State-University Partnership
Building a Better West Virginia
High-level service
As an entity within a respected research university, we’re able to offer services on a higher level than a traditional consulting firm. The academic foundation of our 50+ staff members allows the Office of Health Affairs to execute professional-level program management that is bolstered by subject-area expertise.
In-state workforce
We work to help strengthen West Virginia by recruiting and retaining the talented workforce needed to fulfill our purpose.
Academy Health member
Our partnership with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is further supported by our affiliation with Academy Health’s State-University Partnership Learning Network, a program that facilitates peer-to-peer learning and dialogue among state-university partnerships via meetings and conferences with the goal of improving the cost and quality of care of the Medicaid program.
Embedded staff
The WVU Office of Health Affairs has staff embedded within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources to enable our teams to work more effectively and efficiently together. In a proven model of successful partnership, the Office of Health Affairs and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources collaborate to improve health care initiatives and programs.
In a proven model of successful partnership, the Office of Health Affairs and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources collaborate to improve health care policy and government-funded programs.
In recognition of the many mutual benefits of in-state collaboration for the citizens of West Virginia, WVU and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WV DHHR) established a formal State-University Partnership in 2017. Led by the Associate Vice President for Health Affairs within the WVU Health Sciences Center, the Office of Health Affairs provides the administrative infrastructure for this effort within the University.
An important aspect of the State-University Partnership is WVU’s membership in Academy Health, a leading national organization for health services research. West Virginia was honored to accept an invitation to participate in Academy Health’s State-University Partnership Learning Network (SUPLN). SUPLN works to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and dialogue among state-university partnerships and supports evidence-based state health policy and practice — with a focus on transforming Medicaid-based healthcare, including improving the patient experience, improving the health of populations, and reducing the per capita cost of healthcare.
Building a robust State-University Partnership within West Virginia allows the Office of Health Affairs to develop in-state capacity to support WV DHHR in the critical areas of health data analytics, program evaluation, and program management. Through these efforts, we’re able to better meet the needs of policymakers, funders, and other stakeholders in conducting an array of health improvement initiatives and relevant program evaluation reports.
Increasingly, our State-University partnership has emerged as a leading force in amplifying state efforts to improve the health of West Virginians and has also been recognized as a valued participant in national projects facilitated through the SUPLN.