The West Virginia Department of Health’s State of Office of Rural Health (SORH) announces that Roane General Hospital in Spencer, West Virginia, has been awarded the 2025 Community Star Award, nationally recognizing its positive impact on the health of its rural community. The announcement comes on National Rural Health Day, which works to highlight the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural communities.
“I cannot be prouder of the work West Virginia is already doing to bolster rural healthcare and bridge the gaps between services,” says Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh. “This drive for excellence will only increase in the coming years as we build a once-in-a-generation public health infrastructure through the Rural Health Transformation Program. Congratulations to Roane General Hospital for this incredible acknowledgement of their hard work and dedication.”
"We are honored to be recognized as West Virginia’s 2025 Community Star,” adds Douglas Bentz, CEO of Roane General Hospital. “This award reflects the dedication and compassion of our entire Roane General Hospital team, who work tirelessly to ensure that rural communities receive exceptional care close to home. On National Rural Health Day, we celebrate not only this achievement, but also our ongoing commitment to improving health and wellness for every patient we serve.”
The Community Star Award is administered by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health’s (NOSORH) Community Stars Program. The award identifies champions of rural health who, through leadership and commitment, have improved access to care, pioneered innovative services, and proven themselves as dependable partners to the West Virginia SORH.
One of Roane General Hospital's innovations is the Prescription for Your Health program, a three-pronged plan overseen by each participant’s physician. The "prescription" includes a personalized medical plan, fitness plan, and nutrition education. For the personalized medical plan, participants are required to establish a relationship with their primary care provider including regular communication about screenings, medications, and other medical needs. Along the way, health coaches stay in contact with the participants on a monthly or quarterly basis. Through a partnership with DignifiHealth, which provides software that helps track data, Roane General Hospital’s Prescription for Your Health team can measure grip strength, weight, waist circumference, sit-to-stand metrics, and other measurements, creating a holistic approach to health that ensures participants have the tools and resources to maintain a healthy lifestyle beyond the duration of the program. Additionally, a recent expansion of Roane General's facilities provides a comprehensive environment in which participants can achieve their health goals. The expansion features a sizable fitness center, health-focused café, therapy services, a small pool, and pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation facilities — all custom-designed for the program.
NOSORH launched the Community Star Recognition Program in 2015 in celebration of National Rural Health Day and has since honored more than 400 rural health stars. Click
here to learn more and view past award recipients.