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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.

As WVU's Mountaineer prepares for his flu shot, health officials explain when West Virginians should get vaccinated and how to prevent influenza.
Health and Medicine

WVU Mountaineer Reese Allen to get flu shot as officials urge fall vaccinations

by David Sibray

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As influenza season approaches, West Virginia University is spotlighting one of its most recognizable figures in a campaign to encourage residents to protect themselves against the flu. Mountaineer mascot Reese Allen is scheduled to receive his annual flu shot on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the WVU Health Sciences Center in Morgantown. A student pharmacist from the WVU … Read more

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announces the first awards from West Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation Program at Chesapeake Healthcare Center. Spotted Owl Healthcare Organization received $1.17 million through the program in partnership with the center. (Courtesy photo)
Health and Medicine

Small West Virginia nonprofit lands $1.17 million to expand workplace healthcare

by Clyde Craig

CHESAPEAKE, W.Va. — A West Virginia nonprofit that provides community exercise, nutrition, and recovery programs has been awarded $1.17 million to bring healthcare services closer to workers as the state begins distributing nearly $200 million in federal rural-health funding. Spotted Owl Healthcare Organization, based in Dunbar, received $1.174 million through West Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation … Read more

A model walks the runway during a fashion show. A West Virginia University researcher says the rise of weight-loss medications is coinciding with a retreat from size inclusivity in the fashion industry. (Photo by Yogendra Singh/Unsplash)
Health and Medicine

Weight-loss drugs are changing American bodies; Fashion may be changing with them

by Bianca Bosworth

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As weight-loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy reshape the bodies of millions of Americans, their influence may be reaching beyond doctors’ offices and into closets, fashion studios and clothing stores. A West Virginia University fashion researcher says the rapid rise of the medications coincides with a retreat from the body-size inclusivity … Read more

Crews replace aging water lines in Chapmanville, West Virginia, where the water system had been losing more than half its treated water through leaks. Photo courtesy U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Health and Medicine

West Virginia targets water crisis with $145 million investment

by Clyde Craig

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

West Virginia National Guard members navigate a partially destroyed road near Buckhannon following severe flash flooding in July 2026. More than seven inches of rain fell in parts of Upshur County, including 4.5 inches in just 37 minutes. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Edwin L. Wriston)
Health and Medicine

Why August can be especially dangerous for flash flooding in West Virginia

by Clyde Craig

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

Students train at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry in Morgantown. WVU operates the state's only dental school and says more than 85% of dentists practicing in West Virginia are graduates of the school. (WVU Photo)
Health and Medicine

West Virginia’s only dental school expands as state faces shortage of dentists

by David Sibray

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

Professional staff members of the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane in Weston pose outside the institution circa 1894–1900. Dr. Lorilla F. Bullard, who testified during the 1899 investigation of Superintendent W.E. Stathers, is standing at front left. The historic photograph has been digitally enhanced for clarity to improve accessibility for readers with limited vision. (West Virginia and Regional History Center, WVU Libraries)
Health and Medicine

Women accused the head of West Virginia’s famous asylum. Then came a mysterious train trip, controversial verdict

by David Sibray

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

A growing number of people are turning to AI chatbots for conversations about stress, anxiety and other mental health concerns. West Virginia University researchers say the technology can support education but should not replace trained mental health professionals.
Health and Medicine

More people are using ChatGPT for mental health. Researchers say it can’t replace a psychiatrist

by Clyde Craig

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