State to allocate $855.4K in Rural Health funds to West Virginia Health Information Network

The state of West Virginia will distribute $855,400 of its federal Rural Health Transformation funds to the West Virginia Health Information Network to strengthen “health data infrastructure and improve the secure exchange of health information” across the state, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Thursday. 

“Doctors and healthcare professionals need the right information at the right time to provide the best care for their patients,” Morrisey said in a news release. “This investment will better connect providers across West Virginia so patients can receive more coordinated care closer to home. When we improve care and healthcare outcomes, we help more West Virginians get healthy, stay healthy, and get back to work.”

The network serves as the state’s Health Information Exchange, connecting healthcare providers and organizations through secure data sharing, Morrisey said. 

“A stronger healthcare system requires strong data infrastructure,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh. “This investment will help providers access more timely and actionable information to support better care coordination, more informed decision-making, and improved health outcomes for West Virginians.”

The money will support the Connected Care Grid, which is one of seven initiatives the governor has planned for the Rural Health Transformation funds. The funds will expand participation in the statewide health information exchange, Morrisey said, and increase the number of healthcare organizations capable of exchanging information across systems.

West Virginia was awarded $199 million this year from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the Rural Health Transformation Program. The program aims to “empower states to transform the existing rural health care infrastructure and build sustainable health care systems that expand access, enhance quality of care, and improve outcomes for patients.”  

Morrisey also recently announced that $2.4 million in Rural Health Transformation funds will expand worksite and employer-based health services, and $2.4 million will go to the Ascend program to recruit healthcare professionals to the state. 

The Rural Health Transformation Program is part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made historic cuts to healthcare and food assistance.