Vandalia Health joined Governor Patrick Morrisey on November 5th, 2026, to announce a Letter of Intent (LOI) to establish an Academic Integration Agreement with the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM). Beginning July 1, 2027, the phased agreement will designate WVSOM as Vandalia Health’s primary academic affiliation, granting WVSOM students first priority for clinical placements across Vandalia Health sites.
"Vandalia Health CAMC has long been committed to being an academic medical center and training our future physicians, and this partnership will expand that goal and strengthen both organizations," said Jeff Sandene, President & CEO. "Partnering with the largest medical school in West Virginia to train the next generation of physicians will help us serve our communities through rural physician training pathways and rural residency opportunities."
Through the integration, WVSOM medical students will gain consistent access to high-volume clinical experiences in internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, cardiology, neurology, obstetrics, pediatrics, and other specialties, alongside enhanced simulation-based education and clinical skills development. The partnership will also expand Graduate Medical Education (GME) and residency opportunities across the system, building upon Vandalia Health CAMC’s 25 existing residencies and fellowships as it continues to add new training programs.
In addition to clinical training, the integrated model will connect Vandalia Health CAMC’s established research infrastructure—which currently includes more than 400 active research projects—with WVSOM faculty and students to create a larger investigator network and advance research focused on rural healthcare delivery. Leveraging Vandalia Health’s statewide footprint, the collaboration aims to foster relationships with rural hospitals, establish a statewide clinical research network, and address physician shortages and healthcare disparities across West Virginia. The agreement will also enhance Vandalia Health's national visibility as an academic medical system and elevate osteopathic education to help attract nationally recognized physician leaders.
The agreement is non-exclusive, and Vandalia Health CAMC will continue training students from the West Virginia University School of Medicine with no changes for students currently assigned to the CAMC campus.
The partnership will also directly support the reopening of Obstetric Services at Vandalia Health Greenbrier Valley Medical Center by strengthening faculty and staff recruitment and retention. Vandalia Health plans to utilize its Charleston training program to help supplement necessary faculty and will add a rural track to its Obstetrics Training Program with the primary clinical site located in Greenbrier County.
"We are excited to move forward, continuing our investment in medical education and training to meet the future healthcare needs throughout the communities we serve," Sandene added.