What a Day at WMHS

Yesterday was quite a day at WMHS beyond the usual activities of caring for patients, procedures, tests, counseling and everything else that happens here on a daily basis.   It was also Farmer's Market Day at WMHS, which has been well received by our staff and the community.  In addition, we had an opportunity to kickoff Project Fit with participants from the Allegany County Board of Education, Flintstone Elementary School, Bishop Walsh School, New Creek School in Mineral County, WV and WMHS.  Project Fit involves enhancing opportunities to increase the physical activities of our youth.  The Health System is sponsoring these three sites with the hope that the concept will be successful and these three schools will serve as a model for the rest of Allegany County and Mineral County Schools.

Simultaneous to the Project Fit kickoff, Dr. George Garrow, Chief Medical Officer for WMHS, was hosting about a 150 people at a forum on Bath Salts.  The panel that he assembled was excellent and the program was extremely informative, as well as, very well received by all attendees.  Physicians, nurses, other staff, Health Department. employees, community counselors, prison officials and others were in attendance.  Between comments from yesterday's audience and very positive postings on Facebook, the demand for additional sessions on this topic is great.  WMHS will hold another forum next month.  After the lunchtime forum, there was then a special training session for law enforcement on Bath Salts.  Law enforcement officers from Cumberland, the Sheriff's Office, the State Police and other jurisdictions were in attendance.  That session was also well received.   

Because of the seriousness of the Bath Salts issue, WMHS will remain in the forefront of increased community awareness, community education, education of professionals and certainly caring for patients who fall victim to a bath salts overdose.  Our ultimate goal is to have our youth as well as our adult population focus on more health and wellness related activities such as Project Fit so there is no longer an interest in or a market for head shops selling Bath Salts.