New River Health Association awarded $74,505 federal grant

By Matthew Hill
Register-Herald Reporter

August 28, 2008 10:56 pm

— Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., has announced that the New River Health Association has been awarded a $74,505 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for diabetes and cardiovascular care management programs.
“According to the (DHHS), 6.3 percent of adults in West Virginia have been diagnosed with diabetes,” Rahall noted. “With this funding, the (NRHA) will be able to provide advanced care and treatment for diabetes patients in Fayette, Nicholas and Raleigh counties.”
The money will allow NRHA to improve chronic disease management by applying the Chronic Disease Electronic Management System, tracking and reporting nationally accepted performance measures and assessing the need for and implementing additional quality improvement activities.
The funding will also permit NRHA to participate in monthly discussions and peer-learning workshops for technical assistance. NRHA hopes to integrate these new practices into daily routines and improve the quality of care available for patients suffering from diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the three counties it serves.