WVU Medicine Health Expo on Hand To Help at Ogden Wellness Weekend | News, Sports, Jobs

photo by: Shelley Hanson

WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital provides Ogden Newspapers Tough As Nails Urban Challenge participants with a variety of information related to services at the facility during a health expo on Sunday. From left are hospital spokeswomen Bonnie Funkhouser and Gretchen Kessler, Dr. Mark Hofbauer, and spokeswoman Thea Gompers.

WVU Medicine’s first year participating in the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic and the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge was a success, helping to inform and assist many and, thankfully, treating few injuries.

By midday Sunday, the tent staff situated at the finish line only had to address one serious injury, a wrist fracture, and a number of abrasions and other minor bumps and bruises. In total, fewer than a dozen people were treated for injuries across the weekend, according to Kevin Clark, one of those manning the tent.

Karin Janiszewski, regional director of communications and public relations for WVU Medicine, said the organization was elated to have the first Wellness Weekend go as well as it did and is looking forward to being a staple at future events.

“We are really excited. This is the first time we’ve gotten to participate in this type of event,” Janiszewski said.

The health expo featured information on services at Wheeling Hospital and Reynolds Memorial Hospital, physical therapy and a massage station, as well as the emergency service tent situated at the finish line.

“They’re learning about all of our service lines, from cardiology to orthopedics to dermatology,” Janiszewski said. “We have a little bit of everything here for people to come in and get information, but mostly it’s about getting our name out there.”

Janiszewski emphasized the recent expansion into the fields of urology and dermatology, particularly with urologist Dr. Michelle Simmons, as Janiszewski said female urologists are in short supply.

“That is great and a game changer for this valley,” she said. “Urology is a service line that’s desperately needed, and to bring in a (woman) to work with (women), as a woman, that’s important to me.

“We are so proud of this team. These are all local folks, right here from our area, who we really want to showcase and let people know you do not have to leave this area to get the best care, state of the art.”