West Virginia is the only state which falls entirely in Appalachia and manifests all of the socio-economic and healthcare challenges of the region. Critical healthcare disparities exist in the state of West Virginia which is evident from some of the highest prevalence and mortality rates in the nation associated with many chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma. High smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity rates in the State further exacerbate the problem.

One method to address the critical healthcare disparities and improve the health outcomes of citizens of West Virginia is through the conduct of multidisciplinary health services and health outcomes research. Rigorous health services research in the areas of health services utilization and expenditures, cost effectiveness of various treatments and other interventions, and outcomes of such interventions are of key importance to provide the evidence necessary to improve the quality and access to healthcare in West Virginia and in the surrounding rural Appalachian regions.

Our vision is to be recognized nationally for excellence in producing high quality research in health services and health outcomes that will focus on addressing healthcare problems specific to the citizens of West Virginia and the Appalachian region. Our team of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals is committed to building the necessary infrastructure for new and established scientists to collaborate on various research projects.

We invite you to browse our website to know more about the people, facilities, ongoing activities, and exciting opportunities at the WV CoHORTS Center of WVU.

S. Suresh Madhavan
For the WV CoHORTS Center team