West Virginia Awarded $195,825 Federal Grant to Upgrade WIC Clinics with Needle-Free Screening
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Families visiting West Virginia’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics will soon experience a gentler, quicker visit thanks to a new $195,825 federal infrastructure grant from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
“This is exactly the kind of practical innovation we want to bring to families across West Virginia,” said Dr. Arvin Singh, Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health. “By replacing a needle stick with a simple, pain free screening option, we can make a child’s visit a little easier, give our staff more time to focus on families, and reduce costs and waste at the same time. Modernizing health care does not always require a complicated solution. Sometimes it means finding a better way to deliver the services people already rely on.”
The funding will allow the West Virginia Department of Health, Bureau for Public Health, Office of Nutrition Services to offer state-of-the-art, non-invasive screening devices that give families an additional option for testing.
What This Means for West Virginia Families
For years, routine tests that screen for iron levels have required a finger-prick blood draw using small needles. Under the new initiative, staff can use Masimo Pronto® spot-check devices. These small sensors wrap gently around a participant’s fingertip to measure hemoglobin levels in about three minutes, pain-free and without a single drop of blood. This will also allow WIC staff to dedicate more time to nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and other essential services.
"This 2026 WIC Infrastructure grant award is a tremendous milestone for West Virginia," said Ashley Puffenbarger, Director of the West Virginia Office of Nutrition Services. "Federal investments like this will allow us to modernize our local clinic operations, enhance service delivery, and better support WIC families across the state."
The Masimo system is projected to reduce biohazard waste and annual operational costs by about $21,826 statewide, ensuring taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and serve as many income eligible participants as possible.
Rollout Timeline
Device purchasing and staff training will take place throughout late 2026, with full rollout across all 55 state clinics scheduled to begin by December 2026.
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