Telehealth is here to stay. West Virginia doesn't have the broadband capability to support it.

Telemedicine has proved effective during the pandemic, keeping people with chronic health conditions away from crowds and allowing more one-on-one time between patients and caregivers, according to health professionals. But West Virginia has a connectivity problem. Without sufficient internet access, drastic health disparities will widen between the state’s most impoverished and vulnerable communities and wealthier places, said Dr. Rahul Gupta, West Virginia’s chief health officer from 2015 to 2018. It’s not just telehealth that requires sufficient broadband. The success of West Virginia’s children is directly dependent on internet access, Gupta said. “If there’s one investment that needs to happen immediately, it is in broadband, to ensure that this does not become a basic fundamental rights issue … it’s as important as the air we breathe,” Gupta said. “In a time where we cannot remain connected any other way, being online is very important.”