WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health

10/09/2026

Health Careers A-Z

K is for Kinesiologist

Kinesiologists are heath professionals who study how the human body moves and how physical activity affects health. They help people improve movement, fitness, and overall well-being. They commonly work in healthcare, rehabilitation, fitness, wellness, and sports settings.

A kinesiology or exercise science degree can be a pathway to graduate programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, and other health professions.

10/07/2026

Project REACH was in Jolo, WV this past weekend for the Bradshaw Fall Festival.

10/06/2026

Dr. Linda Nield and Chelsey Hoy Freeman supporting our rural pre-health professions students at the 2026 Rural PRO networking event this Saturday!

On Saturday evening, October 3, 2026, our medical school recruitment specialist Chelsey Hoy Freeman and our MD admissions dean, Dr. Linda Nield, participated in the WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health PRO Networking event at the Erickson Alumni Center to advise our pre-med students.

10/04/2026

Brianna Hodak is proudly serving rural communities in our state.

Meet Brianna Hodak, DDS, AHEC Scholar alumna and our latest AHEC Achiever from Northern West Virginia AHEC!

Today, Brianna serves as the dentist at the West Virginia Health Right Mobile Dental Clinic, bringing dental care directly to communities statewide. Her journey with AHEC included rural immersion experiences, leadership development, and opportunities to better understand the communities she would one day serve.

"AHEC provides a foundation for future healthcare providers to form connections, learn about social determinants of health, immerse themselves in the communities they will serve, and reflect on their own goals to improve healthcare in their community," she said.

Brianna's commitment to expanding access to care has come full circle, from AHEC Scholar to practicing dentist serving patients across rural West Virginia.

Congratulations, Brianna, and thank you for making a difference through your dedication to oral health and your community.

10/04/2026

10/03/2026

Vannah Lusk is an advocate for her patients and a champion for her community.

RCH Scholars Alumna Spotlight: Dr. Savannah Lusk, MD

The community and culture of West Virginia has always been familiar to AHEC Scholar Alumna Dr. Savannah Lusk. Dr. Lusk explains that coming from a "holler in Wyoming County" gave her a first-hand perspective of the authenticity and close-knit nature of rural communities in West Virginia. These experiences helped develop a love for serving rural communities, shaping her desire to pursue a health career.

Serving rural communities has always been something that Dr. Lusk has valued. Before medical school, she volunteered by handing out meals to patients at the WVU Cancer Center, where she learned the value of sharing a cultural familiarity with rural patients. She stated, "I watched them breathe a sigh of relief when they heard my familiar accent and heard that I was from a rural area."

While in medical school, Dr. Lusk continued to experience how important empathy and understanding are when interacting with patients. "I watched medical residents and attendings from different backgrounds use the cultural competence they'd learned to make these patients feel welcomed and heard. I wanted to be able to provide that care." She explains that it was this drive to provide quality care, along with her interest in the interprofessional approach of the program, that led to her becoming an AHEC Scholar. Dr. Lusk completed the Scholars program in 2022 while obtaining her MD from West Virginia University.

Dr. Lusk currently practices as a primary care provider in Charleston, West Virginia, where she provides low-barrier care to both rural and urban patients from various backgrounds. Providing quality care and serving her community are responsibilities that she takes very seriously. She explained, "Being a primary care doctor, you have to accept a certain responsibility to your community, especially on a sociopolitical level, and it is easy to assume that responsibility in the state I grew up in and love." Dr. Lusk also performs procedures and aids in the management of chronic conditions while also precepting MD, DO, and NP students. "It is truly my dream job, and I am excited to see where it leads me,” she says.

09/30/2026

Upcoming Webinar: Rural Health Transformation Program

WVRHA is sharing an upcoming webinar hosted by the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) exploring how the Rural Health Transformation Program can support workforce development and strengthen healthcare in rural and underserved communities.

Rural Health Transformation Program Webinar

Date: October 15, 2026
Time: 12:30–1:30 p.m. ET
Format: Virtual

Participants will hear from state agency representatives about funding opportunities, rural workforce initiatives, preceptor recruitment and support, training incentives, and partnership models designed to expand clinical training capacity and strengthen the rural healthcare workforce pipeline.

Healthcare professionals, educators, organizations, and others interested in rural workforce development are encouraged to attend.

Join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85286128582

09/30/2026

09/22/2026

Central West Virginia AHEC and Cabin Creek Health Systems have a lot in common–which is why they partner to help address health disparities in the state’s central counties, as Central WV AHEC Director Adam Flack explains. In fact, many of the staff at Cabin Creek started out as rotating students.

Adam recalls saying at a staff meeting, “‘Look right, look left. Somebody in your field of view completed a clinical rotation at Cabin Creek and is now a provider here.’” In fact, he points out, many former AHEC Scholars have become preceptors, helping the next generation of students.

Cabin Creek students and providers play a vital role at Central WV AHEC, Adam says, and their help extends into the community. Amber Crist, chief operating officer of Cabin Creek and former Central AHEC director, says, “I always feel like to really help the community you have to get outside the four walls of the health center, whether it’s street medicine or health events or working with local schools on COVID vaccinations.”

Amber continues, “For us as a system, working as closely as we do with an AHEC program makes us better. We have really benefited from being the home of Central WV AHEC.”

Adam adds, “Some of the best students don’t come from rural places but love the medicine so much they want to be a part of it. They realize there’s a great need.”

09/22/2026

Health Careers A-Z

I is for Immunologist

An immunologist is a medical professional who specializes in the immune system. They diagnose, treat, and help prevent disorders caused by immune system problems, and also conduct research to better understand immune function and develop new therapies.

Immunologists work in hospitals, research laboratories, academic institutions, government agencies, and pharmaceutical companies, depending on their specialization and career path.

West Virginia University is the only university in West Virginia that offers a degree in Immunology. The university currently offers a bachelor's degree (BS) in Immunology & Medical Microbiology through the WVU School of Medicine.