Newest members of the WVU Aspiring Nurses Program pose for a photo.
One of the newest members of the program signs her contract.
One of the newest members of the Aspiring Nurses Program poses for a picture Friday after signing paperwork during a ceremony held at WVU Medicine United Hospital Center.
Dr. David Hess addresses the newest batch of nurses joining the program.
Stephanie Smart welcomes the new students to the Aspiring Nurses Program.
Sidney Watkins (left) and Stephanie Smart pose for a picture before the ceremony begins.
Hess
Smart
Watkins
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WV News) — Friends and family gathered Friday evening at WVU Medicine United Hospital Center to celebrate the latest cohort of students entering the Aspiring Nurses Program.
The program is designed to help nursing students attain their degrees. Each student receives $25,000 to help cover expenses. In exchange, they agree to work at the hospital for three years following graduation.
A total of 15 nurses are enrolled in the program, with 11 attending the ceremony.
“This is actually our third signing ceremony,” said Stephanie Smart, vice president of nursing at UHC. “We do two ceremonies a year. The students come in periodically throughout the year, but we limit the signing ceremonies to two to make it more special.”
Smart said it was exciting to see the third cohort progress through the program.
“This is one of my favorite programs we have,” she said. “I think it’s really starting to show some success with recruitment.”
The Aspiring Nurses Program helps students feel more connected to UHC, she added.
Dr. David Hess, UHC president and CEO, said the signing event is among his favorites to host.
“This is literally one of my favorite ceremonies that we do,” Hess said, “because it’s the people that have servant hearts that want to go into the calling of medicine. It’s not a job or a profession — it’s a calling.”
Students in the program are passionate about patient care, he added.
“This is incredibly satisfying as the CEO to see this program start and evolve into what it’s become now,” Hess said.
Hess noted that four different universities and colleges feed into the Aspiring Nurses Program.
“It’s so invigorating for me because I see the future of health care in that room,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s incredibly gratifying that we listened to nursing students back when we started the program about what barriers were holding them back.”
Sidney Watkins, an admit to the Aspiring Nurses Program, has already worked at UHC for six years.
“Currently, I’m an LPN here at UHC,” Watkins said. “So you still have the opportunity to apply to the program for the RN program.”
Watkins said already being on staff at UHC before joining the program is a major advantage.
“The last set of your payment is a sign-on for three years,” Watkins said. “So I will continue to work here for three more years after I graduate.”
This rendering shows what the new WVU Eye Institute will look like after completion.
This aerial rendering shows that WVU Medicine’s main Morgantown campus will look like once the new WVU Eye Institute is completed.
WVU Medicine’s new Eye Institute in Morgantown is slated to provide more room for treating patients once its completed.
Once the new WVU Eye Institute is completed, professionals will be able to train more specialists and research more treatments.
Ground broke on a new $233 million WVU Eye Institute in Morgantown on Friday.
WVU Eye Institute Executive Chair Dr. Thomas Mauger speaks about the benefits the new institute facility will bring to West Virginia.
West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee speaks to those in attendance at Friday's groundbreaking for the new WVU Eye Institute.
WVU Hospitals President and CEO Dr. Michael Grace speaks at Friday’s groundbreaking for the new WVU Eye Institute.
Hoppy Kercheval, who emceed Friday's WVU Eye Institute groundbreaking, points to a livestream of the construction sight as the first load of dirt is moved.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WV News) — WVU Medicine broke ground Friday on a new $233 million Eye Institute, a project that, in an estimated 30 months, will greatly expand the health care provider’s ability to treat patients, train new specialists and research diseases.
The new WVU Eye Institute will be built at the intersection of Van Voorhis Road and Elmer Prince Drive in Morgantown near the entrance to WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital. The new facility will have 102 exam rooms and 44 testing rooms, an increase from the current Eye Institute’s 60 exam rooms and 13 testing rooms.
According to officials, the new WVU Eye Institute will aid in the recruitment of more providers, the expansion of services, a better response to patient needs, the accommodation of more trainees and the expansion of clinical research into new treatments for eye diseases.
WVU Medicine officials gathered at the WVU Erickson Alumni Center Friday morning to celebrate the groundbreaking, where WVU Eye Institute Executive Chair Dr. Thomas Mauger said the new facility will be a huge boon for eye care in West Virginia.
“I’m so excited, and I’ll be even happier when we complete the project in 30 months,” Mauger said. “We have baby boomers who are getting older and having more problems, and that’s creating an enormous amount of eye care needs right now — from simple things like cataracts to more complex things we do every day like retinal detachments and macular degeneration. ...
“It’s created a wave of patients that we’ve been trying to take care of in our current facility. ... Even though we’re using every square inch of our space, we don’t have enough room to hire more doctors to take care of the patients who want to see us.”
Mauger went on to explain that officials expect that a shortage of ophthalmologists who run their own practices is on the horizon, and by expanding the institute’s training services, more ophthalmologists at other sites will be supported, as well.
Additionally, the broadened training services provided by the new institute will allow WVU Medicine to educate and prepare more specialists who will, hopefully, stay in West Virginia and provide care to its residents, according to Mauger.
WVU Health Sciences Chancellor and Executive Dean Dr. Clay Marsh also spoke at the groundbreaking, praising the WVU Eye Institute’s leadership and underlining why the new facility will be so important to the region and state.
“If you look at West Virginia, we have the worst vision and eye health in the country,” Marsh said. “One out of every 30 West Virginians needs help in some way shape or form. Now, we’re much better positioned to deliver. The impact of chronic diseases and an aging population with obesity and hypertension and diabetes is one that we need to embrace not only at the level of the Eye Institute, but at the level of WVU Medicine. Our commitment is to provide the best health care to our population and eventually ... to improve the health of our population. ...
“We are here to serve you, and we’re now in a position where we can serve you better, and we appreciate the great support and help.”
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington.
FILE - Debris is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Asheville, N.C.
FILE - A firefighter hoses down flames as the Palisades Fire approaches in Mandeville Canyon, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles.
President Donald Trump talks with California Gov. Gavin Newsom after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
President Donald Trump speaks along side first lady Melania Trump, as they meet with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
Marine One, with President Donald Trump aboard, flies above devastation caused by wildfires, in areas of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan 24, 2025.
President Donald Trump speaks along side first lady Melania Trump, as they meet with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
President Donald Trump, along side first lady Melania Trump, speaks as he meets with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump listen to California Gov. Gavin Newsom after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
President Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump and Franklin Graham, left, meet with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
President Donald Trump listens as resident Kim West speaks, as Trump meets with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
Franklin Graham speaks along side President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, as they meet with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
President Donald Trump is briefed on the effects of Hurricane Helene at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, as Franklin Graham looks on.
President Donald Trump is briefed on the effects of Hurricane Helene at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, as first lady Melania Trump looks on.
President Donald Trump is briefed on the effects of Hurricane Helene at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, N.C., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
LOS ANGELES — President Donald Trump surveyed disaster zones in California and North Carolina on Friday and said he was considering “getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency, offering the latest sign of how he is weighing sweeping changes to the nation’s central organization for responding to disasters.
In fire-ravaged California, the state’s Democratic leaders pressed Trump for federal assistance that he’s threatened to hold up, some setting aside their past differences to shower him with praise. Trump, in turn, pressured local officials to waive permitting requirements so people can immediately rebuild, pledging that federal permits would be granted promptly.
Instead of having federal financial assistance flow through FEMA, the Republican president said Washington could provide money directly to the states. He made the comments while visiting North Carolina, which is still recovering months after Hurricane Helene, on the first trip of his second term.
“FEMA has been a very big disappointment,” the Republican president said. “It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow.”
Trump was greeted in California by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Trump critic whom the president frequently disparages.
The duo chatted amiably and gestured toward cooperation despite their bitter history.
“We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your help,” Newsom told Trump. “You were there for us during COVID. I don’t forget that, and I have all the expectations we’ll be able to work together to get a speedy recovery.”
Newsom has praised Trump before when looking for help from the federal government. In the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, he called Trump “thoughtful” and “collaborative.”
Trump flew over several devastated neighborhoods in Marine One, the presidential helicopter, before landing in Pacific Palisades, a hard-hit community that’s home to some of Southern California’s rich and famous. Accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, he walked a street where all the houses have burned, chatting with residents and police officers.
It takes seeing the damage firsthand to grasp its enormity, Trump said after. The fires, which continue to burn, could end up being the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
“It is devastation. It really is an incineration,” Trump said.
Trump’s brief but friendly interaction with Newsom belied the confrontational stance he signaled toward California earlier in the day. Even on the plane en route to Los Angeles, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was using Trump’s disparaging nickname for the governor, “Newscum,” and telling reporters “he has wronged the people of his state” and saying Trump was visiting to pressure Newsom and other officials “to do right by their citizens.”
Trump said Los Angeles residents who lost their homes should be able to get back onto their properties immediately to clear them, adding several told him it will be months before they can rebuild.
Mayor Karen Bass said residents should be able to return home within the week, but keeping people safe from hazardous materials is a top priority. She said the city was easing the process to get permits, but she was repeatedly interrupted by Trump as she tried to explain the city’s efforts. He downplayed the concerns about toxins, saying: “What’s hazardous waste? We’re going to have to define that.”
Before flying to California, Trump reiterated that he wants to extract concessions from the Democratic-led state in return for disaster assistance, including changes to water policies and requirements that voters need to show identification when casting ballots.
Beyond Trump’s criticism of FEMA, he’s suggested limiting the federal government’s role in responding to disasters, echoing comments from conservative allies who have proposed reducing funding and responsibility.
“I’d like to see the states take care of disasters,” he said in North Carolina. “Let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen.”
Trump said that would be quicker and cheaper than sending in FEMA.
“FEMA just hasn’t done the job,” the president said. “We’re looking at the whole concept of FEMA.”
Trump said Michael Whatley, a North Carolina native and chair of the Republican National Committee, would help coordinate recovery efforts in the state, where frustrations over the federal response have lingered. Although Whatley does not hold an official government position, Trump said he would be “very much in charge.”
FEMA helps respond to disasters when local leaders request a presidential emergency declaration, a signal that the damage is beyond the state’s ability to handle on its own. FEMA can reimburse governments for recovery efforts such as debris removal, and it gives stopgap financial assistance to individual residents.
Trump has criticized former President Joe Biden for his administration’s response to Helene in North Carolina. As he left the White House on Friday morning, he told reporters that “it’s been a horrible thing the way that’s been allowed to fester” since the storm hit in September, and “we’re going to get it fixed up.”
“I’ll be the president who’s going to help you fix it because he would not have been able to help you fix it,” Trump said of his predecessor in California.
In a small town in western North Carolina, residents told Trump about wading through waist-deep water to escape from their homes while fearing for their lives. Some have battled with insurance companies to get their losses covered.
“We’ve come to North Carolina with a simple message,” Trump said. “You are not forgotten any longer. You were treated very badly by the previous administration.”
FEMA has distributed $319 million in financial assistance to residents, but that hasn’t alleviated the feeling of abandonment among residents who are struggling to rebuild their lives.
Trump has showered California leaders with disdain for water policies that he falsely claimed worsened the recent blazes. He said he would “take a look at a fire that could have been put out if they let the water flow, but they didn’t let the water flow.”
In Los Angeles, he met with members of Congress and local officials from both parties in a meeting that was at times contentious. Trump again suggested using federal disaster assistance as a bargaining chip during unrelated legislative negotiations over government borrowing, or as leverage to persuade California to change its water policies.
“Playing politics with people’s livelihoods is unacceptable and a slap in the face to the Southern California wildfire victims and to our brave first responders,” Rep. Young Kim, a Republican from Orange County, south of Los Angeles, said in a recent statement.
Trump has been focused on California water policies, specifically fish conservation efforts in the northern part of the state.
Michael Coen, who served as chief of staff at FEMA during the Biden administration, said Trump was “misinformed” about an agency that provides critical help to states when they are overwhelmed by catastrophe.
In addition, Coen criticized the idea of attaching strings to assistance.
“You’re going to pick winners and losers on which communities are going to be supported by the federal government,” he said. “I think the American people expect the federal government will be there for them on their worst day, no matter where they live.”
Trump tapped Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL with limited experience managing natural disasters, as FEMA’s acting director.
Friday’s trip could prompt some uncomfortable conversations about climate change, which Trump has played down and denied. Both Helene and the Los Angeles wildfires were exacerbated by global warming.
In Helene’s case, a study by international climate scientists at World Weather Attribution found that climate change boosted the storm’s rainfall by 10%. In California, the state suffered a record dry fall and winter — its traditional wet season — which made the area around Los Angeles more vulnerable to blazes.
“This is just breaking our comfort zone of what is supposed to be normal,” said University of Oregon researcher Amanda Stasiewicz.
After visiting North Carolina and California, Trump plans to hold a rally Saturday in Las Vegas.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey signs an executive order.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks about executive orders he issued on his first day as governor at a news conference at the State Capitol in Charleston.
Pushkin
Gov. Patrick Morrisey delivers his inaugural address on the steps of the State Capitol in Charleston.
Attendees watch Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s inauguration ceremony at the State Capitol in Charleston.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — Gov. Patrick Morrisey wasted no time setting the tone for his administration, unveiling a series of initiatives and appointments during his first week in office.
The governor unveiled a set of executive orders and actions on his first official day in office, has continued to name members of his Cabinet and announced plans to merge some state departments.
Morrisey’s initial executive orders include:
— An order to begin the “economic backyard brawl,” a strategy for economic competition with neighboring states that Morrisey described in his inaugural address.
“Now the formal process under government begins, of looking at every tax, looking at every regulation, every workforce rule, licensing rule and comparing them with every state that we touch,” he said.
— An order stating that “school choice is going to (be) a top priority” of the administration.
— An order “terminating any DEI” programs in state government. DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
“We’re expressly sending a letter to all of our Cabinet officials and agency heads and indicating that there should be (a) review of any potential DEI that may exist within state government,” Morrisey said.
“We want to have a review of recruiting, of retention, of programs, of policy or any issue which might express an inappropriate preference for race, for sex, for national origin,” he said.
— An order to review “every major spending decision” on the books for the current fiscal year.
“That means beginning July 1, 2024, to June 30 — we’re going to be going backward in time — any expenditure that occurred that was $100,000 or more, I’m asking my Cabinet and agencies to look at,” Morrisey said.
— An order directing state agencies and boards to “develop a plan for more efficient government.”
“I think that every part of state government needs to be looking closely to say, ‘How can we gain more efficiencies than currently exist?’” Morrisey said. “I want to realize significant savings because that is going to have to get factored into the budget that we’ll be submitting to the Legislature next month.”
— An order to examine all the “rules and regulations that exist in West Virginia.”
“We’re looking at items that are outdated, that are complex, or regulations that may impede the flow of commerce, that actually don’t have tangible value for our citizenry,” Morrisey said.
— An order recognizing an religious consensus objection exemption for vaccines.
“We’re directing the Office of Public Health to set up (a) process to recognize these differences,” Morrisey said.
— An order reviewing all past executive orders “that have existed.”
“We’re not aware of the last time people have gone back to do a wholesome review, going back in time, of whether executive orders exist from 20 years ago, 30 years ago,” Morrisey said.
In addition to the executive orders, the governor also detailed two other actions.
The first is an “intention to partner with the Legislature to be clearer on gender.”
“Men are men, and women are women. We plan to work with the Legislature to introduce legislation classifying that under law,” Morrisey said. “I think that’s common sense and long overdue.”
The second action is a letter to the members of the state’s congressional delegation.
“Fentanyl has ravaged our state and killed so many people,” Morrisey said. “I think we need the federal government to step in and work with us, so I’m asking our West Virginia congressional delegation to work with me, and for them to advance policies that list fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia has said the governor’s order on DEI initiatives “could infringe on the free speech rights of college educators and others.”
“This hastily written executive order represents a potential violation of educators’ free speech rights enshrined in the Constitution and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court,” said ACLU-WV Legal Director Aubrey Sparks. “Not only do we believe this order to be unconstitutional, we also can’t overstate the degree to which it is meant to create a state government hostile to people from marginalized communities.”
Mike Pushkin, chair West Virginia Democratic Party, said Morrisey’s order on vaccines “endangers public health.”
“West Virginia has long been recognized for its effective vaccination policies, which have protected our children from preventable diseases,” he said. “Eroding these safeguards will inevitably lead to increased illness and suffering among our most vulnerable populations.”
Later in his first week on the job, Morrisey announced his appointees to lead the Department Commerce, Department of Tourism and Department of Health.
Additionally, Morrisey said he plans to combine the Departments of Commerce and Economic Development, as well as combine the Department of Arts, Culture and History and the Tourism Department.
Dr. Matthew Herridge, current chair of the West Virginia GOP, will serve as secretary of commerce. Nicholas Preservati, who is currently acting secretary of commerce, will serve as deputy secretary of commerce.
Chelsea Ruby, who has led the Tourism Department since before it was elevated to a Cabinet-level position, will continue in her role.
Stephen Rumbaugh, a veteran employee the West Virginia Department of Transportation, will serve as secretary of transportation and commissioner of highways. Michael DeMers will serve as deputy secretary of Transportation.
Dr. Arvin Singh will serve as secretary of Health.
He plans to work with the West Virginia Legislature to “seek legislation” to consider “various departments and agencies,” Morrisey said.
“Today, we’re announcing that we’re planning to work with the Legislature to merge the Department of Commerce and the Department of Economic Development into one department,” he said. “We’ll also be seeking legislation to combine Arts, Culture and History with the Department of Tourism.”
These are the first of several planned consolidations and mergers, Morrisey said.
“These are not going to be the end of the consolidation proposals,” he said. “You should expect that there would be a number of additional proposals in this area in the upcoming weeks.”
Morrisey’s plan would see state departments that have already been reorganized in recent years reorganized again.
In February 2021, at the request of then-Gov. Jim Justice, the Legislature passed a bill removing the West Virginia Development Office and the West Virginia Tourism Office from the Department of Commerce. The bill, signed into law in March 2021, established each office as a separate entity within the executive branch and elevated their heads to Cabinet-level secretaries.
Last year, lawmakers fast-tracked a bill to redesignate the Department of Arts, Culture and History as a Cabinet-level agency. The bill formally redesignated the department and changed its leadership position from curator to Cabinet secretary.
In 2018, Justice signed a bill into law removing the position of secretary of the Department of Education and the Arts. The ranking officials in the West Virginia Department of Education are now the state superintendent of schools and the president of the state board of education.
Purdue Pharma, under the leadership of the Sackler family, invented, manufactured, and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, fueling waves of addiction and overdose deaths across the country.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — The recently announced settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, will bring millions of dollars to West Virginia. More importantly, it represents a symbolic victory against those seen as primarily responsible for the opioid crisis.
Through the aggressive marketing and distribution of its opioid drug OxyContin, the Sacklers’ company helped introduce countless Americans to addiction and contributed to the deaths of thousands, according to state officials.
While recent data shows a decline in West Virginia’s overdose deaths, the state began seeing an increase in the 2010s, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
From 2011 to 2021, the state’s age-adjusted death rate from opioid overdoses rose from 31.5 per 100,000 residents to 77.2 per 100,000 residents, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The settlement includes the eight heirs of Purdue founders Raymond and Mortimer Sackler who served on the company’s board: Richard, Kathe, Mortimer Jr., Ilene, David and Theresa Sackler; and the estates of Jonathan and Beverly Sackler. Their associated trusts, advisers and most of their heirs are also included.
As part of the $7.4 billion settlement, West Virginia is expected to receive up to $55 million.
“At the end of the day, this is really about holding accountable a family of people who invented a useful but very dangerous product, figured out a way to make a ton of money off of it and, due to their lack of respect for Appalachian people — our culture and their misunderstanding of the value that our people have — used some of the shortcomings that continue to plague Appalachia to get very, very rich off of our suffering,” West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey said.
McCuskey
While satisfied with the settlement, which was largely negotiated by his predecessor, current Gov. Patrick Morrisey, McCuskey said he’ll never be fully content with efforts to hold the Sacklers accountable.
“Not when it pertains to Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers,” McCuskey said. “I will go to my grave knowing that the Sacklers have probably caused more pain and harm to the people of Appalachia than any other group of people in American history.”
Morrisey praised the settlement in a social media post.
“For years, I fought hard to hold the Sacklers and the company responsible,” he wrote. “While this settlement won’t bring back the lives of so many victims, it will help provide a foundation for healing.”
Morrisey
Most of the state’s payout from the Sackler settlement will go to the West Virginia First Foundation, the private nonprofit established by legislation in March 2023.
“This isn’t so much about the total number. Because how do you place a dollar figure on a life? You don’t,” said Jonathan Board, executive director of the foundation. “This is about sending a message that the West Virginia First Foundation, the Attorney General’s Office and everyone involved in this is going to get to work. We’re going to be very judicious with every dime we have and make sure it gets back into the hands of the doers across the state.”
Board
The foundation currently holds more than $225 million from settlements with drug retailers, pharmacies, distributors and manufacturers. The foundation recently made its first distribution, awarding nearly $10.4 million to 38 nonprofit organizations across the state to combat the effects of the opioid crisis.
Additional money from the settlements flows directly to counties and cities, which then can distribute it as local leaders determine.
President Donald Trump talks with reporters as first lady Melania Trump listens, after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
State Auditor J.B. McCuskey wants to utilize more local lawyers and WVU College of Law graduates for cases if he’s elected as West Virginia’s next attorney general.
