It was 1972. Leonard Nelson, president of the West Virginia Institute of Technology, decided to reorganize the college. He put Jack Robertson as dean of a new component called the School of Human Studies. After being hired only the year prior, I was elevated to become chairman of the new Division of Social Sciences. My assignment was to create interdisciplinary degree programs and an extension service that would focus on economic, health and social issues facing the people of West Virginia.
One of our first interdisciplinary degrees was in health service administration, or HSA. Initially, it was set up as a "2+2" program that relied on students who received their associate's degrees in fields like nursing, dental hygiene and medical records from Tech’s then-called Community and Technical College. Soon, it also became a full four-year baccalaureate program coupled with a semester-long practicum internship, often with recently formed health clinics, state health agencies and area hospitals. They included the New River Health Association, Cabin Creek Health System, Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital (formerly established by the United Mine Workers union as Miner’s Memorial Hospital) and Montgomery General Hospital (formerly associated with the Laird family).
One of the first academic directors of the HSA program was Richard Flint, who began half-time. He is also known as the name for Flint’s Rock, to those who do whitewater rafting on the New River and wish to avoid the rock’s deadly undertow. Flint came from an established coal mining family on Cabin Creek that was involved with the Kanawha Coal Operators Association. When he died in a tragic accident, I met with his mother, Harriet Morton, and we set up the Richard C. Flint Scholarship Program at The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation that was specially focused on high schools in the vicinity of the New River with students willing to major in health service administration or the other career programs that we began in our Division of Social Sciences at West Virginia Tech.
There were many students who enrolled in health services administration, which became a very desirable major. Two have made the news recently. One is Debbie Hill, who is the CEO at the Montgomery Health Care System, which had a hospital on a target list for possible closure after the signing of the recent federal budget bill on July 4.
After Debbie graduated as a registered nurse and HSA, she quickly became a major administrator and, eventually, CEO at the Summersville Memorial Hospital, when it was still operated by the city. However, since she grew up in Fayette County, she eventually came back to Montgomery, first with the nursing home component and then being elevated to CEO of the entire facility now called the Montgomery Health Care System. It currently consists of Montgomery General Hospital and several affiliated components, including a nursing home and several clinics. She also joined the HSA program as adjunct staff.
Upon the budget news, she was initially alarmed about institutional survival. But she soon reconsidered and stated an intent to remain. However, she did note in a newspaper interview she “may have to look for new service lines, change service lines or consider joining a larger hospital network†to avoid closure. Clearly, this was a positive response under the circumstances.
At almost the same time, another HSA graduate made the news. It was announced that David Brash became the new CEO of Beckley’s Raleigh General Hospital. David has an interesting history of transferring from an engineering focus to health services administration. Like all others in the program, he had to complete a semester’s practicum placement and write a comprehensive report on that experience.
When submission time became imminent and to reduce mileage, he rushed his massive report from Oak Hill to my house porch in Kincaid for the delight of local dogs. After it was pieced back together, he graduated and became a hospital administrator at an array of hospitals and health care facilities in Appalachia. Needless to say, we are proud that David has returned to the area and can lead Raleigh General to provide quality services.
These success stories that serve area people in need are examples of the academic human services programs that we began over 40 years ago at what is now called the West Virginia University Institute of Technology.
There are many similar success stories of those who graduated from our other created academic programs at that time, including: industrial relations/labor studies; public service administration; community economic development; day care administration; and corrections administration. Tom McGraw, for example, graduated from industrial relations/labor studies, became a hospital administrator in various locations and recently retired as chairman of WVU-Tech’s academic division over these career programs.
All deserve a special thank you for making a difference in serving the people of Southern West Virginia and helping keep their hope of good health alive.
John David is a Gazette-Mail contributing columnist.Â
