Gear ranging from ropes, harnesses and helmets to splints, tourniquets and rescue stretchers will play a role in immersive rescue exercises during the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine’s (WVSOM) wilderness medicine elective rotation, thanks in part to the Encova Foundation of West Virginia.
The WVSOM Foundation – a charitable organization that supports WVSOM through philanthropic investment – received a $25,000 grant from Encova to help fund the school’s 2026 elective. The two-week course provides training in emergency care, disaster response and patient stabilization in outdoor environments for third- and fourth-year medical students and resident physicians.
It will take place Aug. 24-Sept. 4, primarily at Greenbrier Youth Camp in Anthony, WV, and at additional locations including the New River Gorge area and Kanawha Falls in Fayette County.
The rotation is designed to strengthen physician readiness to serve rural and underserved communities across West Virginia and Appalachia. Participants will receive education on topics such as triage under resource constraints and adaptive clinical decision-making. The rotation prepares physicians to deliver care in settings where infrastructure limitations, delayed services and geographic isolation shape medical decisions.
The rotation will culminate in an all-day “grand scenario” on Sept. 3 at Greenbrier Youth Camp. Details of the scenario remain confidential until the day of the event, but participants will be expected to use many of the skills they learned during the rotation, including search and rescue, rope access and incident command.
Mark Waddell, D.O., WVSOM’s executive director of rural and international medicine, said benefits of the rotation include a physician workforce trained to provide support during wilderness emergencies or natural disasters.
“The Encova Foundation’s generous grant provides vital rescue equipment that elevates the educational experience for WVSOM students, residents and our faculty and staff,” he said. “This long-term investment doesn’t just enrich our curriculum in the next several years – it directly translates into better-prepared rural physicians who are ready to respond when outdoor emergencies strike across our state, and to care for those who work and recreate in the outdoors.”
Outdoor recreational opportunities bring countless visitors to West Virginia’s mountains, but the terrain also creates unique medical challenges, Waddell said.
“The rotation prepares students and residents for the reality of rural practice, where a physician might be pulled from an ER or urgent care to assist in a search and rescue or to treat severe environmental injuries. It’s about building adaptable, highly skilled doctors who are ready to care for patients anywhere, from the hospital bed to the backcountry,” he said.
In addition to eight students from WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative, Emergency Medicine Club and Wilderness Medicine Club, nine resident physicians from AccessHealth, CAMC Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, Cornerstone Care and Trinity Health System will participate in the elective. WVSOM students also will serve as simulated patients, portraying individuals in need of rescue or medical attention.
Besides in-person rescue experiences, the elective will include lectures and demonstrations on various aspects of wilderness medicine. Topics include lightning injuries, snakebites, waterborne illness and wilderness dermatology, among others.
TJ Obrokta, president and CEO of Encova, said the investment reflects Encova’s commitment to strengthening the health, safety and well-being of communities.
“We believe strong communities are built through access to quality education and health care. WVSOM plays a vital role in preparing physicians to serve patients across the region, particularly in rural and underserved areas. We’re proud to support this rotation through our foundation, helping to equip future health care professionals with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to provide care in challenging environments,” Obrokta said.
Encova also assists WVSOM students through Encova Foundation scholarships, funded by an endowment created at the school in 2016, when the organization was known as the BrickStreet Foundation. To date, Encova has provided scholarships worth more than $1 million to students at WVSOM.
Donette Mizia, WVSOM’s executive director of foundation relations, said she is grateful to the Encova Foundation for the grant.
“Encova has long been one of WVSOM’s most valued philanthropic partners,” she said. “Their support for a program that equips future physicians with specialized skills to respond effectively in remote, resource-limited and disaster-affected environments is invaluable. It reflects a shared commitment to improving health care access and outcomes throughout West Virginia and other rural and underserved areas.”
Other sponsors of the rotation include the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, the West Virginia Rural Health Association, PracticeLink, The Health Plan, Greenbrier Youth Camp, WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative, the WVSOM Alumni Association, the WVSOM Foundation and WVSOM Rural Outreach.
