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Living in West Virginia offers a range of health and medical benefits that combine natural resources with quality healthcare. The state is home to renowned healing springs, such as the historic Berkeley Springs and White Sulphur Springs, which have attracted visitors for centuries in search of relaxation and therapeutic relief. West Virginia also boasts reputable medical centers, such as WVU Medicine in Morgantown and the Charleston Area Medical Center, providing residents with access to advanced healthcare services and specialists. Moreover, the rural, mountainous landscape promotes an active, outdoor lifestyle and cleaner air, contributing to lower stress levels and improved overall well-being for those who embrace country living.

Streams like this one may appear insignificant, but researchers say small mountain headwaters collectively play a major role in supplying and protecting Charleston's drinking water. (WVExplorer Photo)
Health and Medicine

Charleston’s drinking water depends on thousands of small mountain streams

by Clyde Craig

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Perhaps most people think of Charleston‘s drinking water as beginning in the Elk River, though researchers point out that it actually starts much farther upstream. According to a new analysis by scientists at Yale University and the University of Massachusetts, thousands of small mountain streams flowing into the Elk River watershed contribute … Read more

A spectator watches a Fourth of July fireworks display. Medical professionals say hand injuries and burns increase significantly during Independence Day celebrations each year. (Photo: Dillen M)
Health and Medicine

Why hand injuries surge during Fourth of July fireworks celebrations

by David Sibray

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, medical professionals warn that the holiday also brings a predictable surge in emergency room visits for serious hand injuries. According to B. Seth Powers, a certified hand therapist and assistant professor in the Master of Occupational Therapy program at the West Virginia University … Read more

A new $7 million research partnership between West Virginia University and Johns Hopkins University will support studies focused on rural health, mental health, substance use disorders, dementia, and other healthcare challenges affecting West Virginia communities.
Health and Medicine

WVU, Johns Hopkins launch $7 million partnership to address W.Va. health challenges

by Clyde Craig

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University and Johns Hopkins University have launched a new $7 million research partnership to address some of the state’s most pressing health and environmental challenges and help researchers compete for major federal grants. Announced Friday during a meeting of the WVU Board of Governors, the initiative will support collaborative research … Read more

A study by researchers at West Virginia University found a greater-than-expected significance in the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes for women who spend more time sitting compared to those who include even light activity in their daily routines.
Health and Medicine

WVU study shows pregnant women who move more have better outcomes

by Bianca Bosworth

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As West Virginia experiences a cultural and economic shift toward recreation, researchers at West Virginia University have discovered even better news about active living. A study by researchers at the university in Morgantown found a greater-than-expected association between increased sitting time and adverse pregnancy outcomes—including gestational diabetes and preeclampsia—among women who sit more … Read more

Historic floods in 1985 and 2016 killed dozens of residents and caused billions of dollars in damage statewide.
Health and Medicine

Flood risk outpaces warnings, advocates say, as W.Va. considers changes to resiliency fund

by Clyde Craig

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the W.Va. House of Delegates considers changes to Senate Bill 390, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition warns that the state risks narrowing its flood strategy at a time when disasters are becoming more frequent, more costly, and more destructive. The organization points to a growing gap between early-warning technology and long-term … Read more

Cold weather tips: the coldest part of the season can actually be an opportunity to stay motivated, energized, and healthy, indoors and out.
Health and Medicine

West Virginia winter cold weather tips: WVU experts share ways to stay active

by David Sibray

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As late winter settles in across West Virginia, mountaineers are entering the coldest stretch of the year—a time when snow, limited daylight, and frigid temperatures can take a toll on mental and physical health. However, experts at West Virginia University say late winter doesn’t have to mean inactivity. With the right approach, … Read more

Experts at West Virginia University say tick diseases are on the rise as encounters with humans increase. (WVU Extension Photo)
Health and Medicine

Ticks on the rise in West Virginia: WVU experts warn of Lyme, alpha-gal risks

by David Sibray

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two West Virginia University experts are warning residents and visitors that ticks are more prevalent than ever, and encounters with them are increasingly causing serious health risks. According to Timothy Driscoll, an associate professor of biology in the university’s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences in Morgantown, changing environmental conditions are driving … Read more

Health and Medicine

Vape shops and gray-area drugs put West Virginia towns at a regulatory crossroads

by Clyde Craig

BECKLEY, W.Va. — They’re hard to miss in downtowns and along highway strips in West Virginia with their neon-bright window graphics, flavor names splashed across posters, and glass cases filled with sleek devices and colorful packaging. Over the past decade, vape shops have spread from big cities into small towns and rural communities across Appalachia, … Read more