Dr. William Neal, founder and director of the Coronary Artery Risk Detection in Appalachian Communities (CARDIAC) Project, is the recipient of the West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition 2008 “No Greater Legacy Award.” The “No Greater Legacy Award” is given in honor of Former First Lady Hovah Underwood to those who have contributed to the quality of child health in West Virginia. The 2008 award is given to Dr. Neal because of his accomplishments in the area of childhood obesity in West Virginia.

West Virginia has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the nation. Dr. Neal’s work on childhood obesity has enabled West Virginia to lower its childhood obesity rates. Of the children screened during 2006 to 2008 school years, a decline in obesity was noted among kindergarten students (36.2 vs. 33.2%), second grade students (42.1 vs. 37.5%), and fifth grade students (46 vs. 45.5%).

Dr. Neal is a Professor and the James H. Walker MD Chair of Pediatric Cardiology in the Department of Pediatrics at West Virginia University. He is a member of a number of medical associations including, the American Pediatric Society, Society for Pediatric Research, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Neal is the recipient of numerous awards and his scholarly work is contained in publications, books, and abstracts. He has served in the Navy as a flight surgeon aboard the USS Constellation.

He is married to Dr. Martha Mullett, a neonatalogist, also practicing at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. They have six children and 13 grandchildren.

Previous recipients of the award include:

2005 — Dr. Patricia Kelly, Marshall University
2006 — Dr. Joan Phillips, CAMC
2007 — Dr. L. Clark Hansbarger, Associate Vice President and Dean, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center of West Virginia University

A Charleston Gazette article on Dr. Neal and the 2008 “No Greater Legacy” award can be found here.

(Gazette photo by Kenny Kemp)