West Virginia investing $1.8 million in rural healthcare staffing as residents struggle
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West Virginia is investing another $1.8 million in federal program funding to strengthen rural healthcare staffing as residents struggle to keep up with healthcare costs.
West Virginia investing in rural healthcare, residents struggle
Robert Fields | WVOW News
CHARLESTON West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey's Office announced the funding Tuesday through the state's Rural Health Transformation Program.
The money will support temporary staffing pools and grants to organize clinical teams serving rural healthcare facilities.
According to the West Virginia Hospital Association President and CEO Jim Kaufman, nearly four thousand hospital positions remain vacant statewide.
During a recent appearance on WVOW Radio, Kaufman focused on the financial realities of operating hospitals. Kaufman compared hospitals to an auto body shop to show how their 24-hour nature can lead to unique funding and staffing challenges.
"Healthcare is unlike any other sector in the economy," Kaufman said. “Are you keeping your body shop open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, just in case there’s an accident? No. But that’s part of what the hospital’s doing. They’re operating 24/7, 365. It’s a small city unto itself that has to operate regardless.”
He noted that in addition to around-the-clock staffing and operating costs, hospitals also spend a portion of their funds on preventative care, community health programs and education for patients.
Officials said the Rural Health Transformation Program is expected to direct as much as $500 million toward improving rural healthcare through 2030.
Meanwhile, as West Virginia struggles to keep up with rural healthcare staffing, West Virginians are struggling to keep up with healthcare costs. A new national analysis shows West Virginians spend a larger share of their income on health insurance than residents of nearly every other state.
According to a WalletHub analysis, combined with research from KFF and the Commonwealth Fund, high premiums, an aging population, chronic health conditions and rural health care challenges all contribute to higher costs.
KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation, is a California-based non-profit public charity that focuses on health policy research, polling, journalism, and public information campaigns.
West Virginians for Affordable Health Care Executive Director Ellen Allen told WCHS News the state's rural hospitals often serve fewer patients while facing similar operating costs as larger facilities, driving up the cost of care.
Ellen Allen also cited limited competition among insurance providers and recent changes affecting Affordable Care Act subsidies and Medicaid eligibility as additional factors that could increase costs and reduce coverage.
She said improving affordability will require better health outcomes, expanded access to care and a stronger health insurance marketplace.
PHOTO | Magnific - MGN