In this episode we hear from the one and only Jan Rader, the first woman to lead a professional fire department in West Virginia and a TIME100 Most Influential Person in 2018.

During this episode we visit the classroom of a social work professor at Marshall University to learn about the landscape of social work in West Virginia.

In rural, medically-underserved areas like Logan County, West Virginia, bringing care to patients directly is often crucial to the health of the community. From conducting home visits to helping operate a mobile medical clinic, nurse practitioner Anitra Ellis’ makes it a priority to meet her patients where they are.

When serious accidents or injuries occur in remote and rural places like West Virginia, an emergency helicopter is sometimes a person’s sole chance at survival. No spoilers—but, this episode, we’re in for a wild ride.

Curious about the people who are working behind the scenes and on the front lines to care for our communities every day? Appalachian Care Chronicles is a new podcast bringing you stories from every corner of West Virginia’s health sector.