We are so excited to offer our communities a new service here at Barbour Community Health Association (BCHA) – Radiology, AKA X-rays! This state-of-the-art department is equipped with a team of professionally trained and certified Radiology Technicians who put top-tier care and accurate diagnoses at the forefront of what they do.

During Radiology Technician Week, we want to shine a light on this department – what it is, who it serves, and what patients can expect from an experience here. Join us in this Q&A session by Sonja L. Mitchell, R.T.(R)(ARRT), the Radiology Director at Belington, to learn more about this advancement and how it can benefit you.

What is Radiology, and what role does it play in healthcare?

Radiology is the science of using physics and technology to create diagnostic medical images. The field of Radiology is vast – you will find R.T.s everywhere, from the operating room to the oncology center. Did you know that the person doing a heart catheterization (cath lab) along with the Cardiologist is also an R.T.?

What does a Radiologic Technologist (R.T.) do?

First and foremost, R.T.s prioritize patient care. We guide and conduct various types of X-ray exams. These exams are essential for obtaining critical medical information. R.T.s collaborate with Radiologists to provide reports to healthcare providers, ensuring that the information they need for diagnosis and treatment is readily available.

When should someone consider seeing a Radiologic Technologist (R.T.)?

To see an R.T., you need to work closely with your healthcare provider. A provider’s order is required for medical imaging. Some common reasons for X-rays at BCHA include:

• chest X-rays for conditions like pneumonia, cough, asthma or pre-operative clearance
• abdominal X-rays for long standing belly pain, kidney stones, or constipation
• Back and pelvis X-rays for lower back strain, sciatica, and falling injuries
• Extremity X-rays for arthritis, sports injuries, rolled ankles, joint pain, smashed fingers and toes, and carpal tunnel

What can patients expect during a Radiology appointment at BCHA?

At BCHA, we offer general X-ray exams. After discussing your condition or injury with your provider, they may determine that you need an X-ray. The Radiologic Technologist will escort you to the X-ray room, where the procedure will take place. Most X-rays are quick, typically lasting less than 10 minutes. Some may require you to change into a gown, and they can be performed while standing, sitting, or lying down.

How soon can patients expect to receive their X-ray results?

One distinct advantage at BCHA is that our providers can review your X-ray images almost immediately after they are taken, expediting the diagnostic process. However, official results may take a bit longer as the images are sent to a Radiologist for analysis. You may return to your exam room to await the results, or we may also choose to call you at a later time with your results. They will then review the results and determine your individual care plan based on the findings.

For all your Radiology needs, remember that this valuable service is now accessible at our Barbour Quick Care and Myers Clinics.

Are you wanting to get healthier, but you aren’t quite sure how to do it? Or maybe you’ve been working at it, but you’ve hit a wall? No worries, that’s where Barbour Community Health Association’s Healthy Inside & Out educational series comes in to help! The support of a group can make all the difference when it comes to reaching your health goals, which is why Donna Seaman, Philippi Wellness Center Director, had the idea to bring this educational series back. 

Our team of professionals is excited to be able to give you useful tools to help achieve your goals in these interactive sessions! Learn more about our upcoming Healthy Inside and Out Event Series:

The How-To’s of Gym Equipment

Joining the gym can be intimidating and so can walking into a weight room. But it doesn’t have to be! Our ACE Certified personal trainer, Misty Bradley, will lead the session at our Philippi Wellness Center to answer some common questions such as:

How many repetitions should I do?

How heavy should I be lifting?

How do I even get my legs in that machine?

Even if you have any specific questions, Misty will have time to answer those too! It will be like having your very own personal training session. If you are unable to attend this session, she will be hosting it again Saturday January 14th at 10 am. 

This session will be held Tuesday, October 24th at 6:30 pm. The deadline to register for this session is October 20th, 2023.

The How To’s of Eating Healthier

We’ve all heard that we should “eat better”, but what does that actually mean and how can you put it into practice? Most of what we hear about “eating better” is not realistic for many people and many circumstances. WVU Medicine registered dietitians will be joining us to help you make a plan for what healthy eating looks like for you. We will also be covering hot topics such as Ozempic use, low carbohydrate diets, and the question of “do I really need to eat breakfast?” WVU Medicine dietitians look forward to speaking with you and answering any questions you may have. There will be snacks provided as well as printed recipes you can take home and try.

This session will be held Tuesday, November 7th at 6:30 pm. The deadline to register for this session is November 3, 2023. 

The Best Kept Secret for Stress Management

We all face stress and anxiety every day, some days more than others. Do you realize you already have the tools you need to help you cope with life and prevent stress from damaging your health? Emily Plauche, MS in Yoga Therapy will teach this interactive workshop. You will learn about the almost magical ability that is Breath work, learning breathing techniques as well as how to tap into your vagus nerve to make a noticeable difference in your life. Breath work cannot only reduce your body’s stress response but can help you be more effective at exercise and everyday tasks. 

This session will be held Tuesday, December 5th at 6:30 pm. The deadline to register for this session is December 1, 2023. 

To make things even sweeter, we will have door prizes and giveaways too! You don’t want to miss out on all the fun! You can register for all three or for whichever session works best for you. Register online today or contact Donna Seaman at dseaman@barbourhealth.org. You may also call the Philippi Wellness Center at 304-457-0070 to register!

BELINGTON, WV (Sept. 28, 2023) – Barbour Community Health Association (BCHA) invites the public to join the organization in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of BCHA’s Belington Medical Clinic, located at 70 N Sturmer Street in Belington, West Virginia.

This year marks a significant and exciting milestone for the organization, as they celebrate 50 years of providing exceptional and affordable health care and wellness services to the local community.

The Belington Medical Clinic first opened its doors to patients in October 1973, and has remained steadfast in their commitment to community health and wellness for all.

“We are so excited to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of providing the highest quality health and wellness services to our community,” said Eric Ruf, CEO of Barbour Community Health Association. “A few things have changed in these past fifty years, but our commitment to the community remains steadfast! We hope our friends and family will join us for the celebration!”

The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. on October 14th, 2023, and will conclude at 2:00 p.m.

Attendees will have opportunities to tour the facility and participate in giveaways. Giveaway prizes include Corn Hole Boards, a Collapsible Utility Wagon, and Barbour Wellness Center Memberships.

Additionally, there will be live entertainment including music, pumpkin painting, and apple cider, as well as food trucks for refreshments.

Flu vaccination shots will be available for BCHA patients only.

“Having the opportunity to extend invitations to our community and to host this celebration is so valuable to our BCHA family,” said Debbie Schoonover, COO. “We are proud of this organization and are blessed to share this moment with the residents of Barbour County.”

 

 

About the Barbour Community Health Association

Belington Medical and Myers Clinics are federally qualified health centers that provide medical and behavioral health care to patients with insurance, Medicare and/or Medicaid and for those without health insurance through the clinic’s Health Access program.

The organization also operates Barbour Behavioral Health, Barbour Quick Care, Belington Wellness Center, Brandon School-Based Health Services, and Philippi Wellness Center. The Barbour Behavioral Health team is made up of well-trained psychologists and psychotherapists who offer a variety of behavioral health services. Barbour Quick Care has walk-in care available in Philippi. Belington and Philippi Wellness Centers offer a wide variety of exercise equipment, and exercise programs. Brandon School-Based Health Services offers a variety of nursing, preventive and acute care medical and behavioral health services to all students and staff in the Barbour County School system. Learn More About the Barbour Community Health Association.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. HPV is a virus that can lead to certain types of cancers affecting both men and women. Sometimes, HPV does not cause any immediate symptoms, so many who have HPV may not know it until a cancer has developed. But what if we told you there was a vaccine that could help protect your children from those cancers caused by HPV? The HPV vaccine is cancer prevention and recommended for ages 9-26 years of age (the earlier, the better). Some adults age 27-45 may benefit from an HPV vaccination and should discuss it with their healthcare provider. 

There are many myths associated with the HPV vaccine that we wanted to take a minute and clear up for you. 

MYTH: Only Girls Need the HPV Vaccine

Fact: The vaccine is recommended for both boys and girls to receive. While the most talked about cancer associated with HPV is cervical cancer, there is a long list of cancers that have also been linked to HPV infections. Nearly four out of every ten cases of cancer caused by an HPV infection occur among men. It is important to get both your sons and daughters immunized to protect them against these forms of HPV-related cancer. 

MYTH: You Shouldn’t Get Your Child Immunized Before They’re Sexually Active

Fact: You SHOULD get your child immunized before they’re sexually active to ensure they have full protection against HPV years before they ever have contact with the virus. 

MYTH: Your Child Will Get HPV/Cancer from the Vaccine

Fact: Not True! Because the HPV vaccine is made using only a single protein from each type of the virus, it can’t cause HPV infection, therefore, it can’t cause any other cancers. 

Talk to your child’s provider about the HPV vaccine during their next check-up. Depending on their age, the vaccine can come in either two or three doses. Over 15 years of monitoring have shown that HPV vaccines are very safe and help protect your child from HPV and the cancers it causes. Like any vaccine or medications, HPV vaccines can have side effects, however most common effects are mild and may include pain, redness, or swelling of the arm where shot was given, dizziness, fainting (more common in adolescents), nausea, or headache. Adolescents should be seated or lying down during vaccination and remain in that position for 15 minutes after getting the shot. 

Statistics show that high-risk HPV infections and genital warts rates have decreased by 81 percent among young adult women who have been immunized. Specific cervical precancers caused by high-risk HPV infections have dropped by 40 percent among vaccinated women. 

Don’t wait to vaccinate! Talk to your child’s provider at any Barbour Community Health Association site about getting their HPV vaccination.

Barbour Community Health Association is delighted to announce the promotion of Dr. John Henderson, MD, to Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Henderson will lead Barbour Community Health Association’s clinical team while continuing to provide care to his patients at Belington Medical Clinic. We chatted with Dr. Henderson to learn more about his experience in Family Medicine and about his new role. Read on to learn more.  

What is the title and role of your current position at Barbour Community Health Association (BCHA)? 

Chief Medical Officer and Medical Provider.

Can you briefly describe the responsibilities and duties associated with the CMO position? 

The primary thing is to ensure quality care to all patients that we serve and to oversee the clinical staff regarding our policies and procedures.

How does your previous experience and skill set align with the requirements of this role? 

I served as Medical Director in the past as well as worked as a Family Practice Physician for 28 years. I have worked here at BCHA in one capacity or another for all of those 28 years. I served as Chief of Staff at a local hospital. I am also the Medical Director of Mountain Hospice – a nursing home in Belington. 

How do you balance the role of an administrator and a provider? 

Balancing both roles is sometimes tough. You never know when things will come up. Thursdays are now dedicated to just administrative tasks and duties, however, issues do come up on other days as well. Balancing a busy schedule has been a responsibility of mine since Medical School. Prioritizing my work and working efficiently helps balance.

What excites you the most about your new position? 

I think it’s being involved with an organization that I truly believe has/puts the wellbeing of our patients and the community first. Having the dedicated time to do administrative tasks is a big change, where before, these responsibilities were always just squeezed in. We do great things here at BCHA, and I want to be a part of that, and continue being a part of it in the future.

How do you envision your new position contributing to the BCHA’s overall goals and objectives?

I think I try to be objective and not take any sides. I try to listen to the opinions of both the administrative side and the clinical side, and support whichever side seems to make most sense. Sometimes I have to work with one side – admin and providers – or vice versa to help them understand who may or may not be right given the circumstance.

Can you share any specific projects or initiatives you’ll be working on in your new position? 

We acquired the Myers Clinic seven years ago. It’s been a struggle for the two organizations to feel as one. I really would like us to feel like we’re all on the same team. To feel like we are all BCHA.

What are some of your immediate goals and priorities in your new role?

Learn what a CMO needs to do. In the past, we had a Clinical Director that did a lot of the grunt work, and I basically just signed off on things as a Medical Director. This role is more responsibility. I want to unify the BCHA organization. 

Why did you choose a career in the healthcare industry? 

Honestly, I just sort of fell into it. Some of my background – I wanted to be a farmer, and I did not go to college until six years after completing high school. I was married with kids when I then decided I needed more, so I went to college, then went on to med school. I like to help folks. I chose family medicine because I like the idea of being involved in care for the whole family.

What is your educational background? Please elaborate.

I graduated from East Fairmont High School in 1979. Following high school, I married my wife Annette – my high school sweetheart. I received my undergrad degree in Animal Science from West Virginia University. I then went on to medical school at West Virginia University, where I additionally completed a three year residency in family medicine. I have four children who are now all adults as well as seven grandchildren. I moved to Elkins in 1995, the same year I opened a private practice and worked at BCHA part time.

What are key challenges that you feel healthcare administrators face?

We’re a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), so we get federal funding, and with that comes a lot of rules and regulations to ensure we are doing what we need to do.

It is a challenge to know and follow those rules. Being an FQHC is much more involved than just doing the right thing in the exam room – we do the right thing in the room and must track and prove to the insurance companies that we are doing the right thing. Sometimes it’s hard to put it all on paper that we are providing the best care for our patients.

Providers are all different people with different personalities and practice approaches. This doesn’t mean one provider is right and one is wrong. We must understand how to come up with a protocol(s) to do things that also doesn’t interfere with a provider’s individuality and individual practice of medicine. The way I do it doesn’t mean it’s right for other providers.

Why do you choose (to work at) Barbour Community Health Association? 

Without sounding too corny, I really believe this organization cares about the patients first. A close second to that is the employees. I’ve seen many, many, many times over the years where the BCHA administration would go above and beyond to help our employees. I truly believe it’s a caring organization and that trickles down to our patients. From the board to our CEO to administration, the nurses, front desk and janitor – everyone really cares.

BCHA is an organization to be proud of. Considering Barbour County is very poor, we have really state-of- the-art medical facilities. We have the brand new Myers Clinic in Philippi, several Wellness Centers and School-Based clinics such as the AB Wellness Clinic. Our outreach is county-wide and I believe we do a very good job.

We are so excited for Dr. Henderson to take on the role of Chief Medical Officer. Patients can see Dr. Henderson at our Belington Medical Clinic. 

July 16, 2023 — Barbour Community Health Association (BCHA) announces new Community Engagement Specialist, Josh Allen. This entirely new position is funded through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) grant.

Allen, a resident of Barbour County for more than 20 years, is eager to serve as Community Engagement Specialist. “Substance abuse is an issue that, unfortunately, has far-reaching impacts on families, communities, and individuals—even those in my own family,” says Allen, “I look forward to helping identify the needs within our community and work to find solutions for Barbour County residents.”

This position will connect several entities including BCHA, New Vision, the Barbour County Health Department, West Virginia Prevention Solutions, and more to identify community needs within prevention, treatment, and recovery of substance use and abuse. Allen will be tasked with identifying how BCHA—and the other organizations—can create change and further advance the community plan to make sure they are all working together to better improve substance and opioid abuse within the Barbour County community.

Allen will also provide organizational leadership by engaging both public and private organizations to inform and further the strategic mission and initiatives of BCHA and Bright Futures, Barbour County.

“The roles I have had through the years have given me insight into understanding the different needs of a diverse environment, which has helped me achieve positive results in developing strong relationships. No task is too small or mundane when working towards the organization’s overall goals,” Allen says.

Plans are currently in the works to offer supervised opportunities for community members—while focusing on the youth—such as pool parties and adult/youth combined volleyball tournaments. The events will give Bright Futures an opportunity to educate the community and break down the stigma on substance use and abuse.

Allen’s new role also allows him to make recommendations for needs within the BCHA organization and the community as a whole where he sees fit.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to be a part of the BCHA team, and to work with organizations within the county as we strive towards our goal of improving the health of Barbour County. I hope that I can contribute to the great work that is already taking place.”

For more information about the Community Engagement Specialist or the services offered at BCHA, head to barbourhealth.org.

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About Barbour Community Health Association

Belington Medical and Myers Clinics are federally qualified health centers that provide medical and behavioral health care to patients with insurance, Medicare and/or Medicaid and for those without health insurance through the clinic’s Health Access program.

The organization also operates Barbour Behavioral Health, Barbour Quick Care, Belington Wellness Center, Brandon School-Based Health Services, Philippi Wellness Center, and AB Wellness Center. The Barbour Behavioral Health team is made up of well-trained psychologists and psychotherapists who offer a variety of behavioral health services. Barbour Quick Care has walk-in care available in Philippi. Belington and Philippi Wellness Centers offer a wide variety of exercise equipment, and exercise programs. Brandon School-Based Health Services offers a variety of nursing, preventive and acute care medical and behavioral health services to all students and staff in the Barbour County School system. The purpose of AB Wellness Center is to bring affordable primary health care to all Alderson Broaddus University students, faculty, staff, and their families. Learn More About the Barbour Community Health Association.