One of the first proposals receiving funding from West Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation Program expands on the idea of traditional occupational medicine with a workforce health model that addresses the broader health factors that can affect an individual’s ability to enter, remain in or return to the workforce.

A $612,000, one-year grant awarded to the Cabell Huntington Hospital Foundation will support Marshall Health Network (MHN) to improve health outcomes, reduce barriers to employment and strengthen workforce participation across West Virginia.

The comprehensive, scalable model brings together occupational medicine, primary care, chronic disease management, injury prevention, care coordination and employee wellness in a unified approach to workforce health.

MHN, a four-hospital academic health system across West Virginia, southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky, has operated an occupational health program for more than 35 years and has made significant investments in workforce health infrastructure, including expanded occupational health facilities, mobile healthcare services and coordinated specialty care resources.

The initiative is expected to deliver measurable improvements in both employee health and workforce performance, including earlier identification and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); reductions in avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations; and faster, safer returns to work following illness or injury.

The program will launch with Nucor Corp. as its foundational implementation partner and expand to additional employers throughout the first year.

Through a combination of embedded worksite clinics, mobile health services and occupational health hubs, employees will have access to preventive screenings, primary care, occupational health evaluations, injury prevention programs, chronic disease management, behavioral health coordination, nutrition counseling and intensive care navigation services.

“By focusing on prevention and early intervention, this initiative addresses the root causes of workforce disruption while advancing the state’s Health to Prosperity goals,” said Beth L. Hammers, chief engagement officer for Marshall Health Network, in a statement. “This initiative represents a new approach to workforce health in West Virginia,” Hammers added. “By bringing coordinated, preventive care directly to employees where they work, we can improve health outcomes, help businesses maintain a strong workforce and support economic growth throughout the state.”