About Our Poison Center

The West Virginia Poison Center (WVPC) offers assessment and emergency treatment advice on accidental exposures to medications and household substances,  plant ingestions, snake, spider and other insect bites and stings, chemical spills, occupational exposures, and drug overdoses.

The WVPC was established in 1979 and is located on the West Virginia University Charleston Division Campus. It was recognized as West Virginia's only poison center in 1986. In that same year, the WVPC became a Certified Regional Poison Center, one of only 54 in the United States. The certification has been granted again due to superior work and strict adherence to the guidelines. Funding for the WVPC is provided by WVU Charleston Division, WVU, West Virginia Legislature, member hospitals, grants and donations.

Dollars Spent in West Virginia
Dollars Saved in West Virginia
1,013,933.00
Estimated Over $3.0 Million

WVU-HSU = West Virginia University Health Sciences Center		 Each call to a Poison Center prevents $175.00 in other medical spending.

WVU-Chas. = WVU, Robert C. Byrd HSC - Charleston Division		 Average cost per poison exposure is $28.00

Outside Sources = Member hospitals, industry grants contracts, donations		 As used, Poison Centers decrease the number of patients treated, but not hospitalized for poisonings by 24%
Legislature = $511,105.00 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 Poison Centers decrease: 
  • Treatment delays
  • Inappropriate triage admissions
  • Unknown diagnosis admissions
  • Inappropriate use of ambulance services
All health provider payer groups in West Virginia benefit from these cost savings: 
Medicare 
Other Federal 
Medicaid 
Other State (e.g., PEIA) 
Workers' Compensation 
Private health insurance/HMO 
Charity/Bad Debt 
Self
From the National Public Services Research Institute. Research funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, US Department of Health and Human Services. 
Authors: Miller, TR, Lestina DC.

The poison center staff consists of the Director, Medical Director, Community Outreach Coordinator, Program Specialist and eight Registered Nurses (RN).  Each call to the poison center is answered by a Specialist in Poison Information who is specially trained in the management of poisoning emergencies. Qualified staff become Certified Specialists in Poison Information. This is the result of extensive work in the area of toxicology and an exam. The WVPC utilizes many different resources for recommendations of patient treatment. Computer data banks as well as a comprehensive toxicological library are on hand for the most up to date information. Specialty consultants are also on call 24 hours a day for expert information on complex cases.

West Virginia Poison Center Staff


Director:  Elizabeth J. Scharman, Pharm. D., DABAT, BCPS, FAACT 
Professor, WVU School of Pharmacy
Medical Director: Daniel E. Brooks, M.D., ABMT
Back-Up Medical Director:  Jawald Akhtar, M.D. and Kenneth Katz, M.D.
Community Outreach Coordinator:  Hallie Chillag Dunlap, M.S.
Program Specialist: Diana K. Ramsey
Supervisor of Operations: Lynn F. Durback-Morris, BSN, RN, MBA, CSPI
Clinical Instructor, WVU School of Pharmacy
Hazardous Materials Supervisor:  V. Dalton Noffsinger, RN, CSPI, AHLS
Specialist in Poison Information: Pamela J. Chase, RN, CSPI 
Lisa Coleman, BSN, CSPI
Sandra K. Davis, RN, CSPI
Kenneth G. Haught, BSN, RN, CSPI 
Willette K. Haught, RN, CSPI
John Hersman, RN, SPI
The West Virginia Poison Center serves all 55 counties in West Virginia. This includes: the general public regardless of socio-economic class, infants, children, adolescents, adults and senior citizens, health care professionals in hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. The WVPC also provides treatment information for the pets of West Virginians. The West Virginia Poison Center performs several roles:

  1. A resource center. The WVPC is a source of current information about thousands of harmful products.
  2. A learning center.  The WVPC reaches out to people with educational programs for families, day care centers, schools, service clubs and civic groups. The poison center also helps train and update medical professionals about new poison research and treatment.
  3. A community service center. Call the WVPC first when you suspect a poisoning. Our poison specialists will instruct you on how to properly handle the situation at home or to seek immediate medical attention.
  4. An early warning system to alert health care professionals to environmental hazards, new patterns of drug abuse, and problems of drug misuse.
  5. The poison center is also available to consult with employees and industry leaders faced with the problem of chemical exposure in the workplace.
Call the Poison Center for: The WVPC received 41,004 calls in 2002. Of those phone calls, approximately 52% were actual poison exposures and 48% were information calls.  In addition to handling calls, the Specialists in Poison Information made follow up calls to check on the progress of poisoned patients and to assess the need for additional treatment.

If you would like more statistical information on the West Virginia Poison Center please view our annual reports.

 1999 Annual Report
2000 Annual Report

WVPC Homepage