History of Greenbrier County Health Alliance 

In 2015, the Greenbrier County Health Alliance (GCHA) formed —out of the WVSOM Center for Rural & Community Health; a department within WVSOM that works to impact population health at the grassroots level—to engage rural communities around locally identified issues. Through the GCHA developed countywide architectures for engagement and outreach, evidence-based workshops, and structures to link local foods to those in need. The work of the GCHA has evolved, and the organization now serves as a nonprofit partner of the CRCH—with staffing and overhead provided by the CRCH and nonprofit oversight from a community board—working to impact population health at the grassroots level through strengthening policies, environments, and systems (PES) to build toward health equity in the region. 

As of 2020, the Greenbrier County Health Alliance, through generous support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the James F.B. Peyton Fund, the WVU Office of Health Services Research, the Hollowell Foundation, and the United States Department of Agriculture, celebrated many notable accomplishments. GCHA contributed to the development of WVSOM’s Clingman Center for Community Engagement, marshaling significant grant funding to refit the space and install a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen for culinary medicine training and community projects. GCHA, along with many partners, continues to facilitate the development and growth of the Meadow River Valley Early Childhood Development Center and the Meadow River Valley Community Center Campus.  

GCHA has continued to work as a nonprofit partner of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH). CRCH continues to provide for the GCHA’s Executive Director position to be staffed by the CRCH Director of Community Engagement and Outreach, and a memorandum of understanding between the organizations is in development to cement the partnership. 

GCHA convened a local and statewide cross-sector team and submitted an application into a competitive nationwide learning collaborative administered by the American Public Health Association and the National Association of Counties: The Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge. Out of more than 100 teams from across the country, the Greenbrier County team, led by GCHA, was selected for inclusion. The Challenge will provide grant funding, national exposure, and technical assistance to cross-sector teams to accelerate systems-level strategies for health equity over a two-year period ending in September 2022.  

GCHA provided expertise and support throughout 2020 to local COVID-19 disaster relief and response initiatives, including facilitating a COVID-19 emergency response grant with community-based partners to improve food access in the Meadow River Valley; development and management of a countywide phone and internet meal ordering and database system to support Greenbrier County Schools emergency feeding program; and, support and assistance of a local initiative to provide 3D printed masks to first responders and medical personnel as a backstop of personal protective equipment.