The Community Health Network of West Virginia is a member-driven network of not-for-profit health care centers that delivers primary health care and chronic disease management services to more than 120,000 West Virginians in nearly 80 locations.
 
Through the sharing of best-practices and leading edge technology services the network’s members work collectively to optimize their operations, streamline systems, reduce costs, expand access to care and improve the health outcomes of their patients.
 
The Network's experienced, skilled professional staff provides counsel and assist members with the selection, implementation and support of technologies, systems and services. This allows these rural health care centers to benefit from greater economies of scale, innovative clinical care models and advanced health information technology.

The overarching goals of the Community Health Network of West Virginia are to expand access to healthcare, achieve better health outcomes in the communities they serve and lead to overall health improvement.

Nationally, chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and arthritis account for roughly 78 percent of health care costs annually.

More than 800,000 (over 40%) West Virginians have one or more chronic conditions. These conditions account for: ° 70 % of hospital admissions and 80% of all days spent in a hospital;

• 72% of physician visits and 88% of prescriptions filled;
• nearly 60% of emergency room visits; and
• 70 cents of every dollar spent for health insurance by employers and workers.

(Source: Robert Wood Johnson, Partnership for Prevention, Health Affairs )

In West Virginia, studies have shown our citizens either suffer from or are at-risk for a number of chronic conditions. These studies indicate that, of our population:

• 64% are obese or overweight;
• 32.4% have high blood pressure (with another 28% at-risk with pre- hypertension);
• 37.5% have high cholesterol;
• 28.2% are current smokers;
• 8.8% have diabetes (and another 3% are undiagnosed diabetics);
• 40% are pre-diabetic; and
• 85% have one or more risk factors for chronic disease.

(Source: various health promotion publications and web-sites within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources)

Medical research has shown that living with a chronic condition can be managed and many of the complications of these diseases can be avoided through regular contact with health care providers, patient education and self-management, with regular physical activity and dietary modification.

The main mission of CHNWV is health improvement.  Using a combination of the clinical care model and advanced health information technology, we hope to change these dismal statistics for the better - forever.