Belington Community Medical Services Association, Inc recently received $1.15 Million in Stimulus money and became an official Federally Qualifed Health Center (FQHC).  

Executive Director, Eric Ruf, stated that the money will be used to expand their services to the people linving in Barbour, Upshur, and Randolph Counties.   The funds will also help the clinic to adopt the RPMS-EHR for Community Health system in their pursuit to convert from paper-based medical records to electronic.

Eric also sees the RPMS-EHR system as a health improvement tool that aid their clinical staff in their care of patients with chronic disease. 

On March 9, 2009, the West Virginia Telehealth Alliance (WVTA) issued a Request for Information (RFI) for Internet and Wide Area Network (WAN) telecommunications services. It is being issued on behalf of the WVTA and eligible health care entities in support of the FCC’s Rural Health Care Pilot Program (RHCPP).

The purpose of this RFI is to receive preliminary designs and budgetary pricing for several regional networks connecting WVTA entities included in the first phase of the project: Community Health Network of West Virginia, CAMC/Partners In Health, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center Mountaineer Doctor Television (MDTV), Valley Health Systems Inc. (VHSI), West Virginia United Health System (WVUHS), and University Health Associates (UHA).

Over 40 physical locations comprised of CHNWV members were included in the RFI. CHNWV member centers will see a significant benefit in the form of higher connection speeds and more reliable connections for their electronic medical records system and telehealth activities because of the work of the West Virginia Telehealth Alliance.

Dr. Sarah Chouinard received the award during the 2008 West Virginia Rural Health Conference at The Resort at Glade Springs.

The grant will allow the expansion of the IHS RPMS EMR to more primary care centers.