Bringing Care Closer to Home with Dr. Robert Haley

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk with Dr. Robert Haley during the Westside Community Health Fair. He tells me the fair is about bringing people together for free screenings like HIV, hep C, blood pressure, and diabetes checks. For many, it is the first step in learning about issues that can be treated if caught early. The setting makes it less intimidating than a clinic and opens the door for honest conversations about health.

Dr. Haley describes the many booths, including veterans and disability groups, along with services that help connect people to resources. A key feature is the presence of more than seventy medical students from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. They gain experience working directly with the community, and in past years have even identified emergencies such as diabetic crises and helped get people to safety.

We talk about the history of the fair, which started just before the pandemic when many in the community were not being served. Now in its fourth year, it has grown into a trusted gathering that reduces the stigma of seeing a doctor. Dr. Haley says people feel more comfortable here, able to talk in plain terms about what hurts and what they need without the barriers of a medical office.

He explains that too often people avoid care because they fear what might be found, but the truth is that silence can be deadly. Events like this encourage people to take the first step and learn what is happening with their health before it becomes critical.

As we wrap up, Dr. Haley stresses that screenings save lives and ignoring health issues is dangerous. He hopes people leave saying they found someone who listened and cared in an environment that felt welcoming. For him, success is measured in trust built and lives improved by a decision to show up.