Community Bulletin
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Needle-free iron screening is coming to all 55 West Virginia WIC clinics, with rollout set to start by December 2026, according to a state Department of Health release.
A $195,825 infrastructure grant from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service will fund the new option. The department plans to buy equipment and train clinic staff in late 2026.
Clinics will offer Masimo Pronto devices as an alternative to finger-prick blood draws for participants in WIC, the Women, Infants and Children program. A sensor wrapped around a fingertip measures hemoglobin in about three minutes without drawing blood, the department said.
“This will also allow WIC staff to dedicate more time to nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and other essential services,” the department said in the release.
The department projects about $21,826 in annual operating savings statewide and less biohazard waste.
My Buckhannon reported in December 2024 on a separate WIC effort to expand lead testing in four counties.
More information is available from the Department of Health.
