With a population-to-provider ratio nearly 50% lower than the national average, West Virginia’s need for new social work and mental health practitioners is immense. During this episode, we visit the classroom of Shikeal Harris, Marshall University Professor of Social Work, to discuss the many forms that social work can take, barriers to care in rural areas, and why Shikeal feels called to help train the next generation of clinicians in our state.

In episode two, we delve into the life and career of family nurse practitioner Anitra Ellis. From conducting home visits to helping operate a mobile clinic, Anitra’s priority is meeting her patients where they are. In rural, medically-underserved areas like Anitra’s home of Logan County, West Virginia, bringing care to patients directly is crucial to ensuring accessibility of services and improving overall health outcomes. We talk with Anitra about the importance (and challenges) of building trusting relationships with patients who may be skeptical or unfamiliar with the healthcare system, along with the common misconception that in order to pursue a career in healthcare, your path must be mapped out early on.

In this episode, we’re traveling through the sky with Heidi Stump, critical care flight paramedic with Health Net in Beckley, West Virginia. Critical care air transport is a valuable component of any effective healthcare system, but it’s particularly vital in remote and rural places like West Virginia, where so much of our population lives nestled deep in the hills, accessible only by bumpy backroads, often hours from the nearest hospital. When serious accidents or injuries occur in these environments, an emergency helicopter is sometimes a person’s sole chance at survival. For flight paramedics like Heidi (and their teams), these highest-of-high stakes give a powerful sense of purpose to their work.

Curious about the people who are working behind the scenes and on the front lines to care for our communities every day? 

Appalachian Care Chronicles is a new podcast bringing you stories from every corner of West Virginia’s health sector. Join host, Aryana Misaghi, to journey alongside a variety of problem-solvers, change makers, and daily helpers. Explore what they do day-to-day, the steps that got them there, and the “why’s” that continue to draw them back.

Find Appalachian Care Chronicles at appalachiancarechronicles.com and on social media for episodes, behind the scenes photos, and portraits of our storytellers.