Roads to Wellness: A System Analysis of Crucial Links between Transportation and Health in West Virginia
The Roads to Wellness project brought together experts and multi-sector stakeholders from across West Virginia through three virtual roundtable discussions in 2024. The goal was to produce a report synthesizing system analysis, logic models, and a strategic plan with prioritized policy actions aimed at enhancing the health of West Virginians by addressing transportation challenges.
Project leadership included Dr. Joan Centrella (former Director of the Bridge Initiative in Science and Technology Policy, Leadership, and Communications), Dr. Deb Koester (Assistant Professor and Director of the Division of Community Health at Marshall University), and Dr. Deborah D. Stine (Study Director, Consultant to WVU, and Founder of the Science & Technology Policy Academy). An advisory committee of health and transportation experts guided the project’s activities and content.
A report on project outcomes is available from Dr. Deb Koester.
Study Question
What actions, if any, should West Virginia policymakers (national, state, local, for-profit, and non-profit organizations) take to respond to concerns that insufficient transportation options are reducing the quality and quantity of healthcare received by West Virginians with chronic disease (e.g., congestive heart failure, diabetes, COPD, depression & anxiety)?
Project Activities
Roundtables were held in spring 2024 to gather stakeholder input. Draft findings were shared at town hall-style sessions during transportation and healthcare meetings throughout the state, with final report dissemination occurring through 2025.
During each roundtable, participants identified and evaluated policy options using the 4E criteria:
- Effectiveness – likelihood of achieving a societal goal
- Efficiency – cost relative to effectiveness
- Equity – fairness and distributional impacts
- Ease of Political Acceptability – stakeholder support or opposition
Participants then ranked options through an anonymous poll. Supporting materials included Science & Technology Notes with background and sample policy options drawn from other Appalachian states.
Roundtable 1: Health on the Move: Bridging Transportation and Care through Telemedicine, Mobile Clinics, and Integrated Models in West Virginia
Explored how transportation intersects with telemedicine, mobile clinics, and integrated care models to reach patients with chronic illnesses. Policy discussions focused on strategies to expand remote care, deploy mobile health services, and partner with transportation providers like Uber and Lyft to close care gaps.
Roundtable 2: Country Roads to Prevention: Integrating Transportation for Enhanced Population and Community Health in West Virginia
Focused on how transportation enables or inhibits preventive healthcare. Topics included access to screenings, vaccinations, and routine care—particularly for low-income and rural residents—and how better transportation could reduce long-term health costs.
Roundtable 3: Bridging the Health Divide: The Intersection of Transportation and Health Equity in West Virginia
Examined transportation as a social determinant of health and its link to health equity. The discussion addressed barriers in rural and underserved areas, impacts on economic stability and employment, and how education and digital literacy affect residents’ ability to navigate both healthcare and transportation systems.