BLUEFIELD —
WELCH — With health care reform on the minds of many across the nation, a new report on the well being of citizens in West Virginia is painting a troubling picture for McDowell County.
The 2010 County Health Rankings report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute found that McDowell County ranked last in the state when it comes to health outcomes and health factors. The report is considered a snapshot of how healthy residents of a particular county are by comparing their overall health and factors that influence their health with other counties in the state.
According to the report, only 46 out of every 100 McDowell County residents have a primary health care provider. Having such a provider is the first step in the prevention of multiple illnesses, according to Tim Crofton, chief executive officer of the Tug River Health Association.
As opposed to seeking a primary health care provider, Crofton said many residents of McDowell County tend to use the emergency room at Welch Community Hospital instead, or will seek walk-in assistance at the Tug River clinics in Gary, Welch, Northfork as well as the Pineville center in neighboring Wyoming County`.
“People here in this community will often deny they have health problems,” Crofton said. “And unless something has really shaken them they won’t seek care, and then it is often only on an emergency basis.”
While a primary provider helps to establish preventive treatments, including routine exams and vaccines, Crofton said the Tug River Health Association tries to assist patients by providing access to primary care services.
“The centers assist in the economic recovery of the county by assisting in keeping health care costs low,” Crofton said. “The report from Robert Wood Johnston also revealed that 159 of every 1,000 hospitals stays is preventable. Primary care services assist in reducing those unnecessary and costly hospital stays.”
Crofton said the association provides a reduced rate for uninsured and underinsured individuals. Patients are charged for medical and basic dental care services based upon a federal formula that accounts for patient’s household size and income, according to an association press release.
Crofton said the association hopes to utilize the data in the new report as a research tool to help address programs and policies that can assist with the diagnosis, management and prevention of chronic illness while meeting the needs of the community.
– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com
Local News
March 17, 2010
McDowell County ranks last in new state health report
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