State-run hospitals, struggling to fill full-time nursing positions, are heavily reliant on contract positions to fill gaps. It cost the state $284 million since 2015 since contract positions pay more than the state’s own full-time nursing jobs.
The Department of Health Facilities’ lengthy hiring process and questionable budgeting practices combined with a national nurse shortage have led to a reliance on contract labor, according to an audit presented to lawmakers on Tuesday. Meanwhile, contract labor’s price tag has risen.
“From fiscal year 2015 to 2023, the total annual expenditure for contract clinical staff increased 955%,” said Mike Jones, audit manager with the Post Audit Division. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay
The audit, conducted by the Legislature’s Post Audit Division, reviewed the Department of Health Facilities hiring process prior to it becoming its own agency this year. It found that, on average, it took 688 days to post jobs and hire full-time nurses.
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“That’s among the most ridiculous things I’ve heard in a long time,” House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said in response. “Can anyone respond to that? Anyone?”
Aaron Snodgrass, health facilities finance officer, said he couldn’t provide clarity but noted that the agency was posting jobs much more quickly at this time.
With the likely continued rising cost of contract nursing, the legislative auditor recommended that lawmakers “consider if the continued operation of health facilities by the state is in the best long-term interests of the state and address the issues as it sees fit. “
DHF leaders have said they’re already considering selling four of the state-run hospitals to private providers largely due to operation costs. Snodgrass told lawmakers that the audit was fair and he was not surprised by the findings.
“We are working with a broker to find investors who want to invest in these facilities. I can’t really provide any additional information on that because it’s not my project,” he said.
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In DHF’s official response to the audit, it said the department contracted with Lument Securities earlier this year to look for outside buyers. West Virginia Watch on Sept. 23 filed a Freedom of Information Act request for a copy of DHF’s contract with Lument; an attorney with DHF recently delayed possibly sharing the contract until Dec. 20.
DHF operates four long-term care facilities: Hopemont Hospital in Terra Alta; Jackie Withrow Hospital in Beckley; John Manchin Health Care Center in Fairmont; and Lakin Hospital in West Columbia. The department also operates two psychiatric facilities — William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital in Weston and Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital in Huntington — along with Welch Community Hospital.
Contract nurses involved in crimes, patient death at hospitals
Lawmakers requested the audit due to concerns about “ambiguous information around expenditures,” cost concerns with state-run hospitals and more.
There was not a line item dedicated to contract nursing, according to the audit. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha
There are 846 allocated positions in the seven hospitals for full-time clinical nurses. Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, noted that the audit failed to say how many positions were being filled by contract nurses.
The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the state’s reliance on contract nursing, and from 2019 to 2020, the cost jumped from $20 million to more than $40 million.
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“These staffing issues are not new or unique to hospitals in West Virginia. They existed before COVID, which only worsened the issue … No single policy has addressed the issue,” Jones said.
The millions of dollars spent on contract nursing were paid out to 33 vendors over the last nine years; 28 of those were out-of-state vendors. Sharpe Hospital, where multiple contract employees have been charged with crimes, spent $30 million on contract staffing last year.
The state spent $3.8 million on contract nursing in Hopemont Hospital in 2023. Three contract employees were fired there this year who were involved in a gruesome death of an elderly patient in a boiling whirlpool.
The audit noted that West Virginia was not immune to issues sparked by the national nursing shortage. Lawmakers and educators have attempted to bolster the state’s nursing programs, including the creation of a West Virginia Nursing Academy that starts for kids in ninth grade. The Legislature provided $20 million in surplus funding for continued education initiatives started in the Governor’s Nursing Workforce Program in 2024.
“Are any of the programs that we have done in the past few years to bolster the nursing programs working?” Young asked.
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Snodgrass said that it will take years to graduate more nurses in the state.
“We are seeing positive results within the department,” he said. “When we come back in budget meetings in the spring, if trends continue that we’re seeing, we’ll have good positive results to report for contract nursing.”
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WCHS) — A West Virginia man accused of threatening to attack President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement workers was federally indicted this week.
Cody Lee Smith, 20, of Clarksburg was indicted on two counts of threats to murder the president, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Smith is accused of making a series of public posts on Instagram encouraging and threatening the murder of Trump, those who support him, Israelis and “all government officials,” the news release said.
The indictment also alleges that Smith sent a direct message via Instagram to Donald J. Trump, Jr., stating he would kill his father by cutting his “jugular.”
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In a phone call with the ICE tip line, Smith also threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg and employees staffing the tip line.
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Smith faces up to 5 years for each of the presidential threat charges and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts.
West Virginia has said the right things about the need to capitalize on opportunities.
The Mountaineers aren’t following through when they come about.
The latest example came Tuesday night at Kansas State, which scored 21 unanswered points in the second half before holding off a furious West Virginia charge for a 65-53 victory at Bramlage Coliseum.
“The level of urgency and desire to win a game with so much on it wasn’t where it needed to be,” West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge said on postgame radio.
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The Wildcats (12-18, 3-14) played without leading scorer PJ Haggerty, a surprise scratch with an undisclosed injury.
Although WVU (17-13, 8-9) defeated Kansas State 59-54 with Haggerty in the lineup during a January matchup in Morgantown, the Mountaineers were unable to capitalize on his absence in the rematch and fell to 1-4 in their last five games.
Both teams were dismal offensively in the opening half, which ended with West Virginia leading, 26-23.
The Mountaineers got 10 points apiece from reserve forwards Chance Moore and DJ Thomas, helping the visitors to at least somewhat overcome a starting lineup that scored six points on 3-for-15 shooting over the first 20 minutes.
“When you’re playing a team that is a little down and out, you can’t give them life and can’t give them hope,” Hodge said. “We had so many opportunities in the first half and at the beginning of the game to make some plays and entice a team that’s been struggling to maybe keep struggling.”
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After a scoreless first half, WVU guard Honor Huff made his 100th three-pointer this season with 18:33 to play, allowing the Mountaineers to lead 31-27.
West Virginia went the next 8-plus minutes without a point, and Wildcats took control during that stretch.
Khamari McGriff scored the Wildcats’ first four points of the extended 21-0 spurt and accounted for four buckets and eight of the first 15 points during that time.
A jumper from CJ Jones with 10:53 remaining left the home team with a 48-31 advantage, before Thomas scored from close range to end his team’s extended drought at the 10:27 mark.
“I’m aware of our shortcomings and I understand when you’re deficient in some areas, your margin for error to win is razor thin,” Hodge said. “I’m disappointed with what was at stake, we got beat to loose balls. Would it have been nice to make more layups and threes? Of course. But when those things aren’t happening, you better do those other things.”
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KSU had separate 19-point leads, the latter of which came at 57-38 when McGriff made two free throws with 7:29 to play.
WVU then increased its aggressiveness offensively and reeled off the next 11 points, while the Wildcats began to play tentative while in possession.
A three-pointer from K-State’s Nate Johnson left the Wildcats with a 60-49 lead with 3:48 left, but the Mountaineers continued to battle and trailed by six when Chance Moore scored in the paint at the 1:24 mark.
Moore’s next basket made it a five-point game, and after a Johnson turnover, Huff made two free throws to bring WVU to within 61-58 with 48 seconds left.
Another KSU turnover gave the visitors the ball back, but after Moore missed a shot that the Mountaineers rebounded, Huff committed a costly turnover.
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Johnson made two free throws with 17 seconds left, and McGriff added two more with 7 seconds remaining before Huff made a trey at the buzzer.
Moore led WVU with 18 points and made 6-of-7 shots, but again struggled on free throws, finishing 5 for 9. WVU hurts its cause at the charity stripe and made only 9-of-16 attempts.
Brenen Lorient was the Mountaineers’ second-leading scorer with 14 second-half points, while Thomas followed with 12 and Huff added 11 on 3-for-11 shooting.
Treysen Eaglestaff led all players with 11 rebounds in defeat, but made only 3-of-12 shots in a six-point showing.
McGriff led KSU with 18 points and added seven rebounds.
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Johnson finished with 16 points and nine boards.
WVU had nine of its 13 turnovers in the second half.
“Nine turnovers in the second half creates more busted floors, more cross match opportunities and through that, it makes you vulnerable for paint touch opportunities,” Hodge said.
K-State played under the guidance of interim head coach Matthew Driscoll. Driscoll replaced Jerome Tang, who was fired in between the team’s first and second matchups with West Virginia this season.
“Sometimes in life you get what you deserve,” Hodge said, “and we deserved to lose tonight.”
Photo: Dave Casebolt, left, signed an agreement Tuesday with West Virginia American Water Company President Scott Wyman (City of Nitro)
NITRO, W.Va. — It’s a done deal.
Nitro Mayor Dave Casebolt signed an agreement Tuesday with West Virginia American Water Company President Scott Wyman completing the sale of the Nitro Regional Wastewater Utility including the sewer plant for $20 million.
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The water utility will now own and operate the city’s water and wastewater systems. The state Public Service Commission recently approved the deal.
Casebolt said it’s good to get the long-talked-about agreement signed. He said the city can’t afford to make the improvements required at the sewer plant.
“We’re looking at needing between 40 and 50 million dollars of upgrades to our system and expecting our four-thousand customer base to try to offset those costs is not even practical,” Casebolt said.
Casebolt said sewer bills are going to go up but he said they were going to go up regardless. He said the city was facing increasing rates by as much as 50 percent.
West Virgina American is planning $42 million in upgrades to the sewer system over the next five years, Casebolt said.
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“It’s a much-need investment and actually allow the system to handle rainwater much better where it’s not backing up into people’s homes,” Casebolt said.
