WVU and Johns Hopkins Launch Rural Health Research Series with Focus on Social Prescribing and Cardiovascular Health in Pregnancy
Key Insights
West Virginia University and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health are continuing their Rural Health Initiative series with virtual discussions on social prescribing and maternal cardiovascular health.
The social prescribing session on July 20, 2026, will explore how referrals for services like transportation and food delivery can bridge gaps in rural healthcare access.
A second session on August 3, 2026, will focus on the Mountain Mama & Baby Cohort Study and cardiovascular health in pregnancy, addressing rural research infrastructure.
West Virginia University School of Public Health (search) and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health are advancing their collaborative Rural Health Initiative with two upcoming virtual discussions addressing critical gaps in rural healthcare delivery and research infrastructure. The sessions, part of the "Rural Health Convos" series, support a recently announced research partnership between the two institutions aimed at advancing joint solutions for shared challenges.
The first session, scheduled for Monday, July 20, 2026, at noon via Zoom, will examine the role of social prescribing in rural health. Social prescribing refers to referrals and services necessary for day-to-day health that extend beyond traditional medical care, including public transportation cards, fresh food delivery and access, and translation services. In rural areas, these interventions can be the determining factor in a patient's access to life-saving healthcare.
"Sometimes medical care isn't enough. In these cases, 'social prescribing' can act as a bridge, connecting people to the healthcare they need," according to the event description.
The discussion will feature WVU School of Public Health alumni Brianna Sheppard, director of West Virginia Area Health Education Centers, and Corey Edmonds, manager of business development and community relations at Mount Laurel Medical Center, alongside Renee Johnson, a mental health professor. The panelists will share their experiences working with social prescriptions in rural settings.
Maternal Cardiovascular Health and Research Infrastructure
The series continues on Monday, August 3, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. via Zoom, with a session titled "From Pregnancy to Practice—Infrastructure for Rural Health Research." This discussion will center on the Mountain Mama & Baby Cohort Study and its relationship to cardiovascular health in pregnancy, expanding into broader conversations about rural health research infrastructure.
The panel includes Bethany Barone Gibbs, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at WVU School of Public Health; Becky Reece, M.D., FACP, associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at WVU School of Medicine; and Liz Selvin, Ph.D., MPH, professor and director of the Welch Center for Epidemiology and Clinical Research at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Investigators will cover strategies for recruiting representative samples, building sustainable community-engaged studies, and leveraging existing resources for collaborative research. These methodological discussions are particularly relevant given the persistent challenges of conducting rigorous epidemiological research in rural populations.
Both sessions are open to all levels of experience and interest in rural health research, reflecting the partnership's commitment to fostering broad engagement across the academic and public health communities.