Rooted in Care
Fifty years of trusted, compassionate health care in West Virginia.
Still here. Still fighting.
Why 50 Matters.
In 1976, a small group of advocates opened Women's Health Centers with whatever they had, for whoever needed it — making it the first abortion provider in West Virginia. Fifty years later, we are the only clinic in the state offering reproductive healthcare, harm reduction services, and gender-affirming care under one roof.
Rights have been stripped. Hospitals have closed. Syringe programs have been suspended. Through every one of those moments, WHC has stepped up.
This anniversary is a celebration and a commitment: we are not going anywhere.
Our Timeline.
When care disappears, we step up, time and time again.
1976
Founded in Charleston, WV
A small group of advocates opens the first abortion provider in West Virginia. The only independent clinic in the state for 46 years.
2018 – 2021
A public health crisis, and a choice
When Charleston's syringe service programs were suspended, HIV diagnoses surged from fewer than 5 cases a year to 85 by 2021. WHC stepped in. Harm reduction has been part of our care ever since.
2022
Roe falls. We fight.
When Dobbs overturned Roe, WHC won an injunction and continued providing care to 100+ patients until September 13, 2022 — the last day of abortion care in West Virginia. Two weeks later, our leadership was on the ground in Maryland.
September 2023
WHC Maryland opens
We chose Cresaptown intentionally. Mountain Maryland needed a WHC. More than half of our Maryland patients travel from West Virginia to get here.
June 24, 2026
50 years. Four years post-Dobbs. We Are Not Going Anywhere.
Our 50th anniversary falls four years to the day since Dobbs. We mark it not with despair but with roots deep enough to hold — and a community ready to grow with us.
What We Are Building
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50th Anniversary Mural
A MURAL THAT BELONGS TO THIS PLACE
Commissioned artist Nichole Westfall — 2024 West Virginia Governor's Artist of the Year — is creating a mural rooted in the native plants and 50-year history of WHC. Community members will be invited to help complete it. -
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Solar Panels Dedication
REPRODUCTIVE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Two West Virginia donors made it possible. Solar panels on the WHC WV building cut our long-term operating costs and make our commitment to this community visible in a new way. Reproductive justice and environmental justice aren't separate causes here. -
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Memorial Garden
A SPACE TO BREATHE
A healing garden in memory of the people who built this place and the patients who trusted it. A reminder that care takes root when you tend it.
