India Amos is a freelance writer currently based in Miami, Florida. She is originally from Wheeling, West Virginia, and covers news and human interest pieces relating to Appalachia and Latin America. Follow her on Twitter @indiamorgana.
As the number of female veterans increase, women who live in communities serviced by older U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals could experience a delay in care—especially if men already occupy the hospital rooms.
The centuries-old practice of giving birth at home, assisted by midwives, once common in rural areas, has become too costly and too complicated for some Appalachian families.
A factor that makes Appalachian veterans especially susceptible is the region’s struggles with addiction. Veterans who were prescribed the highest possible doses of opioids were more than twice as likely to die by suicide compared to individuals receiving the lowest doses.
Appalachia’s suicide rate is 17 percent higher than the national average, but not many mental health providers accept one of the region's most popular forms of insurance.
Storm debris still litters some streets, making driving, walking, and getting to grocery stores difficult for some residents. And then there are potential public-health issues.
People often stay due to lack of money, the difficulty of traveling while disabled, language barriers, and fear of job loss—even when weather stops almost all business.
![[Photo: A woman in a wheelchair sits in a dark hospital hallway.]](https://rewirenewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/shutterstock_11176225-800x533.jpg)
![[Photo: A group of Appalachia residents wait to enter a clinic]](https://rewirenewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/GettyImages-820235206-800x533.jpg)
![[Photo: People sitting in a waiting room]](https://rewirenewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/shutterstock_490261660-800x533.jpg)
![[Photo: Gov. Jim Justice shakes hands with President Donald Trump]](https://rewirenewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GettyImages-826164184-800x533.jpg)
