CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Governor Patrick Morrisey today announced a $500,000 award to CHANGE, Inc. through West Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation Program to strengthen healthcare delivery, improve chronic disease management, and support healthcare providers serving patients in Brooke and Hancock counties.
“We want our doctors and healthcare professionals focused on patients, not paperwork,” Governor Morrisey said. “This investment will give providers better tools to manage chronic conditions, stay connected with patients, and spend more time delivering care. When we improve healthcare outcomes, we help more West Virginians get healthy, stay healthy, and get back to work.”
The award is the first announced through the Provider Productivity Support Fund, one of seven statewide initiatives under the Rural Health Transformation Program. The initiative is designed to reduce administrative burdens on healthcare providers, improve efficiency, and expand access to care through innovative technology.
CHANGE, Inc. will use the funding to implement provider productivity, care management, and artificial intelligence tools designed to improve patient care while reducing administrative demands on healthcare professionals. The project includes:
- A 24/7 AI-powered patient contact center to assist with appointment scheduling, medication refill requests, referrals, billing questions, and other routine patient needs outside normal office hours;
- AI-powered clinical documentation tools to reduce the amount of time providers spend charting and allow them to spend more time caring for patients; and
- An expansion of Chronic Care Management services from 41 to at least 90 patients, along with Remote Patient Monitoring for patients with diabetes and hypertension to support more proactive care between office visits.
The investment is expected to improve patient engagement and chronic disease management while giving healthcare professionals more time to focus directly on patients. For patients with diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic conditions, better monitoring and communication between visits can help providers identify problems earlier and better manage their care.
CHANGE, Inc. has served West Virginia communities for more than 40 years as both a Federally Qualified Health Center and Community Action Agency. The organization currently partners with more than 25 community organizations and participates in multiple value-based care initiatives focused on improving quality and patient outcomes.
“Supporting providers is one of the most important ways we can improve health outcomes,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh. “This investment will give providers better tools to coordinate care, stay connected with patients between visits, and manage chronic conditions more effectively. It is a strong example of how innovative solutions can strengthen healthcare delivery while supporting the long-term sustainability of rural healthcare providers.”
“The Trump Administration’s Rural Health Transformation Program has a simple formula for success: state innovation backed by federal funds equals lasting improvements for rural communities," said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. " Investing in locally driven solutions is an important step toward achieving that vision for rural West Virginians and CMS is excited to partner with states to build stronger, more resilient rural health systems."
Additional awards through the Provider Productivity Support Fund and other Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives will be announced as West Virginia continues implementing its statewide strategy to improve healthcare outcomes, expand access to care, strengthen the healthcare workforce, and help more West Virginians get healthy and return to work.
This press release is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of the financial assistance award totaling $199,476,098.72 with 100% funded by CMS HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.