2022 WV AHEC Annual Report

Our mission

Our mission is to improve the health of our communities by developing an interprofessional workforce prepared to address the health needs of rural and underserved communities of West Virginia.

The Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program was developed by Congress in 1971 to recruit, train, and retain a health professions workforce committed to underserved populations. The West Virginia AHEC program helps to bridge the gap between academic medicine and local community health needs by addressing rural health disparities and encouraging cooperation between rural communities and health care professionals.

AHEC objectives

The following objectives place an emphasis on minority populations and rural and/or medically underserved settings:

1. To introduce health profession careers and offer opportunities for academic enhancement to students in grades 9–12.
2. To provide health professions students and residents in higher education with clinical experiences in community-based settings.
3. To promote the optimal use of the healthcare workforce and improve quality of care delivered through interprofessional collaboration.
4. To strengthen the existing healthcare workforce in rural and underserved areas and support the retention of community-based health professionals.

West Virginia AHEC Centers

• Central Counties AHEC (CCAHEC)
• Eastern AHEC (EAHEC)
• Northern WVRHEC (NWVAHEC)
• Southern WVAHEC (SWVAHEC)
• Southeastern AHEC (SEAHEC)

WV AHEC staff

Dr. Larry A. Rhodes, Executive Director Rural Programs.

• Sandra Y. Pope — Director and Principal Investigator
• Terry Wooten — Assistant Director
• Victoria Sanchez — Director of Research and Evaluation
• Jessica Stidham — AHEC Scholars Program Manager
• Stephan Brooks — Special Projects Coordinator

Center staff listed in the report’s staff directory:

• Central Counties AHEC — Jennifer Kayrouz, Center Director
• Eastern AHEC — Aaron Henry, Executive Director; Morgan Wright, Associate Director; Candus Sutphin, Center Director; Malinda Turner, Rural Experiences Specialist
• Northern WVRHEC — Amanda Fisher, Center Director
• Southeastern AHEC — Angela Alston, Center Director; Tara Morris, Administrative Assistant
• Southern WVAHEC — Audrianna Ray, Center Director

WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health

• April Vestal — Director
• Victoria Sanchez — Director of Research and Evaluation
• Donna Bush — Southern Housing Coordinator
• Jacquelynn Copenhaver — Grants Administrator
• Molly Linkous — Rotation Coordinator
• Gerardo Patron-Cano — Northern Housing Coordinator
• Amy Snodgrass — RCORP Project Director
• Christie Zachary — Program Manager, Student Outreach and Marketing

Funding statement

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U77HP16458 Point of Service and Maintenance and Enhancement Area Health Education Centers in the amount of $740,000. Fifty percent of total operating costs are provided from other non-federal sources, including the state of West Virginia. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

In 2022, health professions students from a variety of fields participated in community-based clinical rotations, most of which were in rural or medically underserved communities (MUC). Rotations were supervised by clinical preceptors across the state.

Clinical preceptors by county

The report lists the number of clinical preceptors in each West Virginia county, how many of those preceptors practice in a medically underserved or rural setting, and that number as a percentage. Counties with no preceptors carry no percentage in the report; those cells are shown here as an em dash. Counties are grouped by the AHEC Center whose service area they fall in.

WV AHEC Rural Community Health Scholars is a two-year program available to 75 of West Virginia’s top health professions students from institutions across the state, providing supplemental and interprofessional educational experiences to students interested in practicing in rural or underserved communities.

Scholars enrolled in 2022

94 Scholars enrolled in 2022, by discipline:

Scholars core competency evaluation

A survey of scholars program participants showed a 120% to 163% increase in their confidence in key abilities. Participants were asked how confident they were in their ability to do each of the following, before the Scholars Program and after it:

• Describe responsibilities of other professionals on team
• Reflect on perceptions/biases of individuals from different backgrounds
• Describe importance of behavioral health in primary care
• Describe how social determinations affect the health of a community or population
• Utilize knowledge/skills to provide care to rural and underserved populations

What students are saying about the Scholars Program

Informing me of the unique needs of rural veterans and their families. I have learned a lot about signature wounds of war specific to veterans of different service eras. I have gained a deeper understanding of military culture and feel prepared to serve veterans during my clinical rotation at the Clarksburg VA.

Through this program, I have gained experience and knowledge in serving underserved/rural areas, which I plan to continue serving after receiving my doctorate. I will take this knowledge with me to create an affordable, accessible, and integrated approach to treatment.

Allowing me to do more rural rotations — all of which I love more than large academic centers. This has encouraged my desire to work rurally.

Expanding my opportunities to engage with rural providers and community members now as I will most certainly be doing this in my future.

Opened my eyes to the opioid crisis and provided the opportunity to discuss and see real life implications.

I chose my first clinical rotation based on the list of counties that are considered “rural”. I would have never chosen the hospital where I was placed, but I absolutely loved it. I was at Jackson General Hospital (a WVU hospital in Ripley, WV). The people there were great and I will never forget my time there.

Didactic education modules, 2022

Each year of the program, Scholars complete 40 hours of community-based experience in rural West Virginia, plus 40 hours of didactic education based on the core topic areas required by HRSA. Didactic education module topics and learning objectives in 2022 were:

Addiction in Rural Populations

• Identify the major theories of the etiology and drives of addiction.
• Define the continuum of addiction treatment options and the basic characteristics of the treatment and recovery process.
• Define the basic characteristics of opioids as an addictive substance and describe the factors that led to the current opioid epidemic.
• Describe key attributes of 12-step peer support groups and learn about 12-step meetings through direct experience.

Community-based Chronic Disease Prevention

• Learn strategies for preventing chronic disease.
• Explain connection between food insecurity and chronic disease.
• Explain connection between physical activity and chronic disease.
• Identify challenges related to long term stability of behavior change.
• Reflect on your role for chronic disease prevention.

Community Rural Immersion

• Identify sources of care and barriers to healthy living in rural communities.
• Explain the connection between the economy and health care in rural communities.
• Describe how experience impacted attitude toward practicing in a rural community.
• Identify unique community characteristics which are assets to the health of the community.

Cultural Competency

• Recognize the role of cultural competence in health care access, delivery and diagnosis and be able to articulate disparities in health care settings.
• Articulate a public health framework for culture’s role in healthcare.
• Reduce unconscious bias and stereotyping in health care delivery.
• Develop skills to optimize settings for diverse patient populations.

Health Policy

• Identify the American system of government/basic civics.
• Recognize the process for legislation in the American system of government.
• Analyze a case study.
• Identify and describe a public health or healthcare issue and develop a legislative solution.

Interprofessional Education

• Define interprofessional education and explain the four core competencies for interprofessional education.
• Understand the IPE concepts: educational theory, assessment, debriefing and simulation.
• Utilize your knowledge of IPE and your profession to contribute to HSC IPE sessions focused on the core competencies.
• Use the knowledge and skills developed to serve as an active participant throughout IPE Week.

Substance Use Disorder: Pregnant and Parenting Women

• Become familiar with the biopsychosocial model of risk that often sets the stage for Substance Use Disorder in women of childbearing age in Appalachia.
• Become familiar with the developmental impacts of in-utero substance exposure to substances on infants at birth and the interactive impacts of this exposure with other environmental risk factors throughout childhood.
• Become familiar with recommended best practices for working with women and their families to help them move toward successful recovery.
• Become familiar with the characteristics of rural West Virginia/Appalachian culture that create risk and resilience factors for these women.

Trauma Informed Treatment Practices for Children and Families in Rural Areas

• Articulate the varying definitions of “rural” including those used by the federal government as well as the colloquial definitions used by community members.
• Understand the biopsychosocial model that surrounds families raising children with complex medical conditions and developmental disorders.
• Define the risk and resilience factors that function in nuclear and extended families in rural and urban areas and integrate an understanding of cultural impact on these factors.
• Understand the unique role that profession plays in meeting the needs of these families as a functioning system embedded in a culturally grounded community and the importance of working in integrated care teams.

Veterans in Rural Healthcare

• Understand the characteristics of rural veterans and how service experiences and social determinants of health contribute to veteran health care needs.
• Identify current and emerging health needs and issues and the role of culture and how the values within the context of military service impact health outcomes and access to care.
• Become familiar with current evidence-based practices and interprofessional approaches to meet veterans’ health care needs.
• Become familiar with locations and models of care in the rural health landscape to meet veterans’ health care needs.

Rural immersion options

For the Rural Immersion module, students could choose from the following immersions hosted by the five AHEC Centers:

• Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Partnerships in Rural Communities. The Virtual Immersion included training in the characteristics of addiction and SUD, teams and individuals associated with SUD treatment in rural communities, community resources available to assist individuals in recovery, and how generational trauma and cultural identity affects addiction and SUD.
• Food Insecurity and Nutrition in Rural Communities. Students learned about nutrition in rural communities with the goal of being able to pass that information along to patients including individuals with dietary restrictions due to illness such as diabetes mellitus, financial constraints and other common barriers.
• Rural Opioid Misuse Rural Immersion. Students engaged in virtual community immersion activities to provide insight on opioid misuse in rural communities and how it relates to their future roles as health professionals. Community partners provided presentations to educate students on the background of the opioid crisis, opioid use paraphernalia, children in foster care, pharmacy industry, and pain clinics. Guided by health professions faculty and in conjunction with leaders from community partners, students engaged in a variety of activities designed to enhance interprofessional interaction and develop leadership skills.
• Health Inequities and Disparities in Rural Communities. Students learned about the history, culture, growth, initiatives, assessments, and programs that support and address health inequities and disparities in rural communities. Students gained understanding of the barriers that rural underserved communities face in Southern West Virginia.
• Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility Virtual Immersion. Students learned concepts of culture, awareness, humility and competence, as well as how to incorporate cultural humility into public health and healthcare settings through practical applications. Activities focused on increasing awareness and appreciation for cultural diversity and developing skills necessary to work effectively across diverse cultures.

Central Counties Area Health Education Center (CCAHEC)

Charleston, WV.

Counties served: Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Roane.

Staff: Jennifer Kayrouz, Executive Director.

Host agency: Cabin Creek Health Systems.

Mission statement

The mission of Central Counties AHEC is to promote the health and well-being of all people in our communities, especially the most vulnerable, through health care that is guided by science, compassion, and respect and to contribute to the education of skilled and caring health professionals.

CCAHEC has been working with Cabin Creek Health Systems, a federally qualified health center, to meet the mission and goals of the WV AHEC Program since 2006. Partners include Red Barn Stables, WV Project ECHO, United Way of Central WV, Manna Meal, and Kanawha Valley Collective.

CCAHEC implements programs designed to support the AHEC goals of promoting healthcare professions, providing community education, supporting interprofessional collaboration, and workforce development. Programs include support of the West Virginia Social Work Conference, Trauma Informed Care, COVID-19 vaccine clinics, Healthcare Exposure Week, and WV AHEC Rural Community Health Scholars.

Program participants say

I really enjoyed my Healthcare Exposure Week experience. It helped me learn about all kinds of healthcare professions and created a strong base of knowledge that will come in handy throughout college and in my future profession. The experience made me look forward to being a healthcare professional someday.

I appreciated all the clinics and tours we went on throughout the week. I was glad to see firsthand on how much goes into making a facility work and run smoothly. This experience will be with me for the rest of my life, and I’m thankful for what I’ve learned and the people I’ve met. It was, indeed, a fantastic opportunity.

Eastern Area Health Education Center, Inc. (EAHEC)

Martinsburg, WV.

Counties served: Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan, Pendleton, Tucker.

Staff: Aaron Henry, Executive Director; Morgan Wright, Associate Director; Candus Sutphin, Center Director; Malinda Turner, Rural Experiences Specialist.

Host agency: The Eastern AHEC is a stand-alone 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Mission statement

Central to the mission of the Eastern Area Health Education Center is service to the community. These services are provided in two ways: 1) the provision of service to the community via AHEC faculty and trainees. 2) The provision of education to the community via community-based outreach education.

Eastern AHEC is housed in the WVU Health Sciences Center Eastern Campus and has been serving the eastern panhandle since 2002. EAHEC is an independent 501c3 organization governed by an advisory board of directors. Community partners include University Healthcare Physicians, Inc., WVU School of Medicine Eastern Campus, Shenandoah Community Health, Berkeley and Grant County Schools, WVU Medicine Berkeley & Jefferson Medical Centers, and the Rural Family Medicine Residency Program.

EAHEC addresses issues related to community health and wellness, nutrition and obesity, elder care, substance use disorder, pain management, and diabetes. Programs include continuing education, student pipeline education, WV AHEC Rural Community Health Scholars, health career clubs in Berkeley and Grant counties, and support for WV Health Sciences & Technology Academy students.

Program participants say

The early exposure to CPR, pharmacy, and a high-tech medical school with the WVU Health professions club in high school really helped influence my interest in medicine and I am still planning on pursuing medicine. The CPR program, the visit to Morgantown, and the other lessons, were truly highlights of my high school experience.

I think the impact of Eastern AHEC is felt in many ways. For me personally, the most significant impact is that to the community. Whether it be Freedom’s Run or sponsoring providers and learners to attend outside trainings, you all just foster and grow the sense of community and the knowledge within.

Northern WV Rural Health Education Center, Inc. (NWVAHEC)

Glenville, WV.

Counties served: Barbour, Braxton, Brooke, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Hancock, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Marshall, Monongalia, Ohio, Pleasants, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood.

Staff: Amanda White, Executive Director.

Host agency: Glenville State University Research Corporation.

Mission statement

NWVAHEC’s mission is to bring quality healthcare to the underserved populations in 23 West Virginia counties by training, recruiting, and retaining health care professionals.

NWVAHEC is located on the Glenville State University campus and has been operating as a 501c3 nonprofit since 2003. Partners include Project ECHO, Minnie Hamilton Health System, Davis Memorial Hospital, Calhoun Middle/High School, WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health, Glenville State University, HSTA, WVU Medicine United Hospital Center, and The Opportunity House.

NWVAHEC provides resources and rural healthcare experiences to undergraduate and graduate students and residents, continuing education to healthcare professionals, and pipeline programs to expose high school students to health careers. Programs include WV AHEC Rural Community Health Scholars; Project ECHO continuing education for healthcare professionals; support for HSTA camps; and Virtual Job Shadow, Moving Onward and Upward, and Health Occupations Today (HOT) Expo for rural high school students.

Program participants say

My favorite experiences were helping the patients, learning about the different health fields, and the research projects.

The students were very engaged and had many questions. This is one of my favorite events. I think it’s wonderful that you give them this opportunity.

Southeastern Area Health Education Center (SEAHEC)

Lewisburg, WV.

Counties served: Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Summers, Webster.

Staff: Angela L. Alston, Executive Director; Tara Morris, Administrative Assistant.

Host agency: Mountain State Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institutions (MSOPTI).

Mission statement

To advocate for quality primary and preventive health care delivery to rural and underserved populations by improving the distribution of health care professionals through academics and community collaboration.

SEAHEC is located on the campus of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) and has been providing programs since 2002. Partners include the WVSOM Alumni Association, Center for Rural and Community Health, Rural Health Initiative, and Statewide Campus; South Central Educational Development, Inc.; Bluefield Regional Medical Center; Charleston Area Medical Center; Concord University; Bluefield State College; West Virginia University Institute of Technology; Pocahontas Memorial Hospital; Bluefield Union Mission; Access Health Teaching Center; and Monroe Health Centers.

Program participants say

I appreciate the time and effort put into this tour to help me further my knowledge on what I want to do in the medical field.

The experience has overall motivated me to become a health care professional later in life.

Southern West Virginia Area Health Education Center (SWVAHEC)

Williamson, WV.

Counties served: Boone, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, Wyoming.

Staff: Audrianna Ray, Executive Director.

Host agency: Williamson Health and Wellness Center.

Mission statement

The mission of Southern West Virginia AHEC is to improve the overall health of rural and underserved populations in southern West Virginia through exceptional education, training, recruitment, and program activities.

Since 2018, SWVAHEC has been housed at Williamson Health and Wellness Center, a federally qualified health center in southern West Virginia. Partners include WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health, WVCTSI, Healthy in the Hills, The Center for Rural Health Development, Global Public Service Academy, and the Interstate Post-Graduate Medical Association.

SWVAHEC improves healthcare in their region by training healthcare professionals, encouraging high school students to pursue careers in healthcare, and helping health profession students expand their knowledge of rural healthcare disparities and increase their skills in caring for people in rural communities. Programs include Virtual Job Shadow, Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, WV AHEC Rural Community Health Scholars, Behavioral Medicine Intake Process and Health Careers Shadowing.

Program participants say

The Social Determinates of Health Rural Immersion far surpassed my expectations. I gained tremendous insight and knowledge on addressing Social Determinants of Health in our rural community.

The Social Determinants of Health Rural Immersion interprofessional experience provided an opportunity to learn about barriers to treatment in rural areas and highlighted the importance of creativity and teamwork to help residents of rural areas receive the best healthcare possible. I highly recommend that other students in the program participate in this experience as it is truly one of a kind.