Tug River Health Brings Primary Care, Screenings to McDowell County

Tug River Health Association operates a network of federally qualified health center services in McDowell County, delivering primary care, preventive screening, chronic disease follow up and behavioral health navigation for residents across the mountainous region. The organization runs clinic sites and mobile units that aim to bring routine care and targeted screenings closer to towns such as Welch, Gary and Northfork, and coordinates lung screening events with larger medical partners to reach people at highest risk.

These services matter in a county where poverty rates are elevated, transportation options are limited and chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and chronic lung disease are common. Local access to family medicine and internal medicine reduces the need for long drives to distant hospitals, and consistent follow up for chronic conditions helps prevent emergency visits and costly hospital stays. Mobile clinics and seasonal screening campaigns, including low dose CT lung screening promoted in cooperation with regional medical partners, are part of a prevention focus that public health experts say can change care trajectories in rural communities.

Tug River Health also provides dental care on a rotating or fixed site basis depending on staffing and funding, and it makes patient education available through newsletters and community outreach. November materials have highlighted lung health and COPD awareness, and the clinic shares information on tobacco cessation and substance use recovery resources. The organization works with social services to connect patients to supports such as Medicaid enrollment assistance and sliding fee scales to improve affordability.

Despite these services, systemic challenges remain. Staffing and funding constraints influence the availability of dental and specialty services, and persistent transportation barriers limit access for some residents. Maintaining and expanding community based primary care in McDowell will require sustained investment in rural health funding, workforce incentives and coordination between clinics, regional hospitals and social service agencies.

Residents can call the main McDowell clinic at 5883 Black Diamond Highway in Gary at (304) 448 2101 to schedule appointments, ask about mobile screening events or learn about vaccination clinics and sliding fee options. Additional information and newsletters are available at tugrivermedical.com, where updates on services and outreach are posted for the community.