Hospital leaders advocate directly with federal lawmakers to safeguard health care access for West Virginians
West Virginia Press Association
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Hospital Association (WVHA) announced that a delegation of hospital CEOs from across the Mountain State traveled to Washington, D.C., on June 24 to meet with the State’s congressional members to advocate for the preservation of essential Medicaid funding.
The hospital representatives engaged in discussions with West Virginia’s congressional delegation and key staffers to ensure that any comprehensive federal spending package – including what has been referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – maintains robust Medicaid support that West Virginia’s health care system depends upon.
“Our hospitals serve as the backbone of health care delivery in communities across West Virginia, and Medicaid funding is absolutely critical to maintaining access to care for our most vulnerable residents,” said WVHA President and CEO Jim Kaufman. “These CEOs took time away from their demanding responsibilities to personally advocate for their patients and communities because the stakes are simply too high to leave this to chance.”
Any reduction in federal Medicaid support would create immediate challenges for hospitals already operating on thin margins while serving rural and underserved populations.
The hospital representatives emphasized that:
- Medicaid funding directly supports emergency services, labor, delivery and children’s health care, mental health services, and other critical programs that keep West Virginia communities healthy;
- Rural hospitals particularly depend on Medicaid payments to maintain operations and provide 24/7 emergency care; and
- Any cuts to Medicaid would force difficult decisions about service reductions that would harm patient access and community health outcomes
“We are asking for recognition that West Virginia’s unique health care challenges require sustained federal partnership,” the delegation communicated to lawmakers. “Our hospitals stand ready to continue serving every patient who walks through our doors, but we need assured that the funding mechanisms that make this possible will remain intact.”
The WVHA represents hospitals and health systems that collectively employ more than 54,000 West Virginians and serve as economic anchors in communities across the state. The Association will continue monitoring federal legislative developments and advocating for policies that support sustainable health care delivery.
Hospital CEOs participating in the Washington advocacy effort represented facilities from all regions of West Virginia, demonstrating the unified commitment of the state’s health care community to protecting patient access and community health infrastructure. The West Virginia Hospital Association remains committed to working collaboratively with federal and state policymakers to ensure that legislative decisions support, rather than undermine, the health care services that West Virginians depend upon every day.
About WVHA
The West Virginia Hospital Association is a not-for-profit statewide organization representing hospitals and health systems across the continuum of care. WVHA advocates for policies that support the delivery of quality health care in West Virginia. Learn more at wvha.org.
Photo Caption:
L to R: Skip Gjolberg, President, WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital (WVHA Board Chair); David Hess, MD, President & CEO, WVU Medicine United Hospital Center; Scott Raynes, President & CEO, Marshall Health Network; Albert Wright, President & CEO, WVU Medicine – WVU Health System; Karen Bowling, CEO, WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital & Executive VP Government Affairs, WVU Medicine – WVU Health System; Doug Bentz, CEO, Roane General Hospital; David Ramsey, President & CEO, Vandalia Health; Doug Harrison, CEO, WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital; Virgil Underwood, CEO, Boone Memorial Health.
