Health and Medicine

BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia will commit an additional $145 million to water and wastewater infrastructure over the coming year under a new state strategy that will give greater consideration to communities facing failing systems, boil-water orders, public health concerns and financial distress. Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced the investment Wednesday in Beckley as part of … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The destructive flooding that swept across West Virginia this month arrived amid conditions that have long made summer thunderstorms particularly dangerous in the Mountain State—intense rainfall, steep terrain, and communities concentrated in narrow river valleys. Slow-moving storms moved across West Virginia from Aug. 16 through Aug. 18, producing excessive rainfall that triggered flash … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University has opened the first phase of a major expansion of the state’s only dental school, as federal figures show nearly 720,000 West Virginians live in areas designated as having shortages of dental health professionals. The newly renovated and expanded clinics at the WVU Health Sciences Center in Morgantown are intended … Read more

WESTON, W.Va. — In 1899, the directors of West Virginia’s hospital for the mentally ill concluded a highly publicized investigation into allegations of improper conduct by Superintendent W.E. Stathers, finding him not guilty after days of testimony from female employees and other witnesses. The decision followed testimony about alleged unwanted advances, visits to women’s rooms, … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Imagine wagering $10 on your phone that six different football teams will win their games. Five win; the sixth loses; you get nothing. But instead of feeling as though you made a bad bet, you might feel as though you almost won. Within seconds, your phone offers you the chance to put … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Millions of people now turn to artificial intelligence chatbots with questions they once reserved for therapists, doctors, or close friends. They ask about anxiety, depression, loneliness, and even suicidal thoughts, often because the technology is available instantly and without the cost or wait of a traditional appointment. Two researchers at West Virginia … Read more

MARTINSBURG, W.VA. — For many West Virginia children, grief arrives far earlier than most people imagine. About one in seven children in the Mountain State will experience the death of a parent or sibling before reaching adulthood—the second-highest rate in the nation. Behind that statistic are thousands of young people navigating profound loss while trying … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — For many Americans, summer means road trips, family vacations, and weekends on the highway. For others, simply getting behind the wheel can trigger a racing heart, sweaty palms, and an overwhelming sense of panic. Researchers at West Virginia University say driving anxiety is far more common than many people realize. It affects … Read more

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — Long before antibiotics, anesthesia, or modern hospitals, a young physician in a log cabin on the American frontier faced an impossible decision. The operation he performed is now widely regarded as the first successful Cesarean section in the United States in which both mother and child survived. Within a few years, … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As thousands gathered at the West Virginia state capitol this weekend to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, organizers made a point of welcoming visitors who might otherwise avoid large Independence Day celebrations. Among the accommodations were designated sensory-friendly spaces to provide a quieter environment for children and adults with autism, post-traumatic stress … Read more