Way back during a different decade and in a different county, I went to a bar to see a friend of mine perform with her band.
I could only make it through a few songs before the thick, secondhand cigarette smoke I was inhaling made it impossible for me to breathe comfortably. So I left.
Later, I found out that my friend wasn’t super happy having to sing with all that smoke swirling around either.
I mentioned it to a smoking co-worker, who said, “But you went to a bar, so you must have known there would be cigarette smoke.”
But he later changed his tune when he complained about a co-worker’s smoke. He had quit, and he had to admit that I was right.
Smoking is gross, and once you are no longer accustomed to it (i.e., you gain back your sense of smell), it’s not fun to breathe in it.
I grew up around smoke. Both my parents and one grandmother smoked. Car rides weren’t a whole lot of fun.
But when I was around 13, my father caught a cold and quit smoking for the duration. And then… he never picked it back up. He became like my former co-worker and couldn’t stand it anymore. I consider it the cold that helped extend his life.
Coincidentally, just as I was moving away from home, the “no smoking” movement was gaining ground. For the most part, I’ve spent my career not having to deal with other people’s bad habit.
This topic is relevant year-round in West Virginia, where smoking rates top those of every other state at 21%, nearly twice the national average of 11.5%.
But as we approach Thanksgiving and the new year, and with 

 taking place in November, it’s a great time to highlight the 


This annual event, launched by the American Cancer Society in 1977, takes place this Thursday with a goal of urging smokers to go one day without a cigarette.
The hope is that if you give up smoking for one day, maybe you’ll consider doing it for another day, and then another.
If you quit on Nov. 21, one week later, on Thanksgiving, your turkey dinner will taste a little better because smoking dulls your taste buds and they would be perking up again already.
As the American Cancer Society points out: 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. After 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in your blood drop to normal.
After two weeks to three months, circulation improves and lung function increases.
After one to nine months, coughing and shortness of breath decrease. Cilia start to regain function in your lungs, increasing their ability to clean the lungs and reduce the risk of infection.
Several of Monongalia County Health Department’s programs have been vital in their fight to decrease the incidence of smoking among West Virginia residents.
As of March 9, 2012, smoking has been prohibited by the Monongalia County Board of Health in enclosed spaces, including, but not limited to, restaurants and bars. MCHD Environmental Health sanitarians are responsible for enforcing the 

, which was amended as of Feb. 1, 2017 to include electronic smoking devices to the prohibition.
The effect of this not only protects non-smoking customers, but also the employees of these establishments as well as any musicians who might be playing, like my friend that I had wanted to see several years ago.
Also, patients at MCHD Dentistry receive a very thorough oral cancer screening during their checkups and smoking cessation information is available not only through that program, but also MCHD Clinical Services and MCHD WIC.
Check out Monongalia County Health Department’s website at monchd.org to see if any of our services would be right for you.
State residents also can turn to the 

, which offers not only counseling but also products to help people ditch this dangerous habit.
These services are especially important in our state, because in a report released earlier this year by the American Lung Association, West Virginia was listed as “the worst state in the nation for adult smoking and high school tobacco use; and among the worst for tobacco control policies.”
Smoking is addictive and it’s not easy to quit. Setting goals and seeking help is a great way to start.
And when Jan. 1 rolls around, you could be well on the path to completing one of the most important New Year’s resolutions you’ll ever make.

Mary Wade Burnside is the public information officer at Monongalia County Health Department.

Quitting for a day might help you quit forever

Monongalia County Health Department has scheduled a special board meeting, to be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, to select an accounting firm to conduct the health department's annual audit. 

The meeting will be held virtually via Google Meet. If you would like an invite, please email Kelly Grow at Kelly.A.Grow@wv.gov. 

MCHD schedules special board meeting to select accounting firm

Upgraded, state-of-the art Smile Express introduced at reception

Members of the community got the opportunity to tour and learn more about Monongalia County Health Department’s new, custom-made, state-of-the-art Smile Express mobile dentistry unit during a reception on Friday afternoon.
The $500,000 Winnebago commercial chassis that carries a two-operatory dental office with all the bells and whistles was delivered in September and has already been out on the road for visits to area schools and recovery centers.
The new vehicle replaced the 2005 retrofitted RV that has been used since Smile Express was launched in September 2018.
“Our work is as needed as it was back then,” said Tiffany Summerlin, a registered dental hygienist and the Smile Express coordinator. “A lot has changed since 2018 in the world and also in dental care, but so much has stayed the same.”
Summerlin noted that the opioid crisis as well as more grandparents raising grandchildren has impacted the Smile Express program because it changes the dynamics of taking children for dental care.
She addressed Jim Smallridge, the director of community development, and CEO Todd White, both of Aetna Better Health of West Virginia, which provided the funding for the new mobile unit.
“Your support has enabled us to do important and compassionate work and it is making a difference to a wide variety of your neighbors,” Summerlin said.
Smallridge, who met Summerlin two years ago when both served on the executive board of directors of Mountaineer Food Bank, also spoke.
“A lot of people don’t consider the importance of dentistry to general health,” Smallridge said. “It’s not just teeth. It’s also about preventing heart disease. And there are also the psychosocial effects, especially when you are working with people in recovery. When people see them in a different light, they see themselves in a different light.”
Other reception speakers included Sam Chico, president of the Monongalia County Board of Health, Anthony DeFelice, executive director of Monongalia County Health Department and Dr. Youseph Kassar, program director of MCHD Dentistry, which oversees the Smile Express program.
“As you know dental health is important to overall health and it is our mission to ensure everyone has the opportunity to receive the dental care they need,” DeFelice said. “The new mobile unit is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and staffed by skilled professionals who provide quality dental care.”
Just as with the original vehicle, Smile Express 2.0 features digital X-ray equipment, including a panoramic and software that allows Smile Express providers to communicate in real time with a dentist back at the health department.
As for upgrades, “There are almost too many to name,” said Summerlin before listing some off. “A wheelchair lift to accommodate any patient of any ability, drag wheels to allow us to safely traverse hilly parking lots without losing our rear end, audio/video entertainment options, a custom sterilization center with two autoclaves, backup and side view cameras and much more.”
Smile Express allows MCHD Dentistry staffers to go out into communities and provide care to those without a dental home. Currently, Smile Express has memoranda of agreement with boards of education in four counties: Monongalia, Marion, Harrison and Wetzel. A newer focus has been recovery centers, including Wise Path in Westover, the WVU Center for Hope and Healing, and most recently Valley Health Care System in Fairmont.
For the recovery center visits, patients with insurance or Medicaid can be billed, but the program has been awarded a $51,000 grant from the Monongalia County Commission Opioid Settlement Fund too.
“This will allow us to meet the comprehensive needs of many individuals without having to worry if we have exceeded their allowed benefit,” Summerlin said.
Since the program began six years ago, Smile Express has recorded 2,000 student visits, and in the past year and a half, 250 recovery center patients have also been seen.
When patients are treated on Smile Express, all insurances, including Medicaid, can be billed.
“We offset charges for individuals who have financial hardship,” Summerlin said.
The new “Smiley” was an empty box on top of a Winnebago commercial chassis that was then designed into two dental offices by ADI Mobile Health in Tualatin, Oregon.
Summerlin’s connection to Aetna’s Smallridge is a key factor in the new Smile Express’ story. “Some of you may know, if I have a chance to talk about Smile Express, I take it,” Summerlin said. “In those few blips of conversation with Jim, I must have made an impression, because when Aetna Better Health of West Virginia was poised to provide some financial support for tackling health disparities, Jim thought of asking me if we could put that money to good use.”
During his remarks, Smallridge referred to Summerlin’s background in the U.S. Marine Corps.
“When a female Marine brings this to you, you stop and listen,” he joked.


 Upgraded, state-of-the art Smile Express mobile unit introduced at reception

 is a painful condition in the jaw that can sometimes be cured. But in many cases, it can only be managed.
Luckily, in the past couple of years, Monongalia County Health Department’s full-service dental office has started offering a TMJ treatment to patients that might surprise some people: Botox and Jeuveau.
Usually thought of as brands of cosmetic injections (or neuromodulators) to smooth wrinkles, Botox and Jeuveau also helps relax muscles in the jaw, which then can reduce tension and strain that not only can cause pain at the site but also other symptoms such as headaches and difficulty chewing.
“TMJ disorder can be fairly common in our patients,” said Dr. Youseph Kassar, program manager of MCHD Dentistry.
In addition to his traditional dentist duties, Dr. Kassar has also been trained on how to administer Botox and Jeuveau, both cosmetically and therapeutically, which includes using it to treat TMJ disorder.
November National TMJ Awareness Month, according to the 

(tmj.org), a 501(c)3 patient advocacy group.
TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint, which connects the jaw to the rest of the head.
“When this joint becomes painful or affects daily life, it becomes TMJ disorder,” Dr. Kassar said.
TMJ can start with a clicking and popping of the joint, he added.
“While this alone is not an issue, it is something to keep an eye on. TMJ disorder can be a chronic issue that worsens with time. Overuse of the joint can lead to further wear and tear.”
Symptoms of TMJ disorder can include pain in the jaw muscles, pain in the neck and shoulders,
chronic headaches, jaw muscle stiffness, limited movement or locking of the jaw, a bite that feels off, dizziness and vision problems, according to the TMJ Association’s website.
It also can affect the ears, resulting in ear pain, pressure, fullness and ringing in the ears, also known as tinnitus.
Many patients, Dr. Kassar noted, report something called “bruxism,” a clenching or grinding of the teeth that can lead to a sore jaw, sensitive teeth and pain in the TMJ and surrounding areas.
“Many treatments include managing the pain and discomfort,” Dr. Kassar said. “If it becomes severe enough, then surgical options may be necessary to relieve it.”
According to the TMJ Association, approximately 36 million Americans suffer from TMJ and 90% of patients seeking treatment are women of childbearing age.
MCHD Dentistry has been offering Botox and Jeuveau both cosmetically and therapeutically for about two years now. It can be used therapeutically when it’s injected into the masseter muscle to relax it, which can provide relief for bruxism and therefore, TMJ disorder.
If it works, the treatment must be repeated every three to five months in order to continue getting the positive effects, Dr. Kassar said. “Further treatment may be necessary or be paired with the use of splints or physical therapy.”
In addition to the TMJ Association’s website, the National Institute of Health’s website also offers information on TMJ disorder symptoms, diagnosis and treatments as well as additional resources.
Dr. Kassar has witnessed patients experiencing relief from the condition with Botox and Jeuveau injections. He recalled one patient who had a lot of tension and soreness in the masseter and Botox was used.
At a follow-up visit, the patient reported less discomfort and the masseter was noticeably less tense, he added.
“We’re pleased that this is an option that we are able to offer our patients who are experiencing this condition,” Dr. Kassar said.
And for 

patients who want some help to relieve wrinkles, crow’s feet and bunny lines and “angry 11s,” 

Call 304-598-5108 to make an appointment at MCHD Dentistry.

Botox for TMJ? MCHD Dentistry can help!

According to the internet, some of the most popular Halloween costumes we can expect to see out and about this year include Spider-Man, Anxiety from “Inside Out 2,” Shrunken Head Bob from the “Beetlejuice” movies and pop star Sabrina Carpenter.
These all sound like great ideas, but in whatever way these looks are put together, the No. 1 rule to keep in mind is safety.
After all, Halloween should be spooky, not unsafe.
According to the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

 costumes should be flame resistant and have bright and reflective features, either built-in or by adding strips of tape. Hats and other elements shouldn’t obscure a child’s view and if make-up is involved, test it in advance by putting a small amount on the child’s arm.
And wearing decorative contact lenses can cause eye injuries, so definitely avoid those!
Costumes are just one element of staying secure this Halloween. Other considerations include pedestrian safety and avoiding any loot that could be dangerous.
That means watching both ways before crossing the street (and driving slowly during trick-or-treat hours), and also inspecting the goodies in the bright lights of home before they are consumed.


One way to avoid both scenarios is to attend a Trunk-or-Treat event. And coincidentally, Monongalia County Health Department has organized one this year. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29

, a group of staffers will be dressed up (in safe costumes, of course) to hand out candy to our attendees. All are invited to join the party outside our main building at 453 Van Voorhis Road in Morgantown.
Of course, because we are the health department, we’re also going to advocate for ways to make the eating experience better for children.
One way is to have a nutritious snack before going trick-(or trunk)-or-treating. Obviously, hunger is going to make those fun-sized candy bars and small bags of Skittles an appealing method to power through the difficult activity of knocking on doors or going from car to car, holding out a bag or plastic pumpkin.
Going back to the CDC for more healthy candy tips:
Parents who have children with nut or other food allergies are accustomed to reading product labels, but it never hurts to put out a reminder. Also, for those throwing parties or taking treats to a class, consider what ingredients to use. Maybe don’t include peanuts or peanut butter. Jason Nguyen, a nutritionist with MCHD Women, Infants and Children’s (WIC) program, also suggests looking into the Teal Pumpkin Project (foodallergy.org/our-initiatives/awareness-campaigns/living-teal/teal-pumpkin-project). Teal plastic pumpkins containing non-food items are placed on a porch or doorstep or used to pass out fun little prizes.
For very young children, make sure to keep choking hazards such as gum, hard candy and small toys from the approved Halloween pile.
Finally, as Monongalia County Health Department is also home to MCHD Dentistry, of course we’re going to remind everyone that sweets are good in moderation and that there are ways to consume sugar to make it safer for your teeth. According to the 


Eating sugary snacks during or right afterward a meal helps mitigate the effects of sugar on your teeth.
Avoid sticky and sour candy as well as gummies that stay in your mouth (and on your teeth) for a long time. Also, sour candies are high in dietary acids that attack the hard, protective coating on the enamel of your teeth.
This is an instance in which, comparatively, chocolate is good for you, especially dark chocolate, which contains less cavity-causing sugar.
Chew sugar-free gum with the ADA seal.
We hope everyone enjoys Halloween. And feel free to drop by Monongalia County Health Department’s Trunk-or-Treat, starting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29. Who knows, you just might get a new toothbrush from MCHD Dentistry to add to your holiday stockpile!


Email Mary Wade Burnside at MaryWade.Burnside@wv.gov.

Halloween should be spooky, not unsafe!



After a long, hot and dry summer, temperatures are finally getting cooler and fall is in the air.

What better way to start off a foggy and cozy morning with a breakfast that celebrates October, and is healthy to boot?

This month’s WIC Kitchen offers a Pumpkin Spice Latte and Waffles with Cranberry Orange Syrup.

You might be wondering, “Is Pumpkin Spice Latte really healthy?” According to WIC nutritionist Sarah Moore, who compiled these recipes, it’s an alternative that’s better for you than what you might find at a coffee shop.

Plus, pumpkins are great for heart health because they contain vitamins A and C as well as thiamine. They are also high in beta-carotene, which is known to benefit skin and eye health.

And the waffle recipe adds cranberries, which are full of antioxidants. That’s also a boon for heart health that can also aid in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

So put on your robe and slippers, grab your newspaper and enjoy a seasonal breakfast!





1 cup strong coffee

1 tablespoon pumpkin puree*

1 tablespoon maple syrup

4 ounces (½ cup) fresh whole milk*

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (double for two servings when steaming)





Make coffee or espresso.

Use a spoon to mix the coffee with pumpkin puree and maple syrup, stirring until the pumpkin is completely dissolved.

Froth warm milk. We used a handheld frother, a whisk can be used too.

Pour the spiced milk into the center of the coffee, ending with light foam, using half the steamed or frothed milk for one drink. If desired, garnish with extra pumpkin spices. Enjoy!



Waffles with Cranberry Orange Syrup

Ingredients:



3/4 cup honey

3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries*

1 teaspoon orange zest*

5 tablespoons toasted almonds

Waffle mix of your choice





Preheat waffle maker

Bring honey, cranberries to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often. Cook until the cranberries burst, about four minutes. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare waffle batter according to package directions

Pour approximately ⅓ cup of batter mixture into waffle maker

Once waffles are done, top with cranberry orange syrup. Serve and enjoy!



*Ingredients with an asterisk next to them are available through Monongalia County Health Department WIC. Call us at 304-598-5181 for more information.

Healthy fall flavors for the whole family

If you have a chance to listen to the radio in the mornings, Monongalia County Health Department has something new for you.

Mon Health Medical Center’s CEO David Goldberg has graciously given over their half-hour “Talk Radio” spot on WAJR (104.5 FM and 1440 AM) on the last Monday of each month to Dr. Brian Huggins, our health officer.

A week ago Monday, Dr. Huggins took the mic at 8:30 a.m., along with Board of Health president Sam Chico, to discuss “Health Department 101.”

Huggins took over his position from Dr. Lee B. Smith this summer and has been managing changes, some of which were already in progress. Those changes include ones to Clinical Services, which he now oversees.

“Our goal is to expand services,” Dr. Huggins said. “Right now, we’re really focused on creating efficiency and finding the right mix of staffing to be able to increase the number of appointments that we’re currently offering.”

One new service, introduced in June, has already received some attention — 

, or HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, which can keep individuals from catching the infectious virus.

“It’s been super successful,” Dr. Huggins said. “We’ve got well over 15 regularly returning patients and we’re getting new patients every week.”

Coming soon will be 

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) exams

, which Dr. Huggins, a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, had already been certified to perform.

“Almost every licensed pilot requires an aeromedical exam,” Dr. Huggins said. “I’ve been in the Air Force doing it for military personnel for 12 years.”

Dr. Huggins has earned certification for all three classes available, which means he’s able to perform exams for commercial airline pilots too.

“They have to get an exam at least annually, and once they hit 40, once every six months,” he said.

But of course, Monongalia County Health Department has five other programs besides 

, the federally-funded nutrition program that MCHD operates in six counties.

Our most exciting new arrival has been a brand new, customized Winnebago to replace our original mobile dentistry unit. 

 was launched in 2018, utilizing a pre-owned RV that had been retrofitted as two dental treatment areas. Because Smiley 2.0 was modeled to the specifications of Smile Express coordinator Tiffany Summerlin, it has better feng shui, a bigger secondary dental operatory and all sorts of bells and whistles.

It also features a more efficient and comfortable station for dental assistant Velvet Urgo, with all the same high-tech offerings as the last one, including panoramic X-rays and software that allows a dentist back at the health department to look at images in real time. Plus, unlike its predecessor, this one has a wheelchair lift.

Summerlin, Urgo and Smiley were back out on the beat last week, seeing patients at recovery centers. As usual, these individuals expressed a great deal of appreciation to have a caring provider help them make plans for their smiles.

“It’s so great that you guys do this program!” one exclaimed.

Monongalia County Health Department offers so many services that they can’t all be listed in a column. But you can check us out at www.monchd.org.

We’ll leave you with these announcements. As the weather gets cooler, it’s the best time to get a 

 test, which can be performed by certified specialists at MCHD. Call 304-598-5131 or check out monchd.org/services/radon to make an appointment.
Finally, MCHD will be holding a 

event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 at our main office at 453 Van Voorhis Road. Please come by and grab some candy. Because we’re the health department, there will be some toothbrushes in the mix too!


Public Health 101 hits the airwaves

Monongalia County Health Department will be holding a Trunk or Treat event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, at the health department, 453 Van Voorhis Road, Morgantown. Stop by for treats and even some toothbrushes. Hope to see you there!

You're invited to MCHD's Trunk or Treat event!

 (QRT) launched our first Save a Life Day three years ago, we had no idea how popular the event would become.

Since then, we’ve handed out thousands of doses of lifesaving 

, which attaches to opioid receptors and reverses the effects of an overdose.

And we’ve placed that medication in the hands of community members, people of all ages.

After all, anybody can experience an overdose. A child getting into a medicine cabinet. An individual with memory issues taking the wrong dose of a prescription.

Young people experimenting with what they believe to be recreational drugs which, unknown to them, could be laced with deadly fentanyl.

And yes, those who are dealing with substance use disorder, which can happen for a variety of reasons, including mental issues or a legitimate prescribed pain medication that got out of control.

The next Appalachia-wide Free Naloxone Day, as it’s called now, will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, at locations around Monongalia County. Go to 

 and click on “Free Naloxone Day” to learn more.

It’s a great time to discuss the importance of naloxone, especially because we know that not everyone understands this life-saving medication.

We’ve seen the comments on social media.

“Why can’t I get my insulin for free?”

Or, “Why does my EpiPen cost so much but people don’t have to pay for naloxone?”

These are great questions. After all, until recently, the cost of insulin had become so expensive that some diabetes patients were having to make choices between their health and other necessities.

Joe Klass of Monongalia County Health Department’s Threat Preparedness program as well as a paramedic, noted another difference: It’s easy to train someone how to use naloxone and it doesn’t hurt someone even if there hasn’t been an opioid overdose.

Also, insulin is a prescribed medication that an individual must take at specific times, while naloxone is something that people need to have nearby in order to treat someone who is having an overdose.

“We’re in a situation in this country where we are having over 100,000 deaths in a year due to drug overdoses,” said Lindsay Acree, the University of Charleston’s Director of Experiential Education and an assistant professor at UC’s School of Pharmacy.

“When somebody is experiencing an opioid overdose, they can’t administer it to themselves,” added Acree, who is also a member of the Monongalia County QRT. “It has to be in the hands of others so they can administer it to save a life.

“Getting it out there increases the likelihood” that a community member who has naloxone “is going to be the person who finds that individual and may possibly be able to help them.”

Naloxone obtained by UC mostly comes via the State Opioid Response (SOR) funds through the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In some counties, settlement funds from the pharmaceutical companies that helped drive the epidemic may also help pay for the medication.

This year, 14,628 two-dose naloxone kits will be spread among West Virginia’s 55 counties for the Sept. 26 event, Acree said. Monongalia County will receive 1,404 kits, or 2,808 doses, from the state.

Monongalia County Health Department launched the multi-agency, collaborative QRT in the spring of 2019 after receiving grant funding, and held its first Save a Life Day in September 2021.

“This is one tool that we have to address the overdose crisis,” said QRT coordinator Brittany Irick, who also works as a grant writer at Monongalia County Health Department.

She notes that West Virginia has the highest number of kids in foster care, many due to parents with SUD.

“It can help a parent get their children back,” Irick noted. “And it’s preventing future generations from drug use and substance use disorder.”

There is good news, however. Just this week, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the former director of the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health who now serves as the head of the U.S. Office of Drug Control Policy, told National Public Radio that there has been a significant drop in overdose deaths in the past five months. The drop has been attributed in a large part to naloxone.

So please consider stopping by one of our locations on Thursday and picking some up. You never know whose life you might save.

Why naloxone is free and why you should get it

The Monongalia County Board of Health will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 26,  in the first floor training room at Monongalia County Health Department, 453 Van Voorhis Road. Click 

Anyone who wants to attend the board of health meeting in person should enter through the front door at the upper level and walk through the temperature scanner before entering. To attend via Zoom, email Kelly Grow at 

 or call 304-598-5147 to get a Zoom invite before 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25. 

Board of Health meeting will take place on Thursday, Sept. 26

Monongalia County QRT's Free Naloxone Day will be bigger and better

 The Monongalia County Quick Response Team (QRT) has been holding Free Naloxone Day events for three years now, and the one taking place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, promises to be bigger and better.
First of all, the event that started in two West Virginia counties in 2020 has expanded to all 55 counties and this year, to 31 other states, according to SOAR WV, the Charleston-based group that has helped coordinate Save a Life and Free Naloxone Days.
Also, the number of two-dose naloxone kits that the Monongalia County QRT has to give out will be more than ever. The state is providing 1,404 kits, or 2,808 doses to Monongalia County, and the QRT has additional doses of the medication that reverses an opioid overdose, noted QRT coordinator Brittany Irick, who is also a grant writer for Monongalia County Health Department.
“We expect to give out everything we got from the state, plus what we already own,” Irick said.
And the Monongalia County QRT has upped its swag game and will be handing out cryptid-themed stickers featuring the annual Free Naloxone Day T-shirt design. Cartoon renditions of Mothman and the Braxton County Monster hold a naloxone dispenser with the words “Saving Lives in the Mountain State” underneath.
“I like that it encompasses West Virginia and what makes it unique,” Irick said.
The QRT was formed in April 2019 using grant funding obtained by MCHD and includes several agencies in the region working together to combat substance use disorder.
QRT members and volunteers will be stationed at 12 locations around Monongalia County: the
Sabraton and Suncrest Towne Centre McDonald's restaurants; Pop The Soda Shop in Westover; WVU Mountainlair; WVU Rec Center; WVU Health Science Center; Pierpont Pharmacy; 7-Eleven in Blacksville; Rock Forge Presbyterian Church; Arnettsville Community Center and two new downtown locations, the courthouse plaza and Ruby Amphitheater.
The WVU Mountainlair site will also offer HIV testing, Irick noted.
Lindsay Acree, the University of Charleston’s Director of Experiential Education, an assistant professor at UC’s School of Pharmacy and a member of the Monongalia County QRT, coordinates naloxone distribution from UC to different counties.
UC obtains naloxone mostly through the State Opioid Response (SOR) funds, which come from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
In some counties, settlement funds from the pharmaceutical companies that helped drive the epidemic may also help pay for the medication, Acree said.
This year, 14,628 two-dose naloxone kits will be spread among each of West Virginia’s counties for the Sept. 26 event, Acree added.
During the Monongalia County QRT’s first Save a Life Day in September 2021, about 704 kits, or 1,408 doses of naloxone, were distributed throughout the community. Those numbers rose each year, to 810 kits, or 1,620 doses, in 2022; and 1,037 kits, or 2,074 doses, in 2023. Figures from smaller events throughout the year are not included in that tally.
“The 1,404 kits, or 2,808 doses we are receiving this year is a nice increase and we’re really grateful to have more naloxone to get into the hands of our community members,” Irick said.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes, “Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications — when given in time.”
Naloxone, or Narcan, the brand handed out by the QRT, is easy to have on hand when needed, and giving it to someone who is not having an overdose will not hurt them. Narcan is a nasal spray, and all volunteers undergo training and can teach community members who attend Free Naloxone Day how to administer it in about five minutes.
Joe Klass of MCHD Threat Preparedness who also works as a paramedic, has revived patients using naloxone.
“How effective it is and how fast it works is amazing,” Klass said. “It’s pretty cool how it takes someone who is not breathing and gets them breathing again in front of your eyes.”
As Acree noted, distributing naloxone to individuals who can give it to someone having an overdose is vital to how the medication works.
“When somebody is experiencing an opioid overdose, they can’t administer it to themselves. It has to be in the hands of others so they can administer it to save a life,” Acree said. Experiencing an overdose is not just limited to those with substance use disorder. Children can get into medicine cabinets, young people experimenting with recreational drugs can unknowingly ingest deadly amounts of fentanyl and individuals with memory issues can sometimes forget if they have taken their medication and then take a second dose.
“I don’t have memory issues but I can tell you, I’ve forgotten if I’ve taken maintenance medication,” Acree said. “It can be anybody who forgot they took it.”


To learn more about Free Naloxone Day and to watch a video about naloxone and its administration, go to 

Monongalia County QRT's Free Naloxone Day will be bigger and better 

How are you liking these (mostly) cooler temperatures in the 70s and 80s that we’ve had for the past week? It’s nice after on-and-off 90-plus degrees temps and stifling humidity for the past two and a half months.
Extreme heat is a public health issue. It’s something that we take seriously here at Monongalia County Health Department, posting social media messages for people to drink plenty of water and avoid the heat when they can.
And, along with heavy rain, flooding and yes, even tornadoes, extreme weather is just one event that we should prepare for. You’ve probably watched news footage of floods, mudslides and other weather disasters in other parts of the country, including the most recent as Hurricane Francine lashes Louisiana. Or maybe you evacuated a beach town last month because of Hurricane Debby.
By the time September rolls around, it makes sense to spend time during 

 considering how we all can make our lives safer.
After all, it’s not a matter of if, but when your power will go out or you will need to deal with some type of emergency.
And the topics above are only weather-related. Threats can come in many forms, some natural, some accidental and others created by “bad actors.”
MCHD’s Threat Preparedness works to keep the community safe from whatever might happen. Just last week, Threat Prep staffers helped organize a field hospital during the WVU football season opener at Milan Puskar Stadium to help keep emergency department visits down, and also walked around with radiation detectors to ward off any potential misbehavior.
Monongalia County Health Department also offers classes, including CPR, Stop the Bleed and naloxone administration, and the Quick Response Team that we coordinate will be participating in the Appalachia-wide Free Naloxone Day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26 in various locations around Monongalia County.
To schedule a training, email Joseph.L.Klass@wv.gov.
But there are other things you can do to be prepared for an emergency.


, FEMA’s preparedness site, encourages everyone to make a kit to be ready for any type of incident and also to make a family plan for a variety of circumstances. You can refer to the website to see a list of practical items to gather.
Other suggestions include:
• Learn how to receive emergency alerts.
• Make plans for both sheltering in place and also evacuation.
• Create a communication plan with your family in case disaster strikes when you are at different locations.
There are also financial preparations you can make to better help in the event of an emergency.
• Keep financial, critical household and medical information handy, including printed copies.
• Purchase homeowners or renters insurance, as well as health and life insurance if you don’t have them.
• Consider saving money in an emergency savings account that could be used in any crisis. Keep a small amount of cash at home in a safe place. It is important to have small bills on hand because ATMs and credit cards may not work during a disaster when you need to purchase necessary supplies, fuel or food. Remember, homeowners insurance typically doesn’t cover flooding, so if you believe this is a risk to your property, look into flood insurance.
Additionally, so many people are pet owners and you don’t want to forget about your furry (or scaly) family members. Microchipping dogs and cats will aid in them being reunited with you more easily.
You also might want to make a plan with your neighbors, including those with pets who can serve as an evacuation backup in case you are gone, and vice versa. But getting to know your neighbors is also a good idea in general, because you can help each other out and check on the elderly and others who might need assistance when an incident occurs, even a power outage.
Disasters aren’t fun to think about but being prepared makes them easier to handle when something happens.


Are you prepared? These days, it's necessary.

Everybody loves a good snack, and of course that includes kids. Sure, you can buy them at the supermarket, but here at 

 Kitchen, we thought with some preparation and cooking time, plus ingredients that you might already have in the fridge and pantry, you can make healthier versions that are delicious.
Fruit Leather snacks are similar to fruit roll-ups, except these aren’t processed and are free of dyes, which is a pretty big topic among parents these days.
Like the Strawberry Chia Granola Bars, these feature strawberries, which are high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Antioxidants are great for helping to combat back-to-school germs.
Oatmeal is also great for the immune system, as it contains beta-glucan, zinc and selenium. It’s also high in protein, which we need to build muscles.
Both recipes are great to make on the weekend and eat throughout the week as a lunch side or a health after-school snack.
We tested them on a nearly 3-year-old and she loved them and asked for more! We thought they were pretty tasty too. Enjoy!





1 pound fresh or frozen fruit of your choice.* Applesauce works too. We used strawberries, mango and applesauce.
1 tsp lemon juice*
Honey to taste



Preheat oven to the lowest temperature possible. We did 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Puree fruit in a high-speed blender until super smooth.
Add lemon juice and puree again.
Spread smooth fruit puree onto the lined baking sheet.
Dehydrate fruit leather in oven for three to four hours, until the center is not sticky to the touch.
Remove from the oven and let fruit leather cool completely on the baking sheet.
Slide the parchment paper off the baking sheet (this is a good size for this recipe) onto a cutting board. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut into five strips lengthwise, then cut across all of them crosswise, to make 10 pieces total.
To make fruit roll-ups, roll the individual strips, preferably together with the parchment paper to prevent sticking, but without is fine as well.



Strawberry Chia Granola Bars

Ingredients:


1 3/4 cups rolled oats*
1/4 cup oat flour*
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 1/2 cups freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup white chocolate chips melted with 1 tsp coconut oil
*Oat flour can be purchased or made using this recipe: Put the desired amount of oats into a blender and blend until it’s a fine powder. 1 cup of oats equals 1 cup of oat flour.




Preheat your oven to 300 F.
In a blender, pulse your oats and cashews for 30 seconds until chopped.
Transfer them to a bowl with the oat flour, chia seeds, 1 cup of the crushed freeze-dried strawberries and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract for at least one minute until it thickens.
Pour wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir together until a sticky batter forms.
Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper and press mixture down. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
Let bars cool for at least an hour.
After cooled, drizzle melted white chocolate over them and top them with the remaining 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries,
Gently slice into 10-12 bars using a large, sharp knife. Once the white chocolate hardens, store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to one week or refrigerate (preferred) for two weeks.


*Ingredients with an asterisk next to them are available through Monongalia County Health Department WIC. Call us at 304-598-5181 for more information.


Healthy, fruity snacks help make fall fun

On Saturday, blue and gold will pepper the landscape and motorists will be making their way through traffic with WVU Mountaineer flags whipping in the wind and maybe some snacks and beverages chilling in a cooler. Soon after, the roar of fans and the whistles of referees will emanate from Milan Puskar Stadium, as football season officially begins.

Monongalia County Health Department employees will be there too, in our continuing effort to keep the community safe.

Like last year, we’ll be helping out with safety on three different fronts: our radiation response team walking around with detectors to participate in surveillance activities; a field hospital to keep hospital emergency visits down; and, as usual, our Environmental Health sanitarians providing initial inspections to any vendors and food trucks that will be operating during the event.

Jamie Moore, Threat Preparedness program manager, has been on the radiation response team since it began in 2015, back when he worked at the Marion County Health Department.

About two to four health department employees walk around the stadium and through the crowds using personal radiation detectors clipped to their belts, screening the facility and the attendees.

“It’s a fairly sensitive, extended-range instrument,” Moore said. “It’s possible for us to cover, depending on the strength of the source, 50 feet on each side of us, making 100-foot passes as we walk.”

So far, the only time radiation has been detected has been on individuals who have undergone medical treatment in which radiation is a factor, such as a recent stress test or cancer therapy.

This happens about four times a year, Moore said, and every time, team members have been able to hold a conversation with the individual and confirm the reason for radiation detection.

“As per our protocol, if they didn’t, or weren’t willing to engage in conversation, that would be a sign of activity and we would need to report that through our system, which in our case, would be to the WVU Police Department.

“Never have we had anybody that had to go to the WVU level,” Moore added.

Another Threat Preparedness staffer, chief of operations Joe Klass, has worked with radiation response before but starting last year, he teamed up with Mon EMS, Mon Health Medical Center and WVU Medicine to organize a field hospital to keep non-acute patients out of emergency departments.

This service was brought back last year when Mon EMS reached out to Monongalia County Health Department to participate.

The Caperton Indoor Facility houses the field hospital. EMS staffers and physicians already on site for the game will make the call if an individual’s issue requires a trip to the emergency department or if it’s something that can be dealt with at the field hospital.

“The idea is that we are treating non-acute patients, who might be intoxicated, have a sprained ankle, fainting from the heat, that sort of thing,” Klass said.

In 2023, about 22 patients were seen, keeping them from filling up emergency departments that might have to deal with car wrecks, heart attacks and more serious issues.

The number of game attendees who need some type of medical attention is higher than some might realize, ranging from around 45 to 200 at WVU football events, Klass said.

Finally, as always, MCHD Environmental Health sanitarians have historically been on site to inspect food vendors, and the first game of the season is always the most challenging because of new vendors.

Sanitarians will actually do a walk-through this week before game day, said Todd Powroznik, Environmental Health program manager

Then, he said, on the day of the game, there will be about 50 inspections on Saturday inside the stadium as well as six to eight food vendors or food trucks in the Willowdale Street lot.

“And there will be at least 10 to 15 tents for the boosters, alumni and companies,” that will also be serving food or having it catered, Powroznik noted. “So we will be doing about 70 inspections.”

So while the first game is a time of fun and relaxation for many, It’s all in a long day’s work for Monongalia County Health Department staffers.

MCHD: Let's gooo... and keep Mountaineers safe!

New health officer Dr. Brian Huggins hits the ground running at MCHD

Dr. Brian H. Huggins hit the ground running when he joined Monongalia County Health Department as the incoming health officer on April 1.

The health department has been undergoing a strategic plan process and Dr. Huggins stepped up to lead two town halls only six weeks after starting his new position.

Dr. Huggins was seeing patients on days when retiring health officer Dr. Lee B. Smith, who officially stepped down June 30, was off.

He immersed himself in other health department endeavors, including working toward achieving accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), which recently started up again after coming to a halt with the onset of the COVID pandemic.

Plus, three weeks in, West Virginia’s first measles outbreak in 15 years occurred in Monongalia County, and Dr. Huggins aided in the response.

He also decided to undertake guidance of five summer interns from the WVU School of Public Health.

“If I had to state my three priorities, one of them is strengthening our partnership with public health education,” said Dr. Huggins, a graduate of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg.

“In order to develop a public health workforce, public health students need experience. One of the first things I did was to connect with the interim deans and program leadership to discuss our current partnership.”

As for Dr. Huggins’ second and third priorities at the health department, he lists accreditation and strengthening outreach.

“It’s important that we become certified by a standardizing body,” he said. “They already had started that before I walked into the door.”

Having a larger presence in the media, reaching out to communities and also creating partnerships are some of his plans for expanding outreach, he noted.

One of those partnerships just started on Monday as Mon Health president and CEO David Goldberg introduced Dr. Huggins on the hospital system’s radio segment, Mon Health Talk Radio, which airs at around 8:30 a.m. on Monday mornings on WAJR. Starting in September, Dr. Huggins will take over the show on the last Monday of each month. He will examine public health issues and sometimes host guests of his own.

“We’re really thankful for Mon Health for the opportunity to discuss topics that are important to WJAR listeners,” Dr. Huggins said. “We’re also open to input and suggestions from listeners for future shows.”

Anthony DeFelice, executive director of Monongalia County Health Department, was pleased to find such a qualified replacement for Dr. Smith.

“Dr. Huggins is board certified in preventive medicine and has a master's in public health,” DeFelice said. “No other health department in the state of West Virginia has a full-time health officer with this unique training that fits extremely well in public health.

“We feel very fortunate to have a highly trained health officer with a passion for public health on our team.”

A native of Wheeling, Dr. Huggins’ took a circuitous route to his current position. After graduating from high school, he worked retail jobs and designed and operated haunted houses for 15 years. He also ran prison tours at the former West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, now a well-known Gothic-style destination for ghost enthusiasts.

He was running a haunted house at the Foggy Bottom Festival of Fright when a theater professor he met there encouraged him to enroll at West Liberty University to work on production sets. He ended up majoring in biology and minoring in theater.

“I didn’t know I wanted to be a doctor until I was at West Liberty,” he said. “My mentors in the biology department, Melinda and Robert Kreisberg, convinced me to look at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.”

Once he toured the campus, he saw how doctors of osteopathic medicine practice a passionate, patient-centered approach.

While at WVSOM, Dr. Huggins served as class president his first year, Student Government Association president the second year, and then as the student representative to the Board of Governors his third and fourth years.

When he graduated, he was presented with the National DO Student of the Year award from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

After medical school, Dr. Huggins enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, which took care of his medical school bills in exchange for four years of service. He was sent to Eielson Air Force Base In Fairbanks, Alaska for his first assignment.

He didn’t fly F-16s, but instead, as the Chief of Aerospace Medicine, Dr. Huggins spent a lot of his time in the passenger seat so he could assess pilots’ abilities to do the job from a medical point of view as they performed aerobatic maneuvers in the sky and simulated dog fights.

“It gives us the ability to understand the stresses and environment pilots go through, to see if the pilot is capable of doing the job when they develop a medical condition,” Dr. Huggins said. “When you have a disease process going on, the best way to understand how it affects a pilot is to actually do the job with them.”

While there, he also managed to find work at a haunted house, where one of the actors ended up being his future wife, Kat Timm of Fairbanks.

They got married and he did a three-year stint at a medical unit of NATO in Germany. Upon returning, he did a preventive medicine residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating with a master’s degree in public health.

When COVID hit in 2020, he had just started a residency with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and his duties included working with the state’s Public Health Preparedness and Response, as well as the Communicable Disease branch.

After 12 years of active duty, he wanted to settle down and return to his home state, although he still serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

“We drove from Bluefield to Wheeling and Kat fell in love with West Virginia.”

He worked for Occupational Medicine at the WVU School of Public Health for nearly a year when the MCHD health officer job came open and he felt it was perfect for him.

“What I have learned since I arrived is that the people who work at Monongalia County Health Department are some of the most passionate people in public health I’ve ever met,” he said. “The resources that are offered are amazing, considering the population size of Monongalia County. It really stands out as a gem.”

New health officer Dr. Brian Huggins hits the ground running at MCHD 

Rabies vaccine baits will be distributed in Mon Co. Sunday through Wednesday

Monongalia County residents, especially those with pets that spend time outdoors, should be on the lookout for rabies vaccine baits that will be dropped and distributed in Monongalia County starting this weekend.
“If you find a bait, leave it where you found it, unless it’s in your yard or driveway,” said Todd Powroznik, Environmental Health program manager at Monongalia County Health Department. “If you do find any in those places, wear gloves and remove the baits, and put them in an area where raccoons and wild animals will find them.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will conduct its annual distribution of oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits from airplanes and helicopters on Aug. 24-25 over Monongalia County, Powroznik said. The bait drop takes place in several states up and down the East Coast.
Then sanitarians from MCHD Environmental Health will drive and walk around Morgantown and distribute baits by hand in grassy areas such as parks and beside the rail-trail on Tuesday, Aug. 27 and Wednesday, Aug. 28.
“This year, we have 1,400 baits to take around and distribute to a variety of locations around Morgantown,” Powroznik said.
The USDA supplies a grid followed by MCHD Environmental Health staffers, who place a specific amount of the baits in those areas while another employee uses a clicker to keep track of the numbers.
The baits contain rabies vaccine that raccoons and other wildlife consume in order to inoculate them against the fatal virus that can be passed on to other mammals, including humans and their pets, during chance encounters.
Monongalia County is one of the areas slated to receive three types of ORV baits that contain different vaccines. Two are wrapped in blister packs – one green and one white – and the other is encased in a brown coating. Some contain fishmeal to attract the wildlife, which dogs also might find appetizing. While not toxic or harmful, it’s not a good idea for dogs to ingest too many of them.
“Eating a large number might cause an upset stomach in your pet,” Powroznik said.
Dogs, especially those left unattended in a large yard near a field or woods, are especially at risk of encountering these ORV baits and gobbling them up. Owners are encouraged to inspect their yards periodically during this time to see if any of the baits have been dropped in their area.
“Having these baits in your backyard is preferable to your dog getting into a fight with a potentially sick raccoon, especially when owners are vigilant and inspect their property during this time of year,” Powroznik said.
Fortunately, studies have shown that most of the baits reach their intended recipients – raccoons and other wildlife – within four days. “They are all almost gone within a week,” Powroznik said.
USDA APHIS waits until late August to distribute the baits because that’s when raccoons and other mammals born in spring are old enough to eat them and be vaccinated against rabies.
Rabies is a viral disease found in mammals that attacks the nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov). Upon the onset of symptoms, rabies is almost always fatal.
In 2019, Monongalia County had 20 reported cases of rabies, compared to one so far in 2024 in an incident shared with Preston County.
Because of the rising rates, Monongalia County Health Department officials asked the USDA to move the aerial line, which had moved west, back east to cover Monongalia County.
“That decision has been a tremendous help in reducing the rabies in this area,” Powroznik said. The ORV rabies bait distribution has been a huge success in Monongalia County.”



In these times, with families struggling with grocery bills and also having the desire to do better for the planet, food waste is becoming a more prominent topic.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one third of all food in the United States goes uneaten. EPA data also shows an estimate that in 2019, about 96% of wasted food ended up in landfills, combustion facilities or down a drain into a sewer system.
Composting can help, but the first step to lowering food waste is to be mindful when shopping and also to tackle leftovers that do end up in the fridge.
According to information on the EPA’s website: “Preventing food from going to waste is one of the easiest and most powerful actions you can take to save money and lower your climate change footprint.”
A habit that can help reduce food waste is turning to recipes that utilize items you might already have on hand.
This Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce is great for persnickety eaters who don’t like to consume their vegetables. And adding parmesan cheese to veggies and then roasting them is a great way to get them into your family’s tummies.
And, of course, as it’s WIC Kitchen, it’s healthy! Tomatoes are high in lycopene, which is an antioxidant linked to reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. Tomatoes and carrots are both high in vitamin K which is essential for blood clotting and bone health.
The veggies are simple to make — just throw them on a sheet pan and bake. And you can freeze the tomato sauce and use it later, which is a great way to preserve summer-fresh produce for later in the year.
This part of summer is the best time to take advantage of fresh garden vegetables, so enjoy!







Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely diced*
1 red bell pepper, diced*
1 whole carrot*
2 stalks of zucchini, diced*
4 carrots, diced*
4 tomatoes, cut in chunks*
1 whole garlic*
1 tablespoon Italian dried mixed herbs
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
¼ tsp chili flakes
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
2 1/2 cups water




Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes and garlic for five minutes.
Add the Italian seasonings, salt and chili flakes. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until veggies are soft.
Stir in the coconut milk and water
Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
Carefully spoon the sauce ingredients into a high speed blender, then blend until super smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to blend in batches.
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Return blended sauce to your hot pan while you cook your pasta of choice before mixing with sauce and serving.

*Note, this can also be served with any protein, veggies or spaghetti squash instead of pasta.
Also, items marked with an * can be purchased with WIC benefits.
Call 304-598-5181 to learn more about MCHD WIC.



Ingredients
1 head broccoli*
1 pound baby carrots*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese*




Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the broccoli into bite sized florets.
Add baby carrots to bowl
In a large bowl toss veggies with the oil, kosher salt and black pepper.
Distribute over a sheet pan and roast for 25 minutes.
Add parmesan cheese over the food and roast an additional five minutes

*Ingredients with an asterisk next to them are available through Monongalia County Health Department WIC. Call us at 304-598-5181 for more information.

Get kids to eat their veggies with these delicious dishes

Five years ago, Monongalia County Health Department hosted a group of wildlife staffers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Elkins to discuss rabies.
Cases had been creeping up and, at the same time, the area treated by the USDA’s oral rabies vaccine (ORV) distribution

 had mostly been moved away from Monongalia County.
MCHD officials asked the 

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS) to move the program, in which the ORV baits are dropped from aircraft over specific areas, back to Monongalia County.
The USDA agreed and since 2019, a year that ended with 20 reported rabies cases in Monongalia County, instances of the deadly viral disease have plummeted.
So far this year, there has only been one reported case, in June, when a rabid raccoon was found on property lying in both Monongalia and Preston counties.
“It’s made a substantial difference since they moved the line back,” said Todd Powroznik, program manager for MCHD Environmental Health.
Oral rabies vaccine baits are dropped from aircraft over a specific area of the Eastern United States, including West Virginia starting at the Northern Panhandle and continuing down North Central and then Eastern West Virginia.
At the same time, the USDA supplies Monongalia County Health Department with vaccine baits that the Environmental Health sanitarians distribute by hand in grassy areas around Morgantown.
In addition to moving the aerial line to cover Monongalia County, the USDA also has increased the number of ORV baits provided, from 1,000 in previous years to around 1,400-1,500 now.
“They couldn’t thank the Environmental Health staff enough for participating in this,” Powroznik said. “We know all of the boundaries within the cities — including Star City, Granville, Westover — and also where the parks are as well as heavily populated areas and the rails to trails.”
Oral vaccine baits are exactly what the name implies. Baits with rabies vaccines are distributed so that raccoons and other wildlife can consume them, inoculating them against rabies.
The appearance of the baits differ but are usually either dark green or brown. The ones dropped from planes are lighter in weight.
Dates have just been set for the Monongalia County area for this year. The USDA will be conducting the airdrops between Aug. 22-28 and are somewhat dependent on weather, while MCHD sanitarians will be distributing them around Morgantown on Aug. 27-28.
“We’ll have two different teams, with four in each car and a couple of people on the rail trails,” Powroznik said. “We’ll have all hands on deck.”
It will be a very busy time for MCHD Environmental Health. The week before, sanitarians will be inspecting food vendors at the Mon County Fair and also tattoo artists at the West Virginia Tattoo Expo. That’s why they plan to go out toward the end of the aerial drop instead of the beginning.
“They would like us to coordinate with them, and by going out on Aug. 27 and 28, we can do that,” Powroznik said.
Individuals who come across ORV baits should leave them alone unless they are found on a path or somewhere a dog or other pet could reach them. To move them, put on gloves and take them to an area with less traffic.
The baits are not toxic to animals but if a pooch consumes too many of them, an upset stomach might ensue.
As a reminder, rabies is a viral disease found in mammals that attacks the nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and then death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov/rabies). The closer to the head a person is attacked, the faster rabies can develop.
Also, not only is getting your cat, dog or ferret vaccinated for rabies a good idea, it’s also law in West Virginia. An unvaccinated pet that gets into a scuffle with a rabid raccoon usually ends up on the losing end of that fight.
While we’re out doing what we can to keep the community safe from rabies, pet owners should also follow guidelines for not only the sake of their neighbors, but also themselves and their families.
We cannot thank you enough for your help!


Oral rabies vaccine bait drop dates set for August

, and as new legislation enables more new mothers to pump at work, Monongalia County Health Department WIC counselors have something to celebrate as breastfeeding rates climb higher.
The recently enacted Pump Act for Nursing Mothers, known as the 

, allows for reasonable time and space accommodations for breastfeeding in the workplace.
It’s certainly something that has made Ceranda Jones’ life easier. Jones is not only a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor at the Monongalia County Health Department 

 program, but she’s also a nursing mother.
And when she first returned to work after giving birth to her daughter, Ophelia, her job was at a tattoo studio with a group of men.
“When I brought them stuff about the PUMP Act, they were super supportive,” Jones said. “They gave me a private office. I know I directly benefited from the PUMP ACT.”
Now, at MCHD WIC, “I work with mothers who don’t know their rights,” she said. “One of the primary reasons they said they didn’t want to breastfeed is because they didn’t think they’d have the appropriate accommodations. Now we give them information to show their employers and we’ve had great success.”
And, she says, “It’s been a while since I’ve had someone in my office who hasn’t felt supported.”
Lynne Ryan, an 

International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

 (IBCLC) at MCHD WIC, noted that the numbers of breastfeeding moms who are clients at MCHD have risen, both in terms of who start to breastfeed and those who continue for at least six months. In 2018, the initiation rate was 52% and rose to 62% percent in 2022; and in that same time period, duration rose from 29% to 43%.
Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding mothers as well as children up to their fifth birthday who qualify can take advantage of the federally-funded WIC, which provides nutrition and breastfeeding counseling and education; as well as health monitoring and nutritious foods. MCHD WIC operates in six counties — Monongalia, Preston, Marion, Harrison, Doddridge and Taylor.
Counselors such as Ryan, Jones and Chrissy Rodeheaver, a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, work with new mothers to help them learn how to help the baby latch on to the nipple and with any other breastfeeding issues they might have.
And for WIC clients, there is also a 24/7 app called Pacify that they can use.
“It’s extremely helpful,” Rodeheaver said. “We always encourage breastfeeding parents to reach out to us if they’re in need of support, but Pacify is absolutely invaluable for weekends, holidays and the middle of the night.”
However, MCHD WIC offers both free breastfeeding classes and a support group that members of the public can attend. Click 

 to get more information on breastfeeding and to see a class schedule.
And the support group is held at 6 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of the month. The first Thursday is in person at the MCHD WIC office in Morgantown, while the third Thursday is virtual. To get an invite to the virtual class, email christyn.r.rodeheaver@wv.gov to get a link.
Breastfeeding has many benefits, including improving the baby’s gut health and providing them with antibodies that can keep them well.
“It’s the most natural way to feed an infant,” Ryan said.
It can also be cost-effective. “Most insurance companies will provide a mom with a pump and there are laws that support working and pumping moms,” Rodeheaver said.
WIC mothers who breastfeed also get the largest nutritional package, Jones noted. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding exclusively for at least the first six months, and up to 2 years and beyond, if possible, supplementing with healthy food. Breastfeeding WIC mothers get the nutritional package for the first year.
Jones, who is just starting to wean her 3-year-old daughter, noted that Ophelia rarely gets sick.
“At this point, I’m not her primary source of food, and a lot of it is connection and comfort,” she said. “It’s just a big benefit, and it fixes any boo-boo. It’s a great tool.”

Mary Wade Burnside is the public information officer at Monongalia County Health Department. 

New laws, extra support increase breastfeeding numbers 

The Monongalia County Quick Response Team's very popular Free 

Day, part of an Appalachia-wide event, is coming up on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Volunteers are need to work at different locations around Morgantown. They would talk to community members about naloxone and give demonstrations. Volunteers will be trained to do this. Sign up using this 

Volunteer for Free Naloxone Day!

MCHD dietitians to offer nutritional counseling to community members

Have you considered going on a diet but didn’t know how to do it in a healthy way? Are GI issues making it difficult to find foods you like that you can digest easily? Is your diabetes keeping you stuck in a cycle of limited eating choices?
Monongalia County Health Department is introducing a service that can help. Two of MCHD’s registered dietitians will soon offer nutritional counseling that anyone can take advantage of.
“When looking at health departments in the state, typically there is not a nutrition component offered,” said Cami Haught, who, along with Jason Nguyen, will be utilizing their extensive backgrounds as dietitians to help area residents make changes.
Private insurance or Medicaid can be billed for the counseling. Individuals need a referral from a physician.
“Nutrition plays a central role in everybody’s health, and to be able to offer services to the local community would be a great benefit,” Haught added.
Counseling sessions will begin in August and can be booked by calling 304-598-5181.
Haught is the manager of MCHD WIC program, which oversees the federal nutrition program’s office in Monongalia, Preston, Marion, Harrison, Doddridge and Taylor counties, but the counseling is provided by Monongalia County Health Department.
A comprehensive — but not necessarily complete — list of conditions that Haught and Nguyen can address through nutritional counseling include kidney and/or cardiovascular disease, chewing and swallowing difficulties, cancer, food allergies and sensory issues, in addition to the ones previously listed.
“Some of the children we see in the WIC clinic are on the autism spectrum, and they can be very sensitive to certain textures,” Haught said. “They might only want to eat mushy food, or crunchy food. We can help with a meal plan that is balanced around what they would eat.”
Those sensitivities can last into adulthood. “I treated one man who would eat only orange-colored foods,” Haught added.
Although the treatment is not associated with WIC and is not part of the WIC package that is only available to individuals and families who qualify for the program, the go-ahead for the counseling was sanctioned by state WIC director Heidi Staats.
“They have been wanting us to branch out and offer additional services,” Haught said.
Added Nguyen, “She’s definitely been supportive and more encouraging us to look at other revenue streams. We envision this to be a service that could be offered to more than our six-county region. If we went virtual, then we would be able to serve more of West Virginia.”
Staats suggested the idea, and met with MCHD executive director Anthony DeFelice and chief financial officer Devan Smith and “hashed out policy and procedure development,” she said.
“Your health department has the infrastructure to support it,” Staats added. “We have committed as a state agency to basically support the effort at the local level.”
Both Haught and Nguyen have extensive backgrounds as dietitian nutritionists that have provided them well-rounded experiences.
Haught started out as a clinical nutritionist at WVU Hospitals, where she spent 14 years treating a wide range of patients.
“I started off in cardiology working with people who had bypass or open heart surgery, on their diets.”
She worked in pediatrics and at Chestnut Ridge Center, where she saw psychiatric patients. Haught also is skilled in prescribing tube feedings.
“I also worked in the hospital kitchen as an informatics dietitian,” she said. “I maintained the computer program that patients would use to order their meals, and I trained staff on using that system.”
Before she became program director of MCHD WIC in 2020, Haught also spent seven years at WVU as the campus dietitian.
“We provided free nutritional counseling to all WVU students,” she said. “I saw a lot of things. Weight management issues, eating disorders and food allergies were the big three. I helped with menu planning for the cafeterias and I would do a lot of wellness events.”
Nguyen has 18 years of experience as a nutritional dietitian. He has both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in human nutrition and foods as well as a 1,200-hour-plus dietetic internship with a community focus.
Nyugen uses gentle care and positivity to encourage others to succeed with living healthy lifestyles, he noted. His treatment spans the life cycle, from children to adults, pregnancy and geriatric care.”
“Throughout my career, I’ve worked with children and adults with various nutrition-related illnesses and diseases, eating and swallowing disorders, wound care, weight and diabetes management, among other conditions,” he said.


MCHD dietitians to offer nutritional counseling to community members 

It's hot out there! Here are some ways to 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Choose lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.




Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible.
If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library—even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat.
Call your local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area.
Use your stove and oven less to maintain a cooler temperature in your home.
Take a cool shower or bath to cool off.



Do not leave kids or anyone else in cars.


Cars can quickly heat up to dangerous temperatures, even with a window cracked open. While anyone left in a parked car is at risk, children are especially at risk of getting a heat stroke or dying.



When traveling with children, remember to do the following:



Never leave infants, children or pets in a parked car, even if the windows are cracked open.
To remind yourself that a child is in the car, keep a stuffed animal in the car seat. When the child is buckled in, place the stuffed animal in the front with the driver.
When leaving your car, check to be sure everyone is out of the car. Do not overlook any children who have fallen asleep in the car.




Try to limit your outdoor activity to when it’s coolest, like morning and evening hours.
Rest often in shady areas so that your body has a chance to recover.
Pace yourself.
Cut down on exercise during the heat.
If you’re not accustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment, start slowly and pick up the pace gradually.




Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated.

If you must go outdoors, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes prior to going out.
Continue to reapply it according to the package directions.




Drink more fluids, regardless of how active you are.
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
Stay away from very sugary or alcoholic drinks—these actually cause you to lose more body fluid.
Avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.




Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body that need to be replaced. A sports drink can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat.
If you are on a low-salt diet, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other chronic conditions, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage or taking salt tablets.
Keep your pets hydrated.
Provide plenty of fresh water for your pets, and leave the water in a shady area.




Check your local news for extreme heat alerts and safety tips and to learn about any cooling shelters in your area.




Learn the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses and how to treat them.




Heat-induced illness can cause a person to become confused or lose consciousness.



When working in the heat, monitor the condition of your co-workers and have someone do the same for you.


If you are 65 years of age or older, have a friend or relative call to check on you twice a day during a heat wave. If you know someone in this age group, check on them at least twice a day.
Check on people who are at high risk.
Although anyone at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others:

Infants and young children
People 65 years of age or older
People who are overweight
People who overexert during work or exercise
People who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation
Visit adults at risk at least twice a day and closely watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Infants and young children, of course, need much more frequent watching. 

Beat the heat!

Maybe somebody is experiencing the lazy, hazy days of summer, but not Monongalia County Health Department.

It’s not that we don’t like a little down time ourselves, but with six active programs combined with our passion for public health, things don’t seem to be slowing down.

There are so many new and exciting opportunities coming soon to MCHD that a roundup of activities seems appropriate.

Offerings that are being launched in the next few months include both 

 to any community member who wants it as well as an 

clinic.

Here’s a breakdown:

MCHD Clinical Services is taking appointments for our new HIV PrEP clinic that starts in July. PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis and is medication that can prevent HIV.

Anyone who is sexually active might want to consider if HIV PrEP is right for them, said Jennifer Goldcamp, MCHD’s outgoing nursing director.

“PrEP is to prevent HIV transmission and that can apply to anyone having sex,” Goldcamp said.

MCHD’s new nurse practitioner, Haley Tucker, will be the provider seeing patients interested in PrEP. Call 304-598-5119 to make an appointment. .

“We strive to have a welcoming environment for all individuals,” Tucker said. “We appreciate and respect that medical care can be a sensitive experience. Our clinic takes pride in the confidential and empowering healthcare we provide to persons of all identities.”

MCHD WIC, which operates in six counties, already began testing participants and their family members in Harrison County for high lead levels after a public drinking water issue there.

As of the beginning of August, that testing will be expanded to Monongalia and Marion counties, and it will be conducted for anyone who wants it, whether or not they are WIC clients.

While anyone 1 and over can be tested for lead, high levels impact children more than adults, potentially impacting their growth and IQ. They are also more likely to ingest lead from old paint than adults, although anyone can be affected by lead that gets into water via an older pipe system.

Plus, as of April 2022, the state Legislature has mandated that children under the age of 6 be tested for lead, preferably at age 1 or 2.

To make an appointment for lead testing at a WIC office, call 304-598-5181 in Monongalia County; 304-366-2387 in Marion County and 304-848-9680 in Harrison County.

Also in early August, registered dietitian nutritionists at Monongalia Health Department will be offering medical nutritional therapy counseling.

Anyone interested in improving their diet could benefit from this service, noted Cami Haught, one of the dietitians who will be providing counseling.

Specific groups who might be interested include people with diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, food allergies or eating disorder issues.

“It could also be helpful for those who want to manage their weight or their high blood pressure, or who have chewing and swallowing difficulties,” Haught noted.

The nutrition counseling can be billed to insurance, with a referral from a physician, and there will be private-pay options.

“Nutrition is the foundation for health and well-being,” she added.

Call 304-598-5181 to make an appointment.

Lazy summer? Not at MCHD, which is offering new services!

Summer is supposed to be hot but this one has been a bit of a doozy so far.
At Monongalia County Health Department’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, we recommend drinking a lot of water on a regular basis for a variety of reasons, including to aid with digestion and the elimination of toxins.
It also helps with hydration, but there are some summer foods that can also play a role. Watermelon is not only 92% water, but it also contains lycopene, which is linked to reducing the risk of heart disease.
Watermelon is delicious on its own but it also can be a great ingredient in dishes, such as a salad.
This Watermelon Salad with Feta that is part of the July WIC Kitchen offering also features cucumber, red onion, avocado, and it tastes great. This savory salad can be topped off with mint or basil leaves for extra flavor.
Chickpeas also taste great in a lot of different ways. They are inexpensive and shelf stable and they can be the highlight or a regular component in a salad.
The Greek Chickpea Salad is high in protein and can serve as a meat substitute, all while providing fiber and healthy fats.
This recipe includes a cucumber, and like watermelon, they are high in water at 95%. Keeping the peel on one cucumber provides the daily recommended amount of vitamin K, which helps with blood clotting and wound healing.
Both watermelon and cucumber can help with weight loss because of both the fiber and water content.
These salads make a great addition to a picnic or potluck. It’s always great to bring fresh and delicious sides to an event or have some fruit and bread on the side and serve a salad as a main dish.
Enjoy these salads that not only taste great but also offer a lot of beneficial ingredients!






For the dressing:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice*
½ garlic clove, minced*
¼ teaspoon sea salt

For the salad:
5 cups cubed watermelon*
Heaping 1 cup diced English cucumber*
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion*
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 avocado, cubed*
⅓ cup torn fresh mint or basil leaves
½ jalapeño or serrano pepper, thinly sliced, optional*
Salt




Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic and salt.
Arrange the watermelon, cucumber and red onions on a large plate or platter. Drizzle with half the dressing. Top with the feta, avocado, mint and serrano pepper, if using, and drizzle with remaining dressing. Season to taste. Serve and enjoy!






1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (canned are fine)*
2 firm ripe tomatoes *
1 medium red onion*
1 crisp cucumber*
⅔ cup crumbled Greek feta
1-2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh strained lemon juice*
Sea salt to taste




Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Core and cut the tomatoes into wedges or chunks. Trim the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Peel, halve and slice the onions.
Add the tomatoes, cucumber slices and onion to the bowl with the chickpeas. Toss in the feta, oregano, olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!


Cool summer salads help beat the heat 

Raccoon found on property in Mon & Preston counties tests positive for rabies

Monongalia County is sharing its first rabies case of 2024 with Preston County after a rabid raccoon was found on property in both counties off Gladesville Road in Independence.
The property owner found the raccoon fighting with a barn cat. The property owner killed the raccoon and it was sent to the state Office of Laboratory Services in South Charleston.
“We received word late Thursday afternoon that the raccoon was indeed positive for rabies,” said Todd Powroznik, program manager of MCHD Environmental Health.
In 2023, Monongalia County had four of West Virginia’s 46 reported cases of rabies, according to the annual West Virginia Animal Rabies Surveillance Report sent out by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
Rabies was reported in 18 of the state’s 55 counties. Four was the highest number of cases in any of the counties, and that number was also reported in Greenbrier, Hampshire and Mineral counties.
Preston County had one and Marion, which also borders Monongalia, also reported one case.
Rabies is a viral disease that can be found in all mammals. It is deadly in people if medical care is not received before symptoms start, according to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website (cdc.gov/rabies). Rabies is spread to humans and pets primarily through bites or scratches from an infected animal.
First rabies symptoms may feel like the flu, including weakness or discomfort, fever or headache, the CDC notes. Usually, severe disease appears within two weeks of the first symptoms, when the rabies virus causes brain dysfunction that can include anxiety, confusion, agitation and hallucinations.
It’s been nearly a year since rabies was found in a cat colony off Green Bag Road in early July 2023 in an incident that received widespread attention. A month later, a bat found in a home in southern Monongalia County also tested positive for rabies.
Monongalia County Health Department staffers will be going out to the area where the most recent case was found next week in order to spread the word among residents and business owners that a rabid raccoon was found nearby.
“Individuals living in the area should take extra precautions to protect their families and pets,” said health officer Dr. Brian H. Huggins of Monongalia County Health Department.
As per West Virginia laws, dogs and cats must be kept up to date on their rabies vaccines. If an unvaccinated pet has an encounter with a rabid animal, euthanasia is usually recommended.
“Vaccinating your pets also helps to keep you and your family safe, as well as the community,” Powroznik said. “We also recommend spaying and neutering pets in order to keep the number of strays low.”
In past instances, family members who have interacted with their pets after they have been in a fight with a rabid animal have been strongly encouraged to go to a hospital for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis treatment.
Monongalia County Health Department monitors rabies in conjunction with other agencies in the region, and is also coordinating with Preston County Health Department in this case. Learn more at monchd.org/services/rabies-control or call MCHD at 304-598-5100 or Preston County Health Department at 304-329-0096 if you have concerns about a potential case of rabies.
Also, annually at the end of August, MCHD works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to distribute oral rabies vaccine baits in the area.
“USDA APHIS drops ORV baits from aircraft in more rural areas, while our sanitarians walk around parks, the rail-trail and wooded areas to distribute the rabies baits by hand,” Powroznik said.

MCHD WIC's lead testing expands into Monongalia, Marion counties

— With the growing popularity of a grant-funded lead testing pilot program in Harrison County, Monongalia County Health Department’s Women, Infants and Children (MCHD WIC) will be expanding the service into Monongalia and Marion counties, to anyone 1 and older.
Harrison County testing has been conducted for more than a year in response to higher rates of lead in the public drinking water. 
“The concern for water in Marion and Monongalia counties is not as strong, but there are still older homes or work exposures that can make exposure to lead possible,” said Jason Nguyen, a registered dietitian nutritionist at MCHD WIC.
Some older homes still have paint on both the interior and exterior that contains lead. Traditionally, children have been exposed to lead by consuming paint chips or playing in the dirt outside their homes that have been contaminated with lead paint, in addition to drinking tap water that has been circulated through old pipes that haven’t been updated. Lead has also been found in paint used to decorate older bedroom furniture.
Testing will begin in Marion County on Aug. 1 and in Monongalia County on Aug. 2, said
Cami Haught, MCHD WIC program manager.
In Harrison County, the service has been provided to WIC clients and their family members, but the expansion allows for the testing of any resident.
“We wanted to open it up to anybody who wants a lead test,” Haught said.
Individuals who have insurance will be billed. Those who are uninsured will be covered by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via the West Virginia Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, part of the state Department of Health and Human Resources, said Heidi Staats, WIC’s state director.
“The lead program has identified several counties as target areas based on the age of dwellings,” Staats said. “Marion County falls within the designated area, lending to the likelihood of lead paint.”
While Monongalia County also has older homes, there has been a lot of new construction, noted Paul Hoffer, a Health and Human Service Aide for MCHD WIC. But Staats noted Monongalia County was added in because of its larger population.
A fourth county, Ohio, will also conduct lead testing, with the WIC office there overseeing it, Staats. That will begin on July 1.
“Ohio County was chosen because of the housing in the area,” said Seth Rhodes, the childhood lead poisoning project director for the West Virginia Childhood Lead Poison Prevention Project.
In Ohio County, 77% of public housing homes were built before 1978, when the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned lead-based paint, Rhodes added.
In April 2022, regulations passed by the state Legislature mandated that children under the age of 6 be tested for lead, preferably at ages 1 or 2. WIC clients include pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women and children up to the age of 5 who qualify, so it’s easy for WIC offices to target this age group for lead testing.
WIC has also arranged for anyone with Medicaid to get transportation to the WIC offices through the program Movidcare, Nguyen said.
“Although we haven’t used it yet, the system appears to be user-friendly,” Nguyen added.
Hoffer has been overseeing the lead testing in Harrison County and was able to help drive numbers up by explaining the health risks of lead poisoning to WIC participants.
“I’ve been trying to inform our clients of the long-term effects,” he said, noting that children are affected more severely than adults. “It affects development and growth in kids and can affect the IQ.”
Hoffer’s job duties also include taking heights, weights and doing a finger stick to check hemoglobin on children. The lead test also is a finger stick and so that lab work can be added on without any additional blood draws.
“The sooner we realize there is a problem, the sooner we can get it looked at and get the numbers down,” he said.
However, in Harrison County, many of the levels have come back low. Anything that is 3.3 or lower is considered acceptable, Hoffer said.
“Once the machine hits 5 or higher, we notify the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program in Charleston,” Hoffer said. “We also notify the child’s doctor, and a lot of doctors have them go to a hospital for a blood draw to make sure it’s accurate.”
When a high level of lead poisoning is detected, actions that can be taken include finding the source of the lead poisoning and removing it. For instance, phosphoric acid can be used on old pipes to create a protective film that helps reduce lead exposure.
Other steps can include adding iron, calcium and vitamin C to the diet.
“Those all help lower lead levels,” Hoffer said.
To make an appointment for lead testing at a WIC office, call 304-598-5181 in Monongalia County; 304-366-2387 in Marion County and 304-848-9680 in Harrison County. Check out WIC eligibility guidelines at monchd.org/departments-programs/pages/wic-eligibility-guidelines.


Picture it now. You’re standing in view of the New River Gorge on a fall day, surrounded by the red and golden hues of the trees as a comforting and familiar fog sets in.
Or you’re near a stream with a mill spinning water nearby and a field of rhododendrons waving in the wind.
Or maybe you are just envisioning yourself playing with your grandchildren without getting out of breath, or being able to finish a meal or a meeting without taking a smoke break.
Guided imagery has been proven to be about as effective for smoking cessation as cognitive behavioral therapy, said Peter Giacobbi, a professor of sport and exercise psychology at WVU, as well as an expert in guided imagery.
WVU is participating in a study being conducted at the University of Arizona that involves residents of those two states as well as New York with the involvement of the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo.
Mountain State residents already have access to the West Virginia Tobacco Quitline, which offers coaching calls and smoking cessation products, the type of which depend upon the insurance status of the participant.
But for about the next year, West Virginians can get help through the Be Smoke Free Study, funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at the National Institutes of Health.
As West Virginia Day arrives on Thursday, it’s a time for celebration but maybe also a time for reflection and continued efforts to help residents get healthier.
Since the state’s sesquicentennial in 2013, there have been some positive advancements in Almost Heaven. For instance, the smoking rate for adults declined from 28.6% in 2011 to 25.2% in 2022.
But the bad news: West Virginia still has the highest prevalence of smoking in the United States, where the rate is 11.5% overall. That means that the rate of smoking is double that of the rest of the country, and closer to triple compared to states with the lowest rates, such as Utah.
According to the 

 (CDC), smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability and death in the U.S.
Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ in the body and it can cause cancer, heart disease, lung disease, type 2 diabetes and cardio-pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD).
And while we’re on the topic of diabetes, West Virginians have the highest rate of that condition as well, at 15.2%, compared to 11.6% of the American population.
At Monongalia County Health Department, there are a variety of ways that we help residents when it comes to quitting smoking. Our Board of Health passed the 

regulation that went into effect on Feb. 1, 2017, in Monongalia County. Also, three of our programs — Clinical Services, Dentistry and MCHD WIC — promote smoking cessation to patients and clients.
So we’re happy to promote this study that provides cutting-edge treatment for one of the worst habits still plaguing West Virginians.
Giving up smoking is a great way to improve your health. We know it’s not easy. Nicotine is highly addictive.
According to Giacobbi, individuals who use either cognitive behavioral therapy, which uses incremental changes to achieve a goal, or guided imagery therapy to help them kick the habit each have about a 40% chance of success.
“And that’s important, because even if both work, that tells us that guided imagery could be another tool for smoking cessation,” Giacobbi added. “We have seen success with the whole project on multiple different trials, all funded by the NIH. The record of success is good using this technique, so it’s very encouraging.”
The offerings for study participants are similar to those who connect with the West Virginia Tobacco Quitline, but there are some differences. The coaching will be either cognitive behavioral or guided imagery therapy and those calls will be longer in length.
Also, everyone has access to smoking cessation products, regardless of insurance status.
Of the participating states, West Virginia has the lowest enrollment, and that’s something Giacobbi would like to see change.
So if you have been thinking about quitting smoking, go to the West Virginia Tobacco Quitline 

and scroll down a bit to see info on the study.
And happy, healthy West Virginia Day!

How about some guided imagery with your smoking cessation? 

As Monongalia County Health Department gathers input from the community about how it can better serve patients, at least one piece of the formula is already in place.
Haley Tucker, APRN (advanced professional registered nurse), has recently joined the staff of MCHD Clinical Services as the new nurse practitioner.
Tucker has taken over the position after the recent retirement of Julie Armistead, who had been with the health department for about 20 of the last 40 years.
In this position, Tucker will be the primary nurse who provides the health department’s free and low-cost birth control options to patients.
Tucker will also help spearhead MCHD’s plan to offer a clinic to provide PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a drug that helps prevent individuals from getting HIV.
“And in the near future, we hope to offer some primary care options,” Tucker added.
Tucker, a native of Morgantown, has three undergraduate degrees from WVU, in psychology, animal & nutritional services and nursing, which makes her well-rounded to deal with a variety of patient issues.
“I was taking too many classes and then I only had a few more classes to get a degree,” she explained.
She worked as an emergency department bedside nurse and eventually went to Penn State to earn her master’s degree to become an APRN.
“Even when I was just working on becoming a nurse, I knew that I always wanted to continue my education and go to the next level and not just be able to care for people, but also to diagnose and treat them,” Tucker said.
Monongalia County Health Department has been looking toward the future in several ways, including by undergoing accreditation offered by the Washington, D.C.-based Public Health Accreditation Board and also implementing a strategic plan.
As part of the strategic plan, MCHD’s leaders held two town hall meetings this past week and is still conducting a short survey, which can be accessed on social media (Facebook, Instagram and X) using the handle @wvmchd, and on the website home page, monchd.org.
Although nurses at Monongalia County Health Department have already undergone Safe Zone training through the WVU LGBTQ+ Center, the staff will be taking the class again, said Jennifer Goldcamp, RN, program manager for MCHD Clinical Services.
And Tucker fits into this plan as well.
“Haley has been identified as our champion for our LBGTQ community,” Goldcamp said. “We’re going to go through the Safe Zone training again to make people feel more comfortable. And we will be offering the PrEP and trying to explore new ways to treat our underserved community. There are undocumented people and others for whom we are a safety net.”
Goldcamp noted that offering some primary care will be an evolving process.
“With our reproductive care patients, if they want to come in, we want to be able to address their anxiety or depression, their prediabetes and hypertension, or maybe they will come in with an upper respiratory infection,” she said.
Sometimes younger patients don’t always have a primary care provider and a gynecologist ends up treating them for issues that might otherwise be addressed by a general practitioner, Goldcamp added.
Added Tucker: “As a family nurse practitioner, I’m excited to open up the treatment and care options for Monongalia County Health Department. In my new position, I’m excited to grow the Clinical Services program and to provide new care options.”
A graduate of Morgantown High School, Tucker began robotics in the third grade and eventually helped to create the Mountain Area RoboticS (MARS) team that went on to win world championships.
“I really liked it because it was a hobby my dad and I got to do and the competitions were always new and exciting and enabled us to travel all over the country and meet people from all over the world.
Tucker has an 18-month-old daughter, Adeline, with her partner Lucas Hilsbos. She also runs, but noted that “children make you lose a lot of hobbies.”
She had prior experience with babies when she fostered two of them during the COVID pandemic in what was a quick decision she made one day at work.
“I knew I was taking them home that day.”



MCHD's new nurse practitioner is part of plan to offer more services

It’s the 50th birthday of the Women’s, Infants and Children’s (WIC) program, a federally-funded nutritional plan for qualifying pregnant and postpartum mothers as well as children up to the age of 5.
To celebrate, Monongalia County Health Department’s WIC program will be holding birthday parties in some of our six regional offices, which include Monongalia, Preston, Marion, Harrison, Doddridge and Taylor.
And what’s a party without a cake? So for this month’s WIC Kitchen, we’re making one and, of course, sneaking as many healthy ingredients into it as possible.
We made this yellow cake by slightly tweaking this recipe from Jessica Seinfield’s cookbook “Deceptively Delicious,” which she compiled after working to create yummy yet nutritious food for her children.
Adding pumpkin and yogurt to the cake not only provides extra protein, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals (pumpkin) and calcium, zinc, B vitamins and probiotics (yogurt), but it also makes the cake more moist. Fruit on top makes it pretty and colorful and also packs more nutritional value.
And if you can sneak carrots into a fruit punch, why not?
Wondering if you qualify for WIC? Check out the generous income guidelines at monchd.org/departments-programs/pages/wic-eligibility-guidelines.
And remember, foster parents or family members (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) raising their grandchildren who have been certified as “kinship care” by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), automatically qualify for WIC. Some pregnant women who are losing income from being away from work might as well. To find out, call 800-675-5181.




Nonstick cooking spray
One box yellow cake mix
1 cup canned pumpkin puree*
¼ cup water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large eggs*
1 large egg white*
6 ounces nonfat lemon, banana or vanilla yogurt (we used lemon)*




Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and flour lightly
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cake mix, pumpkin puree, water, oil, eggs, egg white and yogurt. Beat until smooth, one to two minutes.
Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool and decorate.




2 cups raspberry puree*
1 cup pineapple puree*
½ cup carrot puree*
2 cups cold water
¼ cup sugar
Ice, for serving




To make a puree, add desired fruit/vegetable to small amounts of water until you blend to get desired consistency.
Combine raspberry, pineapple and carrot purees, water and sugar in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Serve over ice and enjoy!


Items marked with an asterisk* are available through Monongalia County Health Department WIC. Please contact us at 304-598-5181 for more information.

WIC Kitchen: A yummy (and healthy) birthday cake

It’s the time of year to swim and splash around in bodies of water and dive into pools.
Of course, Monongalia County Health Department has a few things to say about pools, summer and safety.
As you may know, 

 inspect pools, hot tubs and spas in Monongalia County and we also respond to complaints.
When it comes to pools, the No. 1 Environmental Health message is, don’t do No. 2 in the pool.
According to the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

 (and feel free to finish breakfast before continuing), “One person with diarrhea can contaminate the entire pool.” These rules also apply to splash pads. “Swallowing even a small amount of water contaminated with diarrhea germs can make you sick for up to three weeks.”
So in addition to not taking a dip into a pool if you have diarrhea, it’s also incumbent on swimmers to avoid swallowing water at a pool or a splash pad.
Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) are caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or having contact with contaminated water. Diarrhea is the most common RWI, but others include skin, ear, respiratory, eye and neurologic infections. Children are more likely to get these illnesses than adults.
Here are some tips to follow to make swimming healthier for everyone:
•	Don’t swim or let your kids swim when sick, including with diarrhea.
•	Don’t swallow the water.
•	Check out the pool’s latest inspection report. You can do that by going to this website: https://inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/monongalia.
•	Take kids on bathroom breaks every 60 minutes or more if needed.
•	Check diapers every 30–60 minutes and change them in a bathroom or diaper-changing area, not waterside.
•	Shower before you get in the water.
•	If you are so inclined, you can do a mini-inspection of the pool. Instructions on how to do that, as well as other safe swimming advice, can be found at this link: www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/about/index.html
As noted, MCHD Environmental Health’s registered sanitarians also inspect pools. Each pool undergoes a full inspection twice a year. Sanitarians also stop by each pool bi-weekly to check pH and chlorine. If they receive a complaint, sanitarians respond within 10 days.
Of course there is more to swimming safety than the quality of the water. Swimming lessons are a great idea for anyone who needs them, and individuals should only swim in areas protected by lifeguards. The 

 also reminds parents of young children to supervise them yourselves even when there is a lifeguard on duty and cautions against relying on inflatable devices to be a substitute for parental supervision.
Swimming in lakes, rivers, streams and at a beach have additional sets of advice to follow. Always enter unfamiliar water feet first. Do not dive in an area unless you know the water is deep enough and there are no obstructions that could cause harm.
And when it comes to rip currents in the ocean, if you try to fight the rip current and swim against it, you'll just get worn out, notes the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

. Instead, float, and if you're a good swimmer, swim parallel to shore until you've cleared the pull of the rip current. Swim with the waves, allowing them to push you to shore.
Swimming is a great way to get exercise and have fun this summer, and following a few rules will help ensure that you will be safe at the same time.


The No. 1 rule for swimming in pools

Dr. Lee B. Smith, Monongalia County Health Department’s health officer, was recently invited to serve on a briefing panel, “The Importance of a Strong Immunization Infrastructure,” on Capitol Hill in mid-May, in coordination with Congressman Adam Schiff and Senator Jack Reed. “I was very honored to be asked to participate in this important briefing of legislators and their staff members,” Dr. Smith said. “While there are avenues to provide vaccines for children, we see major gaps in vaccination rates and the spread of diseases once thought eradicated. Having programs that allow provision of vaccines for adults is a matter of growing importance and failing to do so has far reaching costs and health impacts.”
Although West Virginia is plagued by many chronic health problems, Dr. Smith noted, “One bright spot is and has been our wonderful vaccination program for children attending public schools.”
However, a vocal minority rally at the Legislature in the attempt to change the state’s strong vaccination laws.
“A common cry is that people know their rights, and citizens do indeed have rights, but what is not discussed is that citizens also have responsibilities,” Dr. Smith said. “Not everybody may be vaccinated for medical reasons, which may be from issues with their immune system and we as good citizens should consider how they may be protected by our actions.”
It is the responsibility of public health entities to prevent disease, protect the public and promote public health, he noted.
“If one looks at what advances have saved the most lives on earth, after clean water and sanitation, it is vaccinations.
“There are approximately 17 vaccine-preventable diseases. We have just seen how our high vaccination rates for measles helped stop the spread of this important disease in our community.”


Dr. Lee B. Smith participates in vaccine panel on Capitol Hill 

Memorial Day weekend is on the horizon, and the unofficial start of summer brings promises of water, sun, splashing, grilled food and great fun with friends and family.
And you have an important question swimming around in your head: Am I using sunscreen correctly?
OK, maybe not, but it’s a good topic to address as the days are heating up and people are spending more time outdoors.
I have been pretty good about using sunscreen as I get older. Even though I’m fair-skinned and was at risk for skin cancer, I have to admit that wanting to slow down aging was my main motivation for this.
Many of you might remember childhoods of yore when sunscreen wasn’t stressed like it is today. I definitely had my fair share of sunburns. And in late 2022, it caught up with me. I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on my calf.
If I didn’t have a health reporting background and had not been writing about skin cancer and Lyme disease as part of my public information officer job at Monongalia County Health Department, I might not have detected the spot on my leg as quickly.
In October 2022, I noticed what I thought might be a spider bite or bulls-eye pattern from a tick bite on my calf. I happened to have a dermatologist appointment a week later and remembered to show it to her. I was hoping she would say it was nothing but instead, she told me if it wasn’t gone by Thanksgiving, she would biopsy it.
It wasn’t and she did, and it turned out to be not the most dangerous type of skin cancer, melanoma. But it also wasn’t the one of least concern, basal cell carcinoma.
To learn more about the different types, the American Academy of Dermatology provides information at this 

. 
At first I had a simple procedure that burned the cancer off. Unfortunately, a small part of it came back and I had to have surgery on my calf, one of the trickier areas of the body to heal. That procedure took place on May 1 last year, halfway through spring, and it really made my summer a bit of a bummer to not be as active as I wanted to be.
Now I really take sunscreen seriously because I don’t want it to come back. And although it doesn’t happen as frequently as it does with melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma can appear internally. It makes me feel good about my twice-a-year appointments at MCHD Dentistry, where cancer screenings are performed thoroughly and as a matter of routine.
But even if you do use sunscreen, are you using it as effectively as possible? Here are some tips from a blog posted by the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


•	Use a lot. “Studies have shown that consumers use much less sunscreen than is needed to effectively protect, so use more than you think you need!”
•	When it comes to selecting sunscreen, coconut oil is NOT a good ingredient. But a mineral such as zinc is and will help keep the lotion on your body longer.
•	Apply sunscreen 15 minutes before you go outside and reapply every two hours, or more frequently if you are sweating, in water, etc.
•	And finally, take other precautions. “Sunscreen isn’t an all-protective force field. It is intended to be combined with other sun-safety approaches, like covering up with clothing, staying in the shade, wearing a hat and scheduling activities to avoid times of day when the sun is most intense.”
Take it from me: Any hassle from using sunscreen is better than getting a painful sunburn and, potentially, skin cancer down the road. So slather it on before (and maybe during) your outdoor activities.

Are you sunscreening correctly?

When Kristen Pinkney had her first baby at the beginning of the COVID pandemic in spring 2020, she experienced a great deal of anxiety that she eventually linked to her postpartum state.
“I was almost obsessive-compulsive,” said the Fairmont resident, who works at WVU as a placement coordinator for teacher education students.
“We ended up having a lot of breastfeeding struggles and I switched to pumping,” she added. “It was a blessing, but also became a channel for my OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). I obsessed over tracking ounces and it fueled my anxiety."
Pinkney realized that her feelings came from more than just the pandemic and the strict conditions at the hospital when she gave birth.
Many people have heard of postpartum depression, but some may not realize that mental health issues after having a baby aren’t limited to just feeling blue.
“I was looking out more for depression than anxiety, so it made it harder to flag it as a postpartum issue,” Pinkney said.
Monongalia County Health Department’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program has teamed up with the 

West Virginia chapter of Postpartum Support International

, which takes place in May, as well as the resources that are out there to help parents who are facing these feelings.
Kayla Mullin, PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certified), of the West Virginia chapter of PSI, notes that a lot of new mothers often have trouble recognizing their symptoms because they might not fit an expected pattern.
“You can have postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, postpartum bipolar, postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder and even postpartum psychosis,” Mullin said.
It’s possible that these individuals never had any mental health issues before becoming pregnant, she added, although there are risk factors that expectant mothers or those planning to have a baby can consider.
These include having a complicated pregnancy or delivery, a premature baby, an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, fertility treatments that have affected the mother’s hormones even before the pregnancy, having a medically compromised or colicky baby, stressful life events and multiple births or having children very close together or very far apart.
PSI’s goal is to get the word out to expectant parents and also physicians to take signs of postpartum mental health issues seriously and to be prepared for them, especially if any of the risk factors exist.
As Pinkney noted, “Some of the feelings, in retrospect, started during pregnancy. We call it “postpartum” so we think it happens post-birth. But a lot of my anxiety started during pregnancy.”
Pinkney knew she needed to get help and found PSI and Mullin, who helped her through her feelings with both medication and talk therapy every other week. She even helped prepare Pinkey for her second pregnancy.
Pinkney lost her job three days after finding out that she was pregnant the second time, and then she and her husband also learned that their baby had a condition that would require surgery after their daughter was born. But because she was more prepared and had the support she needed, she did not experience the same anxiety as she did with her first baby.
For example, Mullin noted that Pinkney toured the NICU and met the large team that would be present when her baby was born so that it would feel less overwhelming.
“Kayla helped me through dealing with the worries and anxiety,” Pinkney said.
However, this time, Pinkney’s husband ended up struggling with his feelings, which illustrates that mothers aren’t the only ones whose mental health can be affected by a birth. He got help by attending a support group and he also sought counseling from a PMH-C therapist.
“I’m excited to see the shift in that you don’t have to be a martyr,” Pinkney said. “You can get help. You don’t have to feel that way. Therapy and/or medication is a great place to start.”


Maternal Mental Health Month addresses postpartum challenges 

Monongalia County Health Department needs your help! MCHD has distributed surveys throughout the community, which can also be taken online 

, in order to get input as we make plans and set goals for the future. You can also attend a town hall meeting, which will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Morgantown High School library and from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Clay-Battelle High School auditorium. An additional town hall might be added later. Please help us help you by letting us know how we can serve you. 

Please take MCHD survey

MCHD conducting survey and town halls to get community input

MORGANTOWN, WV (May 10, 2024) — If you eat in a restaurant, did you know that it has been inspected by a Monongalia County Health Department sanitarian? And there’s a good chance MCHD trained some of the food workers too.
MCHD’s mobile dentistry unit, Smile Express, continues to expand and a new, custom-made, state-of-the-art RV will be implemented in September.
“We touch the community in so many different areas — inspecting restaurants, providing health care and training food workers,” said Anthony DeFelice, MCHD’s executive director.
Free breastfeeding classes to the public are offered through MCHD WIC in an otherwise eligibility-based program that aids pregnant and postpartum mothers as well as children up to the age of 5.
Clinical Services provides free STI testing and treatment and free and low-cost birth control, in addition to a variety of infant, childhood and adult vaccines, including those that would be needed for an international trip. And naloxone is distributed as part of the Monongalia County Quick Response Team (QRT) that the health department started.
DeFelice added: “Whether it’s an outbreak, immunizations or MCHD Dentistry and Smile Express or the Free Naloxone Day events, we have to get that word out about what services we provide.”
MCHD has been in the process of creating a strategic plan with Morgantown-based Forge and is now beginning to implement it, DeFelice added.
“MCHD has been working with Forge since July 2023 to create a strategic plan and will be implementing it over the next five years,” he said. “It was apparent to the leadership that we needed a roadmap to take us from where we are today to where we want to be in the future.”
The next step is a survey that has already been distributed throughout the community and is available on MCHD’s social media, as well as two town hall meetings that will allow community members to provide feedback, ask questions and learn more about Monongalia County Health Department.
The first town hall will be held from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, at Morgantown High School’s library and the next one will take place from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at the Clay-Battelle High School auditorium.
“What we want to accomplish with the survey and town halls is to identify the services we currently have and improve upon them and to add services that meet the needs of the community,” DeFelice said.
Monongalia County Health Department was established in 1929 and has been at its current location, 453 Van Voorhis Road, since 1975. It also operates the federal Women, Infant and Children’s (WIC) program in six counties — Monongalia, Preston, Marion, Harrison, Doddridge and Taylor. The health department operates under laws set by the West Virginia Legislature, specifically those found in West Virginia Code Chapter 16, Article 2.
These town halls come at a time of great change for MCHD, including undergoing an accreditation process through Washington, D.C.-based Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) and the arrival of a new health officer, Dr. Brian H. Huggins, who will replace Dr. Lee B. Smith on July 1.
“As the new, incoming health officer, it’s really important to me that as we expand services, we do it in a way that is responsive to the community,” Dr. Huggins said.
“In order to move forward in a meaningful way, we need feedback from all members of our community. We hope as many community members as possible will fill out a survey and even consider attending a town hall meeting.”
Surveys can be found at local businesses and libraries as well as on MCHD’s social media sites. These include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with the handle @wvmchd. It also will be posted soon to MCHD’s website, monchd.org, which also outlines the health department’s services.



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