Mountain State Times

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), announced four Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) awards from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These funds are aimed at enhancing health education and treatment facilities in West Virginia.

The CDS awards, secured through requests made by Capito for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), will be allocated to renovate and build medical treatment facilities, construct research locations, and fund youth mental health services.

“Having the infrastructure in place to educate doctors and effectively treat patients in our state is critical to maintain healthy communities,” said Capito. “These CDS awards will help organizations build the facilities to prepare new generations of health practitioners and support ongoing healthcare efforts, and I am proud to have secured them following my discussions with these entities during the CDS process. As Ranking Member of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, I will continue to partner with local leaders to identify their most pressing needs and work to build out our medical and educational services.”

The individual award details are as follows:

- $6 million HHS CDS award to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) in Lewisburg for constructing a research addition to the Fredric W. Smith Science Building. This expansion aims to attract high-caliber faculty and students while fostering research collaborations in areas such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.

- $1.26 million HHS CDS award to the Mineral County Board of Health in Keyser for construction upgrades that include creating an annex with a negative pressure space for isolating patients with infectious illnesses. The renovations aim to provide a safer environment for patient treatment.

- $600,000 HHS CDS award to Recovery Point of Huntington Inc., in Huntington for building supportive long-term recovery housing for people with substance use disorder. The project plans to preserve 72 long-term residential recovery beds while adding 20 more beds in Kanawha and Wood counties.

- $200,000 HHS CDS award to Libera Inc., in Morgantown for providing mental health support programs specifically targeting middle school girls. These programs focus on listening, peer support, and connecting girls with vital mental health resources.