Leaders named for Neuroscience, Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry

Karen Fields has been named assistant vice president of Neuroscience, and Jessica Belt has been named assistant vice president of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry.

Fields joins WVU Medicine from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she had 20 years of neuroscience experience. As the executive administrator for the Department of Neurology, she helped build one of the largest academic neurology programs in the country. She has significant experience as a leader in operations, finance, strategic planning, and research.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work and Masters of Science in Health Administration, both from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

In her new role, Fields will work to continue expand the clinical, research, and academic missions of the enterprise, including neurosurgery, neurology, and neuroradiology, as well as the basic sciences.

Belt has been director of ambulatory nursing at WVU Medicine since 2012 and served as the director of the Spine Center from 2016-2019. In her role as ambulatory nursing director, she directed clinical operations and performance for 32 primary care and specialty care outpatient clinics within WVU Medicine.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

In her new role, Belt will oversee the behavioral medicine service line to include inpatient and outpatient operations, United Summit Center, and the Center for Hope and Healing residential treatment center.