Health & Science

On this week’s episode of The Legislature Today, we look at abortion access and a controversial education bill.

Union maintenance and service workers at a West Virginia hospital ratified a contract Wednesday to end a month-old strike, the hospital announced.

Sarah Dorsey knows the importance of making a connection. “I was diagnosed at the age of 10 with cardiomyopathy,” she said. “I’ve had to go through open heart surgeries. I have a pacemaker and a defibrillator so I’ve really been dealing with a disability from a young age.

A former cabinet secretary in West Virginia has been named president and CEO of Princeton Community Hospital. Karen Bowling currently serves as West Virginia University Health System's executive vice president of government affairs, as well as president and CEO of WVU Medicine's Braxton County Memorial Health System and Summersville Regional Medical Center.

Mental health across the nation has taken a toll since the pandemic began -- and this includes eating disorders. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, hotline calls are up nearly 80 percent in the past year.

In a statement on Tuesday, U.S. authorities said they are "reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine."

On this West Virginia Morning, author Robert Gipe’s trilogy of books is set in the heart of central Appalachia. One unique feature of the books is that Gipe illustrates the books himself. We learn about his work. Also, we have updates on West Virginia legislative action and news about a possible city ordinance in Charleston that could limit syringe programs in the city.

On this West Virginia Morning, healthcare costs continue to rise around the country and can cause tremendous stress for consumers. But several bills being considered by the West Virginia Legislature aim to reduce those costs and put more money in the pockets of West Virginians. Also, we learn about a massive omnibus bill in the House of Delegates aimed at overhauling the state’s criminal justice laws.

The world is one-year into the COVID-19 pandemic. It has taken a toll on mental health, as four in 10 adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorders in 2020, up from one in 10 in 2019, according to a U.S. Census survey.

Results of the trial, which involved more than 32,000 volunteers, showed two doses of the vaccine administered four weeks apart had an efficacy of 79% at preventing symptoms of COVID-19.