Dr. Elizabeth Copenhaver, middle, a CAMC pediatrician, speaks before county commissioners during the panel's Oct. 16 meeting.Photo byKanawha County Commission

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Two Kanawha Valley hospitals have been awarded $310,000 worth of opioid settlement monies for projects to help patients affected by opioid use.

The monies, awarded Wednesday by Kanawha County Commissioners, will go towards purchasing two handicap-accessible vans and remodeling two infant comfort rooms in a hospital nursery, respectively.

Representatives from CAMC Vandalia Health and WVU Thomas Hospitals appeared before the panel at their Oct. 16 commission meeting.

Funding for both projects comes from the $2.9 million first installment of opioid settlement funds released to the county, meant for programs that treat, prevent or provide recovery to individuals affected by addiction.

Thomas Hospitals vans

Thomas Hospitals officials, Business Development Liaison Joe Deegan, front left, pose for a photo at Wednesday's commission meeting.Photo byKanawha County Commission

In June, officials with Thomas Hospitals submitted a $250,000 request to the county commission to purchase two handicapped-accessible wheelchair vans. Extra money would be spent on the hiring of a licensed social worker and training staff who work with individuals in recovery.

Joe Deegan, Business Development Liaison at WVU Thomas Hospitals, explained that the vans are needed to transport individuals in recovery.

“We’re the only hospital in the state that has an addiction unit on a medical floor,” Deegan told commissioners on Wednesday.

The Addiction Healing Center, at WVU Thomas' St. Francis Hospital, provides residential treatment for substance use disorder. The hospital also works with individuals in recovery who also experience comorbidities.

“We service a lot of folks,” Deegan said, noting that some patient populations served by his organization need additional help in their recovery efforts.

“We’re seeing an increased number of people with handicaps,” he said. “Sometimes getting them access to recovery meetings is difficult.”

Thomas’ existing vans are old, and the upkeep expenses are costly, Deegan said. But, he notes, giving patients access to meetings is an essential part of their healing.

“That’s when we get the best outcomes when we take them to meet [other] people in recovery,” he told the panelists.

Commissioner Ben Salango said he understands the toll that the opioid crisis has had on hospitals, which have been on the front lines of the problem since the beginning.

“I know that CAMC and Thomas [hospitals] have been taking care of this for years and losing substantial money,” Salango said. “I was glad when you applied because I can’t think of too many applicants more deserving.”

Commission President Lance Wheeler also expressed an interest in helping the hospital, but noted that the hospital system is “a pretty major medical institute” with “a lot of money there.”

“We have the daunting task of trying to allocate this [opioid settlement] money, and do it as responsibly as possible to help,” Wheeler explained. “Once this money dries out it’s gone.”

While commissioners decided to forgo part of the $250,000 request, they agreed to award $155,000, enough to cover the cost of the two vans, and submit a letter of recommendation to the West Virginia First Foundation on behalf of the WVU Thomas Hospitals for potentially more funds.

Deegan and other hospital representatives expressed their thankfulness for the donation.

CAMC Women and Children’s comfort rooms

A delegation from CAMC Vandalia Health poses with county commissioners during the Oct. 16 meeting.Photo byKanawha County Commission

Also on Wednesday, commissioners awarded CAMC Vandalia Health $155,000 to help remodel two comfort rooms for infants born to addiction.

Dr. Elizabeth Copenhaver, a pediatrician who works in the nursery at CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital, explained that children born to a mother who use drugs may display signs of distress in noisy environments like the hospital nursery.

“One of the best things we can do for these patients is to have them stay with their mother or a family member,” Copenhaver said.

Because these infants often require extended hospital stays, sometimes well after their mothers have been released, staff at CAMC try to accommodate the best they can.

“There are two rooms where families can stay [now],” Copenhaver said. “They’re not comfortable for a stayover.”

Copenhaver says she considers these stayovers as “a piece of their [the infant's] medicine.”

Salango acknowledged the doctor’s comments.

“It’s clear, it’s medical-based science that this is needed, and it helps,” he said. “That’s exactly what the opioid [settlement] money is for.”

Like WVU Thomas, officials with CAMC Vandalia Health had also asked for $250,000 in their original request. On Wednesday, commissioners awarded CAMC $155,000, to be spent on the comfort room renovations and a few additional developmental toys.

Copenhaver and the others in the CAMC delegation expressed their appreciation.

“The sooner we start doing these developmental things, the better off it is for the kids,” Copenhaver said.

Michael Ramsburg is a Kanawha County communities reporter. He can be reached at ramsburgreports@gmail.com or by calling 304-370-3067.