At its last meeting, the Harrison County School Board approved an agreement with Community Care of West Virginia (CCWV) to continue providing services such as medical screenings, treatment for illnesses, sports physicals, immunizations and health education to students.

Under the agreement, Adamston Elementary, North View Elementary, Mountaineer Middle and Liberty High schools will be part of a pilot program for mental health services.

Community Care ran a pilot program for evidence-based classroom and school interventions for psychiatric and psychotherapy services last year in Braxton County schools.

“We are bringing the mental health services to the kids rather than bringing the kids to mental health services, which can sometimes be a barrier to kids getting proper mental health services for a myriad of reasons,” said Dr. Kevin Junkins, the psychiatrist leading the program at CCWV.

​ "Evidence from other states shows that therapy for first- grade students has reduced by 10 percent their chance of becoming addicted to drugs later in life. Therapy has also been shown to decrease the need for special education services, improve graduation rates and decrease the rates of teen smoking and teen pregnancy."

Harrison County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Manchin said he would like to expand the program to all the county’s schools next year, if possible.

To read the story and as it appeared in The Exponent-Telegram and watch a video from the meeting, click here.

BUCKHANNON – Beginning this fall semester, West Virginia Wesleyan College students will now have consistent health care offered as Community Care of West Virginia is being welcomed to campus.

Last week, officials announced that a CCWV school-based clinic will be located in Wesleyan’s Barnhart Health Center, which is adjacent to the John D. Rockefeller IV Physical Education Center.

Prior to the agreement between WVWC and CCWV, a health center was available on campus for students with a full-time nurse, and local providers were contracted.

“We were doing it all in-house,” said Alison Clausen, Director of Title III and Student Retention.

Clausen explained the college felt it was important to provide students with consistent hours and expanded provider availability.

“So that’s what we achieved. There will be expanded hours with a provider beyond a nurse,” she said. “There will be consistent provider hours.”

As the college embarked on the process of finding a clinic for WVWC, Clausen said, “Community Care has vast experience in school-based health clinics.”

“Community Care just knows what they’re doing in school-based health, so we’re really excited about the partnership and the experience that they’re putting to this,”she said.

With a CCWV school-based clinic now on WVWC’s campus, an additional array of services will be offered for students.

Community Care will provide primary and preventive health care, treatment for common illnesses and minor injuries, immunizations and lab testing.

“It’s pretty much just like what you would find at a normal doctor’s office — primary and preventive health care treatment for normal common illnesses …, “said Clausen. “The standard things you’d find at the doctor’s office.”
Clausen said with CCWV on campus, students will have easy access to a full slate of services.

“And one of the other things we’re really excited about is the access that our students will have to the Community Care network,” she said. “We’ll have 20 or so hours of providers on campus, but they also have full time providers in town as well as their walk-in urgent care.”

Clausen noted students’ health insurance will be billed for services provided by CCWV as the college requires all students to carry health insurance.

The clinic will be open approximately 20 hours a week for students’ needs.

“We’ll also have a nurse that staffs it all day long, so the standard 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.,” she said. “In times that a students might need services outside of those hours, they can access Community Care’s other clinics in town.”
For those who have experience with Community Care from public school, Clausen said it will be a benefit for those students.
​
“Students who attended the public schools that Community Care is already in, which is like 45 or 50 in West Virginia, are really going to have a continuity of their medical records,” she said. “Certainly that’s something that will help our students.”

For a link to the story as it appeared in The Inter-Mountain, please click here.

BUCKHANNON — West Virginia Wesleyan will partner with Community Care of West Virginia (CCWV) to provide a school-based health clinic at the College beginning July 1. The clinic will be located in Wesleyan’s Barnhart Health Center, which is adjacent to the John D. Rockefeller IV Physical Education Center.

Community Care will provide primary and preventive health care, treatment for common illnesses and minor injuries, immunizations, lab testing and additional services. The clinic will be open a minimum of 20 hours per week to students, faculty, and staff.

“We are pleased to provide health care services at West Virginia Wesleyan College,”said Rick Simon, CCWV chief executive officer. “Our work at the on-campus health center will make it more convenient for students, faculty and staff to have access to quality health care. Healthy students are more productive and access to care is important. With two other health centers in Buckhannon, one being a seven day a week walk-in access, our services will be seamless for after hours and weekend care as well.”

CCWV is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) located in central West Virginia. CCWV has 15 community health center locations, 45 school-based sites, seven (340 (b) pharmacies and one dental office. CCWV boasts a team of health professionals including MDs, DOs, FNPs, PA-Cs, RHPs, and DDs.
​
CCWV is poised as a leader in the health-care industry with its state-of-the-art Electronic Health Record and a team of healthcare professionals who are focused on chronic disease management and quality care outcomes.

To access the link to the story as it appeared in The Intermountain, please click here.

Dr. Judith Steinberg, chief medical officer at the Health Resources & Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Healthcare, recently visited the Pain Management program offices for Community Care of West Virginia. Dr. Steinberg met with the Pain Management staff to discuss CCWV’s successful approach to addressing the opioid epidemic in West Virginia.

The program was recently recognized by both HRSA and athenahealth for their innovative and effective methods that have decreased the number of opioid prescriptions written, while still treating patients for pain. CCWV’s unique program provides dedicated attention to pain management, allowing primary care staff to focus on the chronic health of patients. Working together, medical providers from both areas are able to provide whole health care to patients.

​Pictured are: Dr. Kelly Dunavant, director of pain management, Jason Kidd, PA-C, Dr. Sarah Chouinard, CCWV chief medical officer, Josh Baker, PA-C, Tracey Sherman, PA-C, and Dr. Judith Steinberg, Bureau of Primary Health Care chief medical officer.