy and security of health data.
West Virginia Hospital Association (WVHA)
State/regional organization
Supports its members in achieving a strong, healthy West Virginia through advocacy, education, information, and technical assistance and by being a catalyst for effective change through collaboration, consensus building and a focus on desired outcomes.
West Virginia Housing Development Fund (WVHDF)
State government
Works to develop and improve housing opportunities for West Virginia's residents.
West Virginia Office of Behavioral Health Services
State government
Provides support for individuals, families, and communities to ensure that positive, meaningful opportunities are available for persons with mental illness, chemical dependency, developmental disabilities and those at risk.
West Virginia Office of Community Health Systems: Division of Recruitment
State government
Assists West Virginia's rural and medically underserved communities in their efforts to recruit and retain qualified health care providers.
West Virginia Primary Care Association (WVPCA)
State/regional organization
Assists community health centers in delivering primary care services.
West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC)
State/regional organization
West Virginia State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
West Virginia Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP)
State/regional organization
Helps rural communities in West Virginia to improve community infrastructure.
West Virginia Rural Health Association (WVRHA)
State/regional organization
Works to improve the health status and health care of rural West Virginians through education and advocacy.
West Virginia Rural Health Education Partnerships / Area Health Education Centers (WVRHEP / AHEC)
State/regional organization
A partnership of rural community leaders, practicing health professionals, higher education schools and programs and state policy leaders that work to increase the number of WV trained health professionals in practice in rural underserved communities in the state. Their website provides weblinks to each of the five regional AHECs in West Virginia.
West Virginia University Center on Aging (WVU COA)
Academic/Research
Works to improve the health, wellbeing and security of older people and those who care for them, in West Virginia and across the nation, through research, education, clinical service, technology and advocacy.
Workforce West Virginia
State government
Provides workforce services to employers and job seekers in West Virginia. An agency of the West Virginia Department of Commerce.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: West Virginia
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: West Virginia
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NN/LM Southeastern Atlantic Region: West Virginia Resources
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to state health associations and agencies and health sciences libraries in West Virginia.
West Virginia AgrAbility
Web site
The WV Agrability Project works with farmers and farm families with disabilities, injuries, or other physical limitations. Website Provides information and referral services, farm assessments, and assistive technology recommendations.
West Virginia Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations and information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
West Virginia KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
West Virginia QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
West Virginia State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Compendium of Best Practices/Models That Work in Rural Workforce Development
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Developed by NRHA's National Rural Task Force. Highlights rural workforce programs in Alaska, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
Date: 09 / 2008
Demographic and Economic Profile: West Virginia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, health care services, and employment. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 01 / 2009
Rural Dropout Problem: An Invisible Achievement Gap
Author(s): Jerry Johnson, Marty Strange, Karen Madden
Sponsoring organization: Rural School and Community Trust
Reviews high school dropout rates and related factors in rural high schools throughout 15 Southern and Southwestern states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.
Date: 2010
Small Business Profile: West Virginia
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 02 / 2011
West Virginia Health Information Network: Country Roads to a RHIO
Author(s): Chuck Appleby
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
Describes the West Virginia Health Information Network (WVHIN), which was formed to enable authorized health care providers, insurers and patients to share medical data.
Date: 08 / 2007
West Virginia Medicaid State Plan Amendment: Key Program Changes and Questions
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
Summarizes the key changes Kentucky has approved for its Medicaid program as a result of the new flexibility available through the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
Date: 07 / 2006
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
Community Access Program (CAP)- West Virginia
Partners in Health Network improved access to health care services, provided discounts and free services to patients who met the financial eligibility screening, and provided care management services to adults ages 19-64 with asthma, depression, diabetes and hypertension.
Nicholas County Rural Health Outreach Grant Program
This program provided health care services to medically underserved populations and also offered health education and prevention programs for the population at large, as well as continuing assessment, screening, and follow-up services.
Eastern Panhandle Integrated Delivery System Rural Health Outreach Project
The project was designed to promote health, prevent disease, and increase access to health care services for older individuals by providing outreach and education about existing health care and social services.
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