West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Amount Appropriated?

$325,000

FFID tracks stages 1–2 — stages 3–5 vary by agency, assistance type, and earmark structure.

Project Description

The 28,480-square-foot Fredric W. Smith Science Building houses the modern gross anatomy lab along with a variety of laboratories where basic science and clinical faculty carry out research projects with medical students. It was originally completed in 1991, with a major addition built in 2007. WVSOM has outgrown the facility due to its expansion of research and planned program growth. WVSOM\u2019s facility master plan identified the need to expand the Smith Science Building to accommodate new state-of-the-art research labs as well address the needs of its Clinical and Translational Science Center. The addition project also will provide an opportunity to address existing building deficiencies. \n\nThis project is a good use of taxpayer funds because WVSOM is the largest medical school in the state of West Virginia. WVSOM plays a critical role in providing physicians, especially primary care physicians, to underserved areas in West Virginia and the U.S. Currently, 34 of West Virginia\u2019s 55 counties have fewer than one physician (MD or DO) per 1,000 residents. The U.S. average is 2.9 physicians per 1,000 people. Every county in West Virginia except Ohio has a primary care professional shortage in part or all of the county, according to 2021 data from the Rural Health Information Hub. Part or all of 43 West Virginia counties are designated as medically underserved; 51 counties are designated as rural by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.