A Morgantown magazine Mover & Shaper, Health Care Edition.
Written by Nikky luna
From frontline hospital staff to indie acupuncturists, trauma therapists, and bodyworkers carving their own paths, our Movers & Shapers Health Care Edition brings you wellness professionals who are redefining what health looks like in this town.
Driven by resiliency and a love for helping kids, Dr. Leslie-Joy Romero’s non-traditional path to medicine is one she has come to deeply appreciate. The Beckley native went from the Mountain State to the Golden State, starting out as a professional dancer in Los Angeles before earning her master’s in psychology and working with children as a behavior therapist.
Romero always looked up to her dad, a longtime ER physician in their hometown. Inspired by his journey, she returned home, deciding to follow in her father’s footsteps—almost. An unexpected closure of her residency program in Charleston brought her to Morgantown in 2017, where she completed her residency and decided to stay because it “felt like home.”
Now a doctor of osteopathy and an internal medicine and pediatrics hospitalist with WVU Medicine, Romero is putting her varied experiences to work, making her a more memorable and engaging provider—especially for her pediatric patients. “I try to find moments where we can have some fun—from re-enacting dancing videos to taking on the latest TikTok challenge, pediatrics is where you can have some fun,” she says.
READ MORE STORIES FROM OUR FALL 2025 ISSUE
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