Weston 5K Walk/Run
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Center Avenue, Weston, WV

Click here for a Weston Walk Run application

Click here for a Weston Wee Run application


Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital is dedicated to providing excellent care, to every patient, every time. However, we have taken on the added responsibility of providing healthy choices to our local residents so that they can enjoy a healthful life from birth.

During the Hospital's 2016 Community Assessment, it was found that Lewis County ranks poorly on the national and state levels. For example, Lewis County residents are almost twice the national average to die prematurely. After surveying and the focus group work was completed, drug addiction headed the list of concerns for local residents. Next issues dealt with obesity and illnesses associated with it.

Therefore, the Hospital has been working with the City of Weston and other local entities to provide more physical fitness opportunities for children and adults here. Members of the Hospital staff have become project managers for at least two playgrounds in the City of Weston. The first is a commercial playground with swings, slides, a Noah's Ark, and play set for children in an area close to the Hospital.

The second playground is a natural playground with natural items such a bamboo tent, boulders, and plants for the children to play through. A natural playground allows children to enjoy nature at its best.

The most recent project is the first of two planned urban orchards for Weston. The first orchard has 50 fruit trees, 20 fruit bushes, and eight nut trees planted close to SJMH.

We have also

Implementation Strategies To Tackle

The Significant Health Concerns


Three hundred twenty-nine individuals answered the question on common health problems. The top five concerns were:
Drug Abuse
Obesity (58.5%)
Cancer (36.8%)
Heart Disease (31.5%)
Diabetes (29.8%)
High Blood Pressure (29.2%)

Drug addiction is the number one health concern of our residents. The other concerns in order of importance were: obesity, cancer, heart diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Our next goal is to identify the methods and efforts, which Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Lewis County Health Department can strategize to help the community with these issues.

This is a breakdown of the detailed efforts SJMH and the Health Department have developed to promote fitness and combat drug abuse, obesity, diabetes and other preventable illnesses.

Strategies for Combatting Drug Abuse

• SJMH's Emergency Department has adopted the West Virginia Hospital Association Guidelines for Prescribing Opiates.
• All nursing staff at SJMH is required to complete continuing education on "Drug Diversion Education on Opiates."
• All SJMH pharmacists are required to complete continuing education on "Drug Diversion Education on Opiates" when applying for their licensure.
• All SJMH physicians are registered with the West Virginia Board of Pharmacies.

Strategies for Combatting Obesity/Promoting Physical Activity

• SJMH has an Adult Fitness program, which is conducted Tuesdays and Thursdays in the morning in the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital Cardiac Rehab Department. This is a very low-cost way to modify risk factors.

• SJMH received a sizeable grant to fund a walking program in the fall of 2012 - "Lewis County on the Move". Three hundred local people signed up and received a pre-test of body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood sugar, waist circumference, weight, and height. They were provided with a free, quality pedometer and told to walk for six weeks. After the six weeks, they were provided the same screenings in a post-test and had some great results. One lady lost 20 pounds; another lost 8 inches on her waist. It was an opportunity for SJMH to educate residents on healthy habits.

• The SJMH Physical Therapy Department provides annual physicals for student athletes in the county at no cost to the child. The Department performed screenings for 152 students this past school year. The physical is comprised of monitoring lung and heart, and detailing a history of injury, or orthopedic problems.

• In April 2016, SJMH coordinated the ninth annual Weston 5K Run and Wellness Walk. The event was created to promote healthy lifestyle choices for local residents. Approximately 225 people registered for the event. There is also a Wee Run for children, which is a block-long sprint. The Hospital sells advertising on the back of the Run shirts top provide scholarships to local students in the Lewis County School system giving children the opportunity to participate at a cost of $3.

• SJMH has created a safe walking path in the parking lot for the Hospital to promote physical activity for employees and the community.

• SJMH has a Wellness Committee that has created basketball teams for employees. The Wellness Committee also has made exercise equipment available to the entire SJMH staff for use.

• SJMH is working in cooperation with the City of Weston to refurbish an old school playground close to the Hospital's main campus. The goal is to provide a children's playground. The commercial playground was recently dedicated.

• SJMH is working on the completion of a natural playground/outdoor classroom at another location within the city limits.

• The Hospital offers a Public Employee Insurance Agency Weight Management Program.

• SJMH does not serve pop at activities.

• SJMH provides healthy snacks for a variety of children's events, especially those associated with the Lewis County 4-H program.

• SJMH now provides a healthy salad bar for employees and visitors.

• For three years, the Hospital has attended the Try This Conference in Buckhannon to learn about ways to create healthier choices for our communities, especially our children.

Strategies for Combatting Cancer:

• SJMH has participated in the WV Breast Cancer Awareness Day through promotion, advertising, management, and screenings. This will be the 19th year that SJMH will work on the project in October to provide education and screenings for women.

• For eighteen years, SJMH has been a major contributor to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life of Lewis County. As well as having a big Relay team, the Hospital also contributes $1,000 annually as a corporate sponsor; markets the event; and provides a survivors reception for the Relay.

• SJMH opened an oncology center here at the Hospital, which has provided great help for local cancer patients, so that they do not have to travel hours for treatment.

• SJMH is participating in the American Cancer Society's "80 by 2018" an effort to get eighty percent of appropriate patients to be screened for colon cancer by 2018.


Strategies for Combating Cardiac Disease:

• The SJMH Cardiac Department participates in the WV Cardiac Project created by West Virginia University to screen fifth-graders in the County for diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia (cholesterol). This screening identifies the at-risk population and 171 students were enrolled this year.

• The Cardiac Rehab Department goes to Sharpe Hospital, the second largest employer in the county, for a Healthy Heart Fair every February to promote healthy lifestyle choices.

• SJMH has a Facebook page on which healthy heart suggestions are circulated.

• The Cardiac Department participates with a local college and federal correction center to do heart disease education.

• The Cardiac Department created a Cardiac Reunion program to encourage health, fitness, and wellness through continued exercise with Cardiac Rehab graduates.

Strategies for Combatting Diabetes:

• SJMH conducts three comprehensive blood screenings each year - two in the spring and one in the fall. This is done in cooperation with the Weston Rotary Club.

• The Lewis County Health Department provides very low cost screenings for the public during office hours. For example, a customer can receive a blood glucose test, blood pressure, weight, and height screening for free. The nurse director can provide nutritional education for customers. She also talks about exercise and educates on glucometer use.

• SJMH provides free annual blood screenings for the SJMH employees.

Strategies for Combatting High Blood Pressure:

• SJMH has a health fair for the public and provides glucose, blood sugar, blood pressure, and hearing screenings, as well as information from vendors for breast/cervical cancer, smoking cessation, and other cancers several times a year.

Strategies to Promote Healthy Choices:

• SJMH has taken a very proactive approach to the recent creation of a Farmers Market in the Weston Downtown area. The Hospital is providing a piece of fresh fruit for children visiting the market, as well as coffee for shoppers to sit and eat some home baked goods.

• The SJMH Marketing Department, in cooperation with the SJMH ED, conducts a Children's Safety Fair in October. There are a number of screenings available for children.

• SJMH has participated in a 340B prescription program for several years. Patients who are seen by SJMH physicians may participate in the low-cost prescription plan and save as much as 60% on their medications.

• The Marketing Department creates stories on promoting healthy lifestyle choices throughout the year.


Collaborators on these screenings and strategies:

• American Cancer Society
• Central West Virginia Community Action
• Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE)
• City of Weston, WV
• Comprehensive Pharmacy Services
• Lewis County Board of Education
• Partners in Health, Charleston, WV
• Saint Patrick School/Church
• Sharpe Hospital
• Stonewall Resort
• The HUB
• Try This Conference
• Weston Rotary Club
• West Virginia Department of Rehabilitation
• West Virginia Division of Tobacco Cessation
• West Virginia Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program
• West Virginia University Extension Service
• West Virginia Wellness Council