LEWISBURG, W.Va (WVDN) – Mary Page Nemcik, a health care leader with more than 25 years of experience, and Jessica Hott, D.O., a West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) alumna and OB-GYN who co-founded Novella Women’s Health in Martinsburg, W.Va., are among the 50 “West Virginia Wonder Women” for 2026 as selected by WV Living magazine.
Nemcik is executive director of WVSOM Health, a not-for-profit rural health clinic in Lewisburg that is affiliated with and located on the WVSOM campus. In operation since 1976, the facility became known as the Robert C. Byrd Clinic in 1997 and was renamed WVSOM Health in July 2026.
Nemcik joined the clinic in 2021 as chief operations officer. In August 2024, she took on her current position, in which she directs operations to drive organizational efficiency and the delivery of high-quality care. Nemcik leads the facility’s strategic planning and financial management efforts, partners with its Board of Directors to shape organizational strategy, supervises a multidisciplinary leadership team, and implements and enforces compliance programs, among other responsibilities.
She said she is excited to accept the recognition during WV Living’s annual luncheon, which will take place Oct. 28 in Charleston, W.Va.
“To receive this honor and be in a category alongside previous West Virginia Wonder Women is an incredible and humbling experience,” Nemcik said. “The women of this state are doing remarkable work, and to be included with such a wonderful group is very meaningful.”
Nemcik’s accomplishments at the clinic include increasing its financial strength, enhancing its affiliation with WVSOM, and evaluating and redesigning key workspaces to improve efficiencies and create a positive work environment.
Drema Hill, Ph.D., WVSOM’s chief operations officer, was named a West Virginia Wonder Woman in 2024. She said Nemcik embodies the title.
“Mary Page is intelligent, kind, driven to succeed and takes care of everyone fortunate enough to be in her sphere,” Hill said. “Her positive energy is the driving force behind the success of WVSOM Health. I am proud to have worked alongside her, and I am thrilled she is being recognized for her work.”
Nemcik earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from West Virginia University and a master’s degree in journalism and communications from Marshall University. She began her career in health care as director of marketing for Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Ronceverte, W.Va., before spending more than 15 years as director of marketing and operations with Lewisburg’s Greenbrier Medical Arts Pharmacy.
She attributes her success to a tenacity that’s long been part of her nature.
“I’m very determined, and I like to see things through. Even when there are obstacles and challenges and I don’t think I’ll ever get to the finish line, that determination is something that has helped me over the years,” Nemcik said. “My role with WVSOM Health is to make sure that everything we do, we’re doing with integrity and at an exceptional level.”
Jessica Hott, D.O., graduated in WVSOM’s Class of 2010. After completing an OB-GYN residency at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore, Md., she built a career at WVU Medicine, where she was medical director of the OB-GYN department and served two terms on the health system’s Board of Directors.
Hott developed a passion for advanced minimally invasive and robotic gynecologic surgery, especially the treatment of complex endometriosis and other conditions that affect women’s quality of life. She co-founded Novella Women’s Health in 2026, a decision she said grew from her desire to create a better model of women’s health care.
“As my experience grew, so did my vision for what women’s health care could look like,” she said. “I became increasingly passionate about creating a more personalized, innovative model where we could respond quickly to patient needs, expand access to specialized services and bring new ideas to life. I wanted to help shape the systems, experiences and opportunities that influence how women receive care.”
Hott said the osteopathic medical philosophy she learned at WVSOM informs the way she practices.
“One of the most important things my osteopathic education taught me is that everything is connected. In women’s health, we often see patients whose symptoms have been treated individually for years without anyone stepping back to connect the dots. WVSOM taught me to look at the whole person, to think critically and to recognize that treating a diagnosis is not always the same as treating the patient,” she said.
Recognition as a West Virginia Wonder Woman represents something larger than professional success for Hott — it exemplifies the legacy she hopes to leave of pushing past boundaries and giving personal attention to patients.
“I want my children to see that sometimes doing what is right requires taking risks, stepping outside your comfort zone and believing in something even when the path forward is uncertain,” she said. “At the end of the day, I don’t want to be remembered for the number of surgeries I’ve performed or the titles I’ve held. I want to be remembered for the lives I’ve touched, the barriers I’ve helped break down and the things I’ve helped change for the better.”
WV Living launched the West Virginia Wonder Women program in 2014 to honor female leaders, community pillars and trailblazers across the Mountain State.
