West Virginia Awards Over $3.9 Million to Expand Rural Health Training at Charleston Area Medical Center
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey announced in Charleston, Kanawha County, on October 30 that the state's Rural Health Transformation Program will award more than $3.9 million in three grants to Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) to expand clinical training and the rural health workforce.
The first award, $500,000, funds hands-on clinical and simulation training paired with virtual mentorship, so rural trainees can be supervised without long travel. The second, $1,693,946, supports a rural practice pipeline in which fellows receive $15,000 a year, up to $75,000, in exchange for a five-year commitment to the Vandalia Health system. The third, $1,736,320, funds Pathways to Success, which helps patients with chronic disease stay at work or return to work during treatment.
The awards are part of West Virginia's roughly $199.5 million Rural Health Transformation Program, funded entirely by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. State Health Secretary Dr. Arvin Singh said the three grants target the three points where rural systems struggle most: training, recruitment and keeping patients employed through treatment.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, quoted in the announcement, said the investment will strengthen rural health care in West Virginia and help residents receive high-quality care close to home.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于查尔斯顿的西弗吉尼亚州议会大厦（资料图）。CC BY，Judson McCranie摄，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston (file photo). CC BY, by Judson McCranie, via Wikimedia Commons.
