Rahall (D-WV) announced today that the New River Health Association, Inc. has been awarded $180,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Rural Health Network Development Program for rural healthcare services for the elderly in Raleigh and Fayette Counties.

“Rural health partnerships, such as the New River Health Association, extend medical services into isolated areas, where the need for medical care is great and resources are often scarce,” said Rahall. “This funding will help enhance the range of much-needed healthcare services available to the elderly residents of Raleigh and Fayette Counties, some of the most rural and rugged country in our Nation.”

Raleigh (15.4%) and Fayette (16.1%) Counties have higher percentages of people 65 years and older than West Virginia (15.3%) and the US (12.4%) and have both been designated as medically underserved areas by the federal government. This funding will expand the New River Health Association’s PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program by supporting staffing, training, and telemedicine technology that will help ensure access to quality medical services for rural seniors and help them to remain independent in their homes and communities for as long as possible.

“Access to rural healthcare is one of the top challenges facing our nation in the 21st century. I will continue to work to ensure that modern, high-quality healthcare services are available to all West Virginians, especially our seniors and rural residents, who need them most."