West Virginia
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West Virginia is located in the mid-Atlantic United States, with its state capital located in Charleston. West Virginia has 55 counties and is bordered by Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky. Among the 50 states, West Virginia ranks 41st in size, covering 24,231 square miles. According to the 2000 Census, West Virginia ranks 37th in population size with 1,808,344 residents, and the state's population is projected to increase by just 0.9 percent by 2010. The greatest percentage of the state's population (11%) is found in Kanawha County, which includes Charleston, the state's largest city. An analysis of county population projections indicates that 42 counties are projected to experience a decline in population by 2010, including Kanawha County, which is projected to decrease in population by 6 percent.
According to the 2000 Census, West Virginia's residents are predominantly white (95.0%). Black or African American persons make up 3.2 percent of the population, persons of Hispanic or Latino origin 0.7 percent, Asian Americans 0.5 percent and Native Americans 0.2 percent. West Virginia has an abundance of prime workforce-age residents, with the bulk of the state's population between the ages of 25 and 59 (48.2 %). According the 2000 Census data, West Virginia ranks 3rd among states with the highest percentage of residents over age 65 (15.3%). Over the past 50 years, West Virginia has seen a large decline in its youngest residents, with the number of residents between the ages of 0 and 24 decreasing by 40 percent.
Demographics
West Virginia Demographics and Statistics - A state resource with links to vital records, Census information, information on ethnic communities, and other West Virginia statistical information.
West Virginia State Data Center /Business and Industry Data Center Network - An association of 31 public agencies that cooperate with the U.S. Bureau of the Census to facilitate use and delivery of Census and other data to the public.
West Virginia State and County QuickFacts - This resource from the U.S. Census Bureau provides summary profiles for frequently requested data items from various Census Bureau programs. Profiles are available at the national, state, and county level.
Statistics
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts Online - West Virginia at a Glance - This resource provides the latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation.
West Virginia Health Statistics Center - A Division of the W.V. Department of Health and Human Resources that maintains the state's vital records and analyzes state health and demographics records for policy and planning purposes. In particular, this site provides a link to the West Virginia County Health Profiles 2004, which covers a broad range of statistics and compares W.V. state and county statistics to United States statistics.
News Information
West Virginia Local News - A resource from the West Virginia state government site providing links to regional news information.
West Virginia State Press Release Directory - Provides links to agencies with online press releases.
West Virginia Newspapers - The U.S. Newspaper List provides links to West Virginia newspapers, radio stations, television stations, and magazines.
West Virginia News Media Guide - An electronic directory for W.V. media, including newspapers, television, radio, periodicals, public television, college newspapers, college radio, webzines, media services and media associations.
Health Resources
W.V. Department of Health and Human Resources
W.V. Office of Community Health Systems - Promotes health services availability and accessibility to all West Virginians through support of community primary health care centers, local health departments, hospitals, and emergency medical systems.
Healthy People 2010: Prevention Map for the Future - A statewide agenda that provides a direction for improving the health and well being of West Virginians by the year 2010.
Library Information
Libraries
West Virginia Public Libraries - A Web directory from Libweb providing links to West Virginia's public libraries' home pages.
West Virginia Library Commission
Regional Medical Library: University of Maryland Baltimore, Health Sciences Human Services Library
West Virginia Resource Library:
West Virginia University
Health Sciences Center
P.O. Box 9802
Morgantown, WV 26506-9802
Email: Susan.Arnold@mail.wvu.edu
Ph: (304) 293-2105
Fax: (304) 293-5995
Associations
West Virginia Library Association
Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Medical Library Association - An organization of health sciences librarians and other information professionals serving the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Specific Populations
(General Resources, West Virginia Resources, African American, Hispanic, Asian American, Native American)
General Resources
Office of Minority Health - A division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services whose mission is to improve and protect the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities.
Minority Health - Sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation, this resource provides links to Foundation reports as well as state-by-state statistical information.
Population Group Topics - This resource from the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINEplus provides links to topic sheets for a number of population groups.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Status - A fact sheet on health disparities from the Centers for Disease Control.
Health Professional Shortage Areas - This resource from the HRSA Bureau of Health Professions defines the health professional shortage area designation criteria and offers database searching by state and county.
Minority Health Resources - A subject guide from the Health Sciences and Human Services Library with links to general and population-specific health information resources.
West Virginia Resources
West Virginia Division of Rural Health - A Division of the W.V. Dept. of Health and Human Resources that collaboratively plans and develops policy, provides technical assistance and provides statewide coordination of rural health activities. Here you can also find a link to their Minority Health Program.
West Virginia: Minority Health - A state minority health profile from the Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts.
West Virginia Community Voices - A project founded to develop policies and programs to improve health and health care access for uninsured and underserved populations in W.V.
West Virginia AHEC - A statewide partnership among local rural communities, higher education, and the state and federal governments.
An Introduction to West Virginia Ethnic Communities - A 1999 publication from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History that provides links to regional reports on ethnic communities in West Virginia.
African American
African American Health - This MEDLINEplus topic sheet provides links to a variety of health information resources for and about African Americans.
The Black Population in the United States - Detailed demographic information on the African American population from the U.S. Census Bureau.
African-American Health Resources - Links to national African-American health resources compiled by the Maryland DHMH Health Disparities Initiative.
African American Communities in West Virginia - A 1999 special report from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.
An Analysis of West Virginia's Minority Health Issues: Black Americans - A January 2004 report from the West Virginia University's Institute for Health Policy Research (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
An Analysis of West Virginia's Minority Health Issues: African Americans in Raleigh and McDowell Counties - A January 2004 report from the West Virginia University's Institute for Health Policy Research (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Hispanic
Hispanic Population in the United States - Detailed demographic information on the U.S. Hispanic population from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Hispanic-American Health - This MEDLINEplus topic sheet provides links to a variety of health information resources for and about Hispanic-Americans.
National Alliance for Hispanic Health - This site includes information about the Alliance, health news, and other topics of interest. Resources on the site include Health Fact Sheets, Hispanic Health Needs Assessment, and Funding Leads.
Hispanic/Latino Health Resources - Links to national Hispanic/Latino health resources compiled by the Maryland DHMH Health Disparities Initiative.
Asian American
Asian and Pacific Islander Populations - Detailed demographic information on U.S. Asian and Pacific Islander populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Asian-American Health - This MEDLINEplus topic sheet provides links to a variety of health information resources for and about people of Asian and Pacific Island descent.
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum Links and Resources - This site provides links to health organizations and programs for Asian and Pacific Islanders.
Asian-American Health Resources - Links to national health resources for Asian-Americans compiled by the Maryland DHMH Health Disparities Initiative.
Native-American Health - This MEDLINEplus topic sheet provides links to a variety of health information resources for and about people of Native American descent.
American Indian Health - From the National Library of Medicine, and information portal to issues affecting the health and well-being of American Indians.
American Indian and Alaska Native Populations - Detailed demographic information on U.S. American Indian and Alaska Native populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Indian Health Service - The Federal health program for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
National Indian Health Board - Advocates on behalf of all Tribal Governments and American Indians/Alaska Natives in their efforts to provide quality health care.
Native American Health Resources - Links to national health resources for Native Americans compiled by the Maryland DHMH Health Disparities Initiative.
Native American Communities in West Virginia - A 1999 special report from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.
Additional Resources
The National Library of Medicine - The following NLM products may be useful to you and are available on the web at no cost: The following NLM products may be useful to you and are available on the web at no cost: ClinicalTrials.gov, NLM Gateway, MedlinePlus, PubMedand TOXNET. A full listing of NLM's online resources is available on their Health Information page.
FedStats provides access to statistics prepared by over 100 federal agencies. Statistics are available on a state and community level.
FirstGov provides a search engine and topical indexes for US state and federal information. To search for information on a particular state, use the form in the upper left corner.
State and Local Government on the Net provides links to government information on a state and local level for the fifty states, as well as selected US-associated areas such as Guam.
RML State Contact
Toni Yancey, Outreach Exhibits Coordinator, tyancey@hshsl.umaryland.edu
Miss Yancey exhibits, teaches PubMed classes, and supports subcontracts and library improvement projects in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. She also manages the state and national exhibits for the region.
Do you have further questions? Call us at 1-800-338-7657 and Choose 1 for Regional Network Office .
